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not quite a timber frame

Started by ljmathias, December 31, 2010, 11:05:20 AM

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Larry

bt couldn't have said it better.  Great job lj. 8) 8) 8)

BTW, if you have any extra time I could use a hand to finish up my house.  Year four or so and counting. :-[ :-[
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

Bill Gaiche

Thanks for all that you have put into building this house, photos and details. You have done an awsume job. What you have done will never be forgotten by your daughter and grandbaby. You should be really proud for what you have provided. bg

schakey

Great job lj.  smiley_clapping I agree with beenthere.
Taking care of family is what it is all about.
Thank you for taking the time for your post and
pictures.I watch this post every day and we can't
wait to start our home from our own trees on top
of our hill 8)
Think-Dream-Plan-Do

ljmathias

Thanks for all the comments: it's incredible how supportive the forum is of its members.  I want to thank Jeff (again) for keeping the site up and keeping it clean and friendly.  This forum is one of the best things that I've found to find information, develop new skills and make new friends: long live the Forestry Forum!   8)

Ok, so here are some pictures of the finished product.  Problem is, daughter and grandson are already moved in and I didn't give them time to clean up for the pictures, so these are real "lived in" versions of what the place looks like.  First picture below is of the kitchen area and the second of the living room that merges with the kitchen under the loft and into the cathedral ceiling.



 



 

Next are the master bath and bedroom- I warned you, these are lived in rooms now.   :D



  



 

Now a view up the stairs at the loft area showing the post and beam bent that supports the roof here and the loft itself.  Checked it yesterday and there is no distortion in the frame so far, so floor upstairs is flat and solid and the roof hasn't caved in yet.   ;D  I did calculate load on these and then increased the size of the beams by 50% just to be safe.  They are almost too big now, but I guess it's alright for a first effort like this, and the bent sure adds dimension and framing to the interior- I like it! 8)



 

Above are the stairs and railing going up.  I used manufactured steps and risers from Lowes just so we could get 'er done fast- stained with dark walnut minwax.  The railing "beams" that the balistrades attach to are red oak from the lightning killed tree I harvested a month or so ago- not enough time to air dry (no kiln here) so I'm hoping the 'dried in place' finished product keeps its shape and color.  The top of the banister on the stairs and loft are parts of small pine trees.  One is from Katrina blow down, the other was cut off the knoll to make room for the house; both air dried.  The Katrina tree was under roof and the other not, and there was a huge difference in density and color with the under-roof dried one being much lighter in weight and color.  Both took stain alright though.  The posts for the stair rail are more of the red oak recently harvested- very stiff and strong.  One thing that amazed me was that even with the T-shape of the top rail (pine on top of oak), the railing was pretty wiggly.  Just to try something, we put two blocks of wood between the rail top and bottom against the bent post next to it: stiffened the rail up considerably even though it was located at the top quarter point.  Loft rail is too wiggly for my taste but at least it protects from falls.  Oh, and the balustrades are metal- daughter picked these out for a different look.  I would have used more of the red oak, but I have to admit the metal ones make for a more open and less weighty look to the two rails.

Below is a closer view of the stairs and railing assembly followed by a view from the front porch- very nice to sit out there and enjoy a cup of coffee and the quiet of country living.



 



 

Now that I have some time freed up, I've been catching up on other winter activities.  Wife and I have both been in a clean up and throw away frenzy- I did the "equipment room" which is a small room next to the front door that had become a catch-all for "stuff," and boy there was a lot of stuff in it.   ::)  Then I cleaned out the computer room- extra bedroom converted into a place for the eldest grandson to house his growing collection of vintage computers.  After cleaning and stacking everything on shelves and in the closet, I was totally surprised by how much room there was- his desk is to one side, and there was room for a second desk, which I need (as explained below) for my own computer-based activities.  Had an oak bench that was my first attempt at any kind of mortise and tenon construction- rough sawn oak beams and planks.  It had been a place to collect junk in the big barn while I waited to find a use for it: bingo!  I cleared off the top, and partially disassembled it, sanded all surfaces with a belt grinder (planed the top planks flat and the same thickness: they were originally 2+" and got them down to 4 cm).  Finished sanding with an orbital then put several coats of latex polyurethane on- they shined up real nice as shown in the pictures below.



 



 



 

The oak had beautiful "character" to it, and I really like the way it finished out, but if you look close, you can tell I don't have a jointer (yet) and desperately need one.  I left the top planks unattached- with their "heft," they aren't going anywhere and maybe I'll be able to convince the finance officer to invest in a jointer real soon, especially since I'll have some time to use one productively.  After showing the family the finished desk, the universal observation was: "When can you make me one?"

Got to finish the interior railing today, cut a door into the attic on the north side so I can frame up the bathtub and install ventless vents, and I'll get pictures of the upstairs rooms then.  Meanwhile, I'll get back to work on moving my education website off-campus as full retirement looms before me in June: scary to not have a "real job" in the prospects after that, so I'm compensating by tackling major website updating and publishing efforts.  More about that later: I've started a book on sawhorses that might be of interest to forum members...  ;)

Lj
LT40, Long tractor with FEL and backhoe, lots of TF tools, beautiful wife of 50 years plus 4 kids, 5 grandsons AND TWO GRANDDAUGHTERS all healthy plus too many ideas and plans and not enough time and energy

Jim_Rogers

As far as the wiggly raining goes, you probably could/should have put in a center support post up to it. But not all the way up to the roof, just up to the rail.
I don't know if it's something you can add now. But that would stiffen up the rail for sure.

Great job, and thanks for sharing.

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

frwinks

The place looks great LJ,  that bench would make a great rustic dining room table 8)

carykong

Nice thread.  I started my hybrid timber frame/stick home in 2006.  Lots of the wood came off my LT 25. Home is 95% complete. Just some trim work and paint on the inside to. I can relate to your challenges. Continued success.

Magicman

LJ, Your Daughter and Grandson's new home is magnificant.  It being a family accomplishment adds to the treasure.

I am proud of you and your dedication and also proud to call you a friend.   :)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

ljmathias

Thanks, Jim, I was thinking the same thing.  At this point, though, I won't be able to anchor it like I would have had I made plans for a center post before the carpet went down- adjacent to a floor truss and screwed into it top and bottom to stabilize. Well, just have to see what shapes up...

Thanks, carykong, and glad to hear you're almost done- what a feeling, to see the finish line just ahead (but be totally out of breath   :D  ).

Appreciate it, MM- friend is good, and we all need those as we see kids leaving the next: who else can we make sit there and listen to us ramble?

Lj
LT40, Long tractor with FEL and backhoe, lots of TF tools, beautiful wife of 50 years plus 4 kids, 5 grandsons AND TWO GRANDDAUGHTERS all healthy plus too many ideas and plans and not enough time and energy

ljmathias

Seems strange to come to the end of this thread- this will be the second to last post with a few pictures of the finished interior.  Last post will be Friday or next week sometime after we finish the exterior clear coat and final clean up.

Let me start with a mia culpa (hope I spelled that right): when I laid out the downstairs interior walls, I just followed the plans we'd purchased, not thinking about where the floor joists for the upstairs would fall.  As luck would have it (and it's usually bad luck when you don't plan ahead), the truss next to the stairs fell just to the east of the master bedroom wall.  Result was a ledge roughly 4" wide right next to the stairway.  I'd thought about firring it in to bring the upper part flush with the wall downstairs but then got to thinking- better late than never!   :D  Why not build a bookshelve on top of the ledge, similar to what I'd done on my son's house?  We'd ended up with a ledge there also, but for a totally different reason: we re-purposed the house and added a stairway that was not in the plans and the only way to do that left a 6" ledge next to it.

Pictures below show the bookshelf and stairway from different angles or views.  I really like how it turned out, and if knew how to lie, would probably claim that it was in the plans all along.   ;D  First view is from the loft, west end, showing the railing, stairs and bookshelf.  Second is from living room looking up stairwell.



 



 

Next picture below is looking up at the loft, the "bent" holding up the loft and the cathedral ceiling and the stairs.  I think it turned out great... :)  Second picture is of the finished stairs and railing.  You'll notice knots and imperfections on the railings plus "live edge" on the bookshelves.  I realized recently why I like this look so much: it reminds anyone who looks at them that these came from trees, not just from a lumber store. 



  



 

Off to try to finish clear coat on the east gable end- rain predicted today so I may not get it all done.  Need to finish the upper part anyway so I can take down the scaffolding on that end.  Insurance man is coming today to take pictures for their records- time to convert from a builder's risk to a homeowners policy.  Also time to deed the house over so it drops off our tax roll- that's going to be a bear of undertaking since we'll need to survey and break up the land like we want it for the kids when we move on... hope that happens for a long time, but still and all, better to be prepared so there's no in-fighting among the offspring.

Lj
LT40, Long tractor with FEL and backhoe, lots of TF tools, beautiful wife of 50 years plus 4 kids, 5 grandsons AND TWO GRANDDAUGHTERS all healthy plus too many ideas and plans and not enough time and energy

clww

Fantastic job on your daughter's house. LJ! 8)
I look forward to starting ours this Spring.
Many Stihl Saws-16"-60"
"Go Ask The Other Master Chief"
18-Wheeler Driver

Magicman

I like those different shots showing other angles of the upstairs.  Absolutely everything that I have seen looks very professionally done. 
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

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