July 5, 2013 Loft Logs in

 

   Two days ago we finished installing all the loft logs and  capped the main beam on both ends. Yesterday, I started staining until I ran out of stain, then I installed screws through the top of the door and window frames to secure them to the next full log.

   Today, I went to Three Forks and purchased the rest of the logs; 10 wall logs and 2 purlins. I'll stain logs until the roof structure materials arrive on Monday, then I will start prepping TGIs (Rafters) and building blockers to go between the TGIs. As I type this up, the wind is blowing probably close to 40 MPH and it is getting ready to dump a lot of rain!

July 2, 2013 Main Beam Completed

   Today we finished installing the main beam and the posts. Before we finished today we installed most of the loft logs. The fit on the top of the posts looks like they were shaped in a lathe.

June 28, 2013 Main Beam

   We are now working on the ninth round of logs. The next log will be the main beam which will extend the length of the garage. It will be supported by two uprights standing on the garage floor.

   I'll drill a 1/2" hole in the concrete floor that will match a 1/2" hole I will drill into the bottom of each upright. I'll then screw a 1/2" steel lag bolt into the bottom of the uprights, and cut them off with 2 inches sticking below the wood to fit into the holes in the concrete

   The next logs will be the cap logs at the ends to cap the main beam in, and the six and a half loft logs. The stairway will come down at the right rear corner of the garage. The half of a loft log I leave out is where the stairs will come down.

   We have already flattened one side of the loft logs. This weekend I will stain the main beam, the  uprights and loft loft logs. Tuesday we will install the loft logs and the cap logs. Then I will install the loft floor.

   When the loft floor is in, we'll install two mores rounds of logs, then the roof system is ready to be installed.

June 24, 2013 Building

Here you see us working on the 7th round of logs. This round will cap all the windows and doors. 

When I was sawing one section of round six, I hit a rotten core in the log. I tossed the log and put up a replacement. I think that building with beetle kill lodge pole pine will get tougher as more years pass and the logs have been dead longer. Rotten cores will become the norm.

June 17, 2013 Garage Logs Delivered

   I have been very slow posting to this Blog for which I apologize.

  On the Monday the 17th, the logs I cut for the garage were delivered. It is amazing how much straighter they looked while they were still standing. I hired a log peeler to do the peeling for me this year. I definitely want to get the garage completed before I leave in the fall.

Baseboard outlets completed, June 14, 2013

   I'm still waiting for the log hauler to free himself up to bring my logs down. I went up two days ago and cut them all to 40 feet.

   Yesterday I was trying to finish the baseboard outlets, but I ran out of wire at 6:00 PM. Everything in Butte closes at 6:00 PM. I picked up the wire this morning and finished the last outlet and wired the circuit into the main panel. I also picked up a 3 foot, 220 volt baseboard heater and thermostat and installed them in the mechanical room. Heating the 10 foot by 10 foot room last winter with a ceramic heater was getting a little expensive, plus the baseboard heater should be much more reliable.

Main floor baseboard outlets, June 10, 2013

   Today I finished chiseling out and shaping the rest of the baseboard outlet box mounting holes on the main floor. If I don't haul logs tomorrow, I will stain the raw wood you see around the boxes, and begin running the electrical wire. I think peeling logs is easier than chiseling these holes. This was all sitting down and laying on your side work. Not real comfortable, but it's done!