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My timber frame build

Started by Ljohnsaw, April 22, 2013, 01:25:11 AM

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thecfarm

When does all that snow start where you are?
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

ChugiakTinkerer

Maybe you'll get a good crop of mushrooms this year.
Woodland Mills HM130

Ljohnsaw

Quote from: thecfarm on April 29, 2017, 06:41:30 AM
When does all that snow start where you are?
Variable.  The last 4 years with the drought, we would see something by Christmas or into January, often melting between.  This year started mid-November and has stayed.  We got a big storm dropping 10 feet in two or three days early February.
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

Ljohnsaw

Quote from: ChugiakTinkerer on April 29, 2017, 11:32:12 AM
Maybe you'll get a good crop of mushrooms this year.

Last good crop of mushrooms was 4 years ago...  I was still working - you know - we all were working in the dark and fed a lot of steer manure. ;)

But seriously, don't see a lot of mushrooms where I'm at.  Do get a huge growth of ferns in the spring before everything dries out.  Usually no rain from May to October (other than occasional, very brief, thunderstorms).
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

Magicman

Wow, still two months away from work time!  Thanks for the explanation about why the snow has melted around the trees.  That is still more snow than I have ever seen in my lifetime!   :o
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

Ljohnsaw

Quote from: Magicman on April 29, 2017, 12:11:21 PM
Wow, still two months away from work time!  Thanks for the explanation about why the snow has melted around the trees.  That is still more snow than I have ever seen in my lifetime!   :o

Well, three things go into making tree wells/no snow around trees (IMO).  First is the branches shed a lot of snow away from the trunk.  Second is wind.  Yesterday we had winds topping 100mph at the peaks.  I've seen 40 to 60 at my property.  Code calls for building to 120mph.  The wind will whip around the trees keeping it away.  And third, the sun will warm dark things and that little bit of warmth is just enough to help it melt in that area.  Notice how the snow has melted on the south end of this wall:

 
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

Magicman

That is why I read about stuff that I know nothing about and learn stuff that I will never use about stuff that I will never see.   smiley_dizzy
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

Darrel

Magicman, it's just like when we were in school.
1992 LT40HD

If I don't pick myself up by my own bootstraps, nobody else will.

ChugiakTinkerer

Quote from: ljohnsaw on April 29, 2017, 12:08:43 PM
Last good crop of mushrooms was 4 years ago...  I was still working - you know - we all were working in the dark and fed a lot of steer manure. ;)

But seriously, don't see a lot of mushrooms where I'm at.  Do get a huge growth of ferns in the spring before everything dries out.  Usually no rain from May to October (other than occasional, very brief, thunderstorms).

I grew up in Sacramento and am very familiar with the dry summers.  The first time I saw it rain in July was on an outing, I think at Sly Park Lake.  Maybe further up I-50.  I was twelve and remember to this day trying to wrap my head around the notion of rain in the summer.

Really glad to see the Sierras flush with snow.  Enjoy it while it lasts.
Woodland Mills HM130

Ljohnsaw

Update 5/31/2017:

Haven't had rain since April 20th.  My schedule worked out that I went up today to check on things on my property.  It was raining ::)

This is what it looked like back in April 28th with 4 feet of snow on the ground:

 

And today (32 days later):

 

This tree just couldn't hold up to the snow:

 

 

Neither could my scaffolding.  Amazing how such a little area was subjected to that much weight.  I suppose with the rain/freeze/rain/snow cycles, there must have been a massive piece of ice sitting on it.

 

I welded these plates to some 1" conduit.  The weight of the snow just snapped them all off:

 

My mill didn't look so good either...

 
The chain that was holding the head up (4 sections) had straightened the eye bolts out.  I thought that was all but each of the end links that were on them snapped the pin too!

 

I took my flat SkyTrak tire halfway back home to the tire shop for repair.  They said they would get to it in about 2 hours :-\  So I stopped on my way back up the hill to check on a fishing spot.  I saw this sign and had a chuckle:

  

In the winter when the highway gets closed, people start to look for another way over the summit.  There isn't another way (except by ATV in the summer).

Anyhow, when halfway back down the hill after lunch, picked up my tire, back up the hill, remounted it and put my mill head on a trailer and took it home for repairs and upgrades.  Put 222 miles on today.
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

flyingparks

I am awestruck that snow can do such a thing to an eyebolt.  :o

Ljohnsaw

Quote from: flyingparks on June 01, 2017, 12:49:56 AM
I am awestruck that snow can do such a thing to an eyebolt.  :o
Well, the snow had a little help ;)  The snow was piled up across the entire head of the mill.  The head hangs from the "bicycle" chain from the four eye bolts.  The head is just under 2 feet across and 7 feet long - roughly 14 sq-ft.  My snow load rating is 341 lb/sq-ft :o  There was a 10' accumulation over 3 days with 13" of rain on the final day.  So I suppose there was the potential for nearly 5,000 lbs of snow/ice to be piled up on it. :-X

On the plus side, my makeshift shed roof over my truck box protected that from harm.
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

Magicman

Anyway John, it's good to see you making movement toward getting back to your project.   8)
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

Darrel

That's the kind of California winters I remember from childhood!  As a kid, I loved those bent over trees. Good to see that you were able to get in and assess the damage. Before long, you'll be back at it.
1992 LT40HD

If I don't pick myself up by my own bootstraps, nobody else will.

Ljohnsaw

I walked down my hill and drove around the area.  There were a LOT of pine tops snapped off :-\  There will be quite a few messed up trees going forward. :(
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

flyingparks

Quote from: ljohnsaw on June 01, 2017, 10:52:15 AM
I walked down my hill and drove around the area.  There were a LOT of pine tops snapped off :-\  There will be quite a few messed up trees going forward. :(

Perhaps some material for your mill? Trees will regrow. It's all part of Mother Nature's plan. Good to see you're dried out.

Ljohnsaw

I should have stated, the trees that snapped are small, 4 or 5" DBH with the very top 8 or 10' broken off and the rest of the tree looking normal.
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

jimdad07

Just caught up on your thread.  Reminded me of Tug Hill where I grew up.  Cany wait to see more progress.
Hudson HFE 30 Homesteader bandmill w/28' of track
Couple tractors, a bunch of chainsaws and not enough time to use them.

Ljohnsaw

A guy on CraigsList posted some free trees.  They had to take down 29 beetle killed trees on his acre and a half.  They were pushed into a loooong pile:

 

 

 

A clearer shot of the first load - both 19" diameter small end, one 9'6" and the other (without the bark) is 14'. Log calculator est. weight 2,080lbs for both.  I had to travel 30 miles up the freeway going from 2,400' elevation to 5,800' and about 1/3 of that distance was either flat or downhill.  There are some steep hills to do and I didn't want to over do the weight (I was guessing that I was around 2k lbs.

 

Second load up on the property.  Another 19" x 11'4" and a big 25" x 12'6" (it was on the ground in the third pic).  Log calculator est. weight 2,930lbs for both.  The trailer axle is rated at 3,500 and with the hills, I'm thinking 3k is about all I want to do.

 

I used a little HF 2500lb winch to get the first two logs loaded and started on the big guy but the battery was too low by then.  Resorted to the hand winch which was actually faster!

A lot of the wood is up to 18 months old dead standing so a bit punky.  There is a nice long denim log I'd like to pick and a big square log - almost a cant and probably 25-28" square and maybe 14'.
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

Darrel

Looks like those could come in handy.
1992 LT40HD

If I don't pick myself up by my own bootstraps, nobody else will.

Ljohnsaw

Update 6/11/2017:

Just got a call from a friend traveling over the Donner Summit up in the Sierras, a little above my property.  Snowing like crazy, a couple inches accumulation at my exit ::)
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

Ljohnsaw

Update 6/13/2017:

Only slight remnants of snow where it shed off of some cabin roofs 8)

Picked up two more loads of logs.  I guess I actually burnt out the HF 2,500lb winch the last time - cooked it.  Now the inline circuit breaker trips after about 5 seconds.  The wires get pretty warm right away and the motor only runs at half speed.  Oh well - $45 wasted.  Used the hand winch that actually works a little faster than the winch ever did.

  First load was a 22" x 14' and a 20" x 11' (load weight 2,743 lbs)

 

Second load was 18" x 12', 17" x 13'8" and a 16" x 15' (load weight 2,871 lbs)

 
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

fishfighter

Those winches have a duty time which is very short the more you load them. On my log trailer, I had install a HF 12,000 lb winch. Very happy with it. Paid $260 on sale or something like that.

Please send some of the cool weather here. Tired on all the rain we been getting. :o

Ljohnsaw

Update 7/12/2017:

Made it back up the hill.  My solar pump was not working again after the winter.  Water in the "waterproof" box ::) and the motor shaft seemed to be frozen (had rust on it).  Aired out the controller and used a bit of Blue Creeper on the motor shafts.  Worked the motor free and hooked it up to a solar panel at home and now all is good.  Hooked it the evening of Friday the 7th and when I checked it Sunday morning, it had pumped over 300 gallons.

Sunday the 9th was spent cleaning up around the mill (I was milling like crazy in November as the snow was falling and never cleaned up).  Added the final segment to my mill bed for a total length of 38+ feet.  Loaded one of the logs to use first thing on Monday.

 

And the rest to cut:

 

So Monday, I decide to get my ATV out to haul the timbers into the basement to stack for drying.  It fires right up, put it in reverse and press the throttle - but its stuck.  Press a little harder and it pops and sticks WOT !! :o   I quickly hit the kill switch.

Following the cable, I end up removing the body panels and finally the air box.  Didn't get a picture but it was packed full of insulation - but where did that come from?  The air box lower section was full of mouse pee :o :( and some had corroded the butterfly valve.  Blue Creeper to the rescue again.  I made a bucket of HOT soapy water and cleaned up the air box and filter material.  Then spent some time making mesh covers for the three air intakes to parts of the ATV.  So that blew Monday morning :-\  I have a wood stove stored with my ATV and it was stuffed with insulation as well - no clue where it all came from... I finished up the above log that yielded 154 bd-ft of timbers.

Tuesday started with a similar log that gave 150 bd-ft of timbers and then I loaded this big-un - 22" SE, 24" BE.  It was almost a cant!

 

 

That one log gave me 290 bd-ft.  This is how I moved my timbers by myself:

 

 

 

My motor wasn't running good so I took it home Tuesday afternoon and rebuilt the carb and added a few updates and fixes.  I returned today (Wednesday) and cut up 21" x 11' log into 194 bd-ft of timbers with the motor working great.  Then we loaded the biggest log of all - 27" x 12'-8".  What a beast.  My 18hp motor was working overtime.  It did some diving when I pushed too hard - I had to go slow and it was making very fine sawdust.  I'm a slow learner - I saw it dive and pulled back and popped the blade off which bent it  :(  Well, it was a little dull...  Then I had a big rises - the blade slipped over the guide flange angling the blade up - and I pulled back and popped the blade off again - but this one might be salvageable as it has a three small bends.

I made three timbers for a total of 148 bd-ft and have several big slabs to cut into other timbers (several 5x9's & 4x6's) that will  more than the first three total.

These were all Ponderosa Pine, clear with only one big knot that I remember seeing.  (I forgot my camera today so no pics of the pretty timbers).
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

fishfighter

I'm sure by now you have a cut list for your build. ;D

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