My timber frame build

[fishfighter]

  Your foundation is mind boggling to me. 

Me too! People around here pay big bucks for rocks like those around here. :D

[Ljohnsaw]

People around here pay big bucks for rocks like those around here. :D

I listed them on CraigList but no bites :-\

[Ljohnsaw]

Update: 5/17-18/2016

I grabbed a 24' section of a downed tree and bucked it into two 12'ers.  Tuesday I cut up the top log into 24 1x6x12' boards.  I took three boards and some OSB ripped to 32" and made scaffolding "planks".  Really stout and should hold up well to two guys wrestling the concrete pumper hose when we fill the block cores.

 
Today I cut up the butt log into a variety of sizes.  Needed a few more 1x6 and lots of bracing stock so I did 2x3, 1½x3, 1x4 and about everything in between.  I need to put a few more braces in the front section.

 

 
I was having trouble with my drive belt slipping so I redid the mounting a little.  Now I can finally bog down the 18hp B&S!  I was pushing my somewhat dull blade through 20" of wood.  I was worried about hitting a nail in the butt so I didn't want to put a new, sharp blade on.  Next log will get a new blade.

I think one more day to add the last of the bracing and mount the concrete form tubes over the three center post footings and I will be ready to order concrete! 8)

[Magicman]

This is getting exciting!!   8)

[Ljohnsaw]

This is getting exciting!!   8)

Well, hold on...  Weather was in the 80's but just got a foot of snow dumped on the project :-\ DanG weather!  Flip flopping between rain and snow the next couple of days - and that means heavy, wet, slop!

[Ljohnsaw]

Update 6/8/2016:

No pictures because it really doesn't look any different. 

Ordered up 18 yards of 2,500 psi 3/8" pea gravel concrete with a 6"-7" slump.  The blocks have a specified fill rate per sq-ft of surface area of the walls.  I calculated it twice and added in the three post footing/tubes.  The most I came up with was 17.3 yds and that was being generous on the footings.  Well, I came up about 1/2 yard short  :(  I was actually hoping for the loads to be a little big but they sent a 10 yd truck followed by an 8 yd truck - no room for "extras".  I will just mix bags of ready mix for the last half of one footing.  The walls are all done.  Now I need to order up 100+/- yards of 3/4" crushed washed gravel to fill in the basement to get to slab height (2'-8" to ~4').

Took 3.5 hours on the pumper to get it in place (2" hose).   The first part we had to rod as it was just a tad too thick.  Once we got the sump, it just took a little wiggle on the rebar and it was good.  A little sore and tired but a little closer to being done!

[fishfighter]

Good to hear you making progress.

[danreed76]

That's awesome!  I know you're glad to have that milestone behind you!

[crazy]

I just finished reading your thread.  I am pretty envious of your project.  I used to have a mobile mix concrete truck business before the housing market took a dump.  The nice thing about that kind of truck is you can order a full truck but you pay for what your use because they are mixing it on the spot.  Plus it is fresh.  I don't know how far your concrete trucks had to travel but that can be an issue sometime.

I will keep watching for updates.

[Ljohnsaw]

Update 6/17/2016:

Tuesday a friend donated his day to help mix up 3/4 yard of concrete to finish up my last pour.  Took us about 2 hours to finish out the 56" square x 12" slab with a 16" diameter x 29" high tube.

 
Spent today stripping that form and a few other boards.  Then I mixed up some mortar to test "stucco" the north wall to make it ready for some Thoroseal where I will be back filling soon.

 
But in between, my son and I took an hour bike ride up a long hill.  At least is was all down hill on the way back!

[Ljohnsaw]

Update: 6/24/2016

The stucco on the north wall didn't all stick.  Some places sounded hollow so I busted them out.  Most were higher up the wall and I think it was my technique.  When on the bottom, I would squat down and lean into my elbow with my knee providing lots of pressure.  Higher up, just my body and I kind of flowed it like I was putting on wall mud on sheet rock - not a lot of force.

For the east wall, I upped the Porland:Sand from 1:3 to 1:2.  This made a much harder and stickier mud.  That bonded well.

Today, we (my buddy who is a glutton for punishment and I) stuccoed the west wall in the morning:

 

and Thorosealled the north wall after lunch and the one 50 pound bag continued around on the east wall a little more than half way.  It is actually grey - just lighter than the stucco which is wet.

 

 

Monday will be finish the stucco in the entry way (south buttresses), Thoroseal the rest of the east wall, the west wall and apply a second coat over the first coat.  That should leave some time to place the drain pipes and start the back fill process.

Thoroseal is a cement product that makes a water proof surface that is water vapor permeable.  I paid $40/50 pound bag and mixed in $20 of admix to make it adhere better - so its a pretty expensive coating.  At least the one bag went far!

[fishfighter]

Looking good. Good info on applying stucco. I never messed with it before, but might in the future. ;D

That is going to be a lot of back fill. Where you getting that from?

[Ljohnsaw]

That is going to be a lot of back fill. Where you getting that from?

That will be a challenge!  If  you look back up the thread, there are various piles of rock and dirt from when I excavated for my footings.  However, not enough.  My cabin is at the top of my property which is pretty steep and covered with trees.  I may have to resort to purchasing some fill :-\  I am not looking to make a flat  area around the cabin - it will be sloped to provide drainage.  Though the lack of fill may make it a pretty steep slope

[fishfighter]

Just hope you don't have to cut grass on a steep slope. :D

[Magicman]

It's looking mighty fine and I have confidence that you will find what you need.  The whole project keeps me  smiley_dizzy

[Czech_Made]

I done stucco quite few times, but in this country I stick to premixed bags, much easier than conjuring your own.

How mamy layers of stucco are you doing?

[Ljohnsaw]

I done stucco quite few times, but in this country I stick to premixed bags, much easier than conjuring your own.

How many layers of stucco are you doing?

Well, technically, its not stucco.  I'm doing a "parge" coat.  The Faswall blocks are extremely porous.  I need to seal them up so I can put on the waterproofing.  The stucco/mortar goes into the rough surface of the blocks and I'm putting on 1/4" - 3/8".  Over that is the Thoroseal that is mixed with a latex bonding agent that is supposed to make it stick better, be more flexible and stronger.  I have to say after applying some Thoroseal today, it does stick exceedingly well.  After 30 minutes in the tub, the spatters were difficult to wash off - some didn't.

We had a failure of the pulley mounted on the motor of the mixer - it split in half.  Drove down the hill a half hour and neither the big hardware store or NAPA had a pulley for me.  So we had to hand mix the final batch of stucco and the Thoroseal.  Tomorrow, I will use a big bucket and a large rotary paint mixer on my drill for the Thoroseal.

It was hot up there - 85° - but was sweltering when we got back down the hill at 9:00, still about 90° but cooling off now at 11:30 pm.

[Czech_Made]

I see, thank you.

[Ljohnsaw]

Update 6/29/2016:

Finished the Thoroseal (2 coats) and then moved a few rocks around.  Between the rocks and the wall is drain pipe that I will cover with some gravel, then weed cloth and dirt.

 

The big one in the bottom corner was a challange - made me do a reverse wheelie!

 

Ready for some gravel and some fill.

 

 

[Magicman]

Getting-er-done.   8)

[Ljohnsaw]

Had a delivery of 3 more pallets of Faswall blocks today.  I've been having a small leak on my Skytrac.  I thought it was the front seal on one of the big rams but isolated it down to a hard line/elbow joint.  While I was retrieving my blocks, a more serious leak developed.  I looked underneath and it appeared to be a pretty good fast drip from the front of the engine (where the drive line comes out).  Thought it was the main seal , only the leak was very clean oil - hydraulic oil.  On the rear (above the front of the engine) of the boom is a pair of large diameter, short rams.  I thought they were assist rams for lifting the boom.  Upon following the hoses, I determined they are passive rams used to keep the forks level.  Anyhow, one of the hoses connecting the pair in the rear was spraying oil up and soaking the front half of the engine.  What a mess.  Drained about 3 gallons of oil before I could take the two bad, stiff hoses off.  Going back up tomorrow to install the new stuff and hope it stays dry when I get done.

[fishfighter]

Sounds like my backhoe. :D Got a tubing line that started leaking yesterday. >:(

[Ljohnsaw]

Installed the two new hoses and the engine is now "dry".  But now I see a little 1/4" fuel line that must be an overflow/return on the fuel injectors.  A slight drip with no pressure to it. 

I replaced the elbow on the hard line of the right main lift ram.  Doesn't seem to be leaking like it was.  But now the front seal is definitely leaking around the ram.  This will not be a fun repair.  Its about a 6' x 2½" 7' x 3" rod that I have to pull :-\

[Ljohnsaw]

Update: 7/10/2016

Did a little work on Friday after I replaced some hoses on the Skytrac.  Moved some broken concrete slab pieces into my basement to help with the 2+ feet of fill needed.  I'm actually cleaning up my neighbor's property where a non-permitted building was demolished.  I'm picking out the slab pieces and laying them down in the basement area, then I will be dumping the river gravel on top to fill the voids.  I got into some clean gravel and covered up the drain pipe on the exterior of the walls.  Put down some landscape fabric to filter the dirt and decided to add more gravel since I have more of that than dirt :-\

Here is the inside after quite a few hours...

 

The man-door entry under the porch.  I hauled up about 1-¾ yards of sand with a little dirt.  I put gravel around the perimeter over the drain pipe and added the fabric:

 

The east wall with the gravel installed:

 

And then the dirt:

 

 

North wall.  I will be adding more rock (boulders) on top of the dirt:

 

[AMBoser]

Nice to see your progress!