My first milling project Done

[Beetlekilled]

A few months back I asked about milling Lodge pole pine to build a hunting cabin on my unimproved property at 10K ft in Kremmling, Co. I received a lot of information and ideas and concluded that without a band saw mill it may be a bit more work than I could handle and the logs themselves would be a serious effort to harvest, transport, mill and stack by hand when it came to a 14x16 hunting cabin.

So I did a test run by building a storage shed for items (tools, trap thrower, tarps, etc) I didn't want to haul up every trip. It took two guys two 3 day weekends to complete. My son was pretty sore from hand drilling, spiking lifting.... I did bring back about a third of the logs to mill at home between the trips and prehung the door at home. We used a brace bit drill and 3/8 rebar to fasten each lift of logs. The Lumbermaker knock off mill needed to be shimmed a bit to cut parallel and the bar had to be drilled an 1/8 inch or so to keep the jig from moving into the chain. I got what I paid for. The Makita 6401 worked fine.

I realize many of you are very accomplished but I thought I'd post the pictures for your entertainment. I learned a band saw mill and a skid steer with a grapple attachment would be worth using to build a rough cabin or better. Or prebuild at home and trialer it up. Next is to clear cut the dead pines around our camp site so they don't fall and kill us while camping up there. The Wall Tent will work for now.

http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=102306&stc=1&d=1245957423

http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=102308&stc=1&d=1245958812

http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=102309&stc=1&d=1245958812

 

[excess650]

Its a start! Granberg's Mini Mill is the best of its kind, and worth the $80 or so. I've used it as a companion to my Alaskan, and will enable cutting a square cant without rolling the log, or cutting flats on 3 sides with ease.

Maybe modifying your original plan would make for less labor? Cut your logs into beams and build modified timber-frame. Use the outer slabs as siding? It would require less heavy lifting and still be functional.

 

[deeker]

You have done a great job, work and pics.

Now, how about more????

Keep up the great work.

Kevin

 

[BIG JAKE]

Beetle what are your thoughts so far about the milling? Will you continue and build the cabin?

 

[SilverBox]

A few months back I asked about milling Lodge pole pine to build a hunting cabin on my unimproved property at 10K ft in Kremmling, Co. I received a lot of information and ideas and concluded that without a band saw mill it may be a bit more work than I could handle and the logs themselves would be a serious effort to harvest, transport, mill and stack by hand when it came to a 14x16 hunting cabin.

So I did a test run by building a storage shed for items (tools, trap thrower, tarps, etc) I didn't want to haul up every trip. It took two guys two 3 day weekends to complete. My son was pretty sore from hand drilling, spiking lifting.... I did bring back about a third of the logs to mill at home between the trips and prehung the door at home. We used a brace bit drill and 3/8 rebar to fasten each lift of logs. The Lumbermaker knock off mill needed to be shimmed a bit to cut parallel and the bar had to be drilled an 1/8 inch or so to keep the jig from moving into the chain. I got what I paid for. The Makita 6401 worked fine.

I realize many of you are very accomplished but I thought I'd post the pictures for your entertainment. I learned a band saw mill and a skid steer with a grapple attachment would be worth using to build a rough cabin or better. Or prebuild at home and trialer it up. Next is to clear cut the dead pines around our camp site so they don't fall and kill us while camping up there. The Wall Tent will work for now.

http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=102306&stc=1&d=1245957423

http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=102308&stc=1&d=1245958812

http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=102309&stc=1&d=1245958812

Your going to need a foundation under that tool shed, or some big rocks or something.. Pine doesn't last long with earth contact.

For your cabin, you may want to consider a hybrid (mill the rafters, headers, and subfloor but buy the 2x wood and siding and haul it up). Or a beam and post structure with purchased or found siding (corregated tin comes to mind).

You don't have to mill all the wood for the cabin...

 

[HUCKLEBERRY]

Hello neighbor.

Nice looking little shed.

Just a couple of ideas you might want to consider. If you have the material to make a butt and pass type cabin you could also probably do a chink style cabin. For small cabins you would'nt have to add much to your skill or tool set and there is nothing that will ever match the look of a little trappers cabin.

Another option, if you are not a purist, would be a post frame structure. Treated posts in Colorado last a long time and the construction method allows easy insulation, any type of siding (vertical is easiest) can be used, and foundation work does'nt get any simpler than holes in the ground.

Whatever direction you choose it looks like you've got some good help.

I used to guide on the Colorado. Lots of beautiful country around Kremmling.

Keep us posted and thanks for sharing.

 

[Texas Traveler]

Its not to late to put trim on the roof to keep water off the logs, & jack the shed up for some flat rock under the logs.

Add a recessed lock box to keep the honest hunters out.

Add some Swede pure pine tar & your fine son will hand it down to his. :greenchainsaw:

 

[Beetlekilled]

I appreciate your comments guys.

Excess, I agree that the the Mini mill with extra rail for both sides of your guide board is the better mill attachment. More accurate I have read too.

Jake, I will need more help than I have to pursue a larger milling project. My partners back goes out after three hours and won't handle a saw etc. I did all the milling and felling. My son is 12 and should be a lot more help in the next few years. I have not let him operate the saw yet. Plans at this point include leaving any trees we clear at 7 foot rough in case I try a vertical log wall cabin. May still attempt a vertical log outhouse this summer. Post and beam is a good option also.

Silverbox, I did place pressure treated lumber down prior to laying the first lift. The soil is decomposed granite which is better than clay and there are some old (late 1800s?) cabins with no roof left but were built right on the ground. Larger 16inch dia rounds than I used. Do you think PT lumber is good enough? What to do for a hunting cabin, PT and concrete blocks?

Huckleberry, I shot a cow up there last season and my less passionate partner saw a 6, 5 point and spike bull walk past camp together but he didn't have his gun, the gun wasn't loaded....... Come on up if you need to fill your truck with fire wood or archery season.

Texas T, The chain on the entrance gate has never been cut, yet, and if you really want in, just use a chain saw on the door. A lock box on the cabin is a good idea. I cut the plywood short on the roof and bent down the front and rear metal lips. The rood should drain to the back and I will shingle up some slabs on the rear wall to protect the lower splash affected logs. Hope it does last for my son to use.

Back to Milling, an adjacent property owner does have a hydraulic Woodmizer mill and I let him know if he brings it up that I'd be interested in hiring him. He is a local rancher, doesn't need the work but is also building a grapple for his skid steer. That would be nice.

 

[Texas Traveler]

Awe heck, I forgot about your low humidity up there.

Coming from the lowlands that is the hardest thing to come to terms with.

Seeing some of the old log corrals & barns on the Western slopes is awesome.:greenchainsaw:

 

[SilverBox]

Silverbox, I did place pressure treated lumber down prior to laying the first lift. The soil is decomposed granite which is better than clay and there are some old (late 1800s?) cabins with no roof left but were built right on the ground. Larger 16inch dia rounds than I used. Do you think PT lumber is good enough? What to do for a hunting cabin, PT and concrete blocks?

It might be enuf to have pressure treated on the ground, then again it might not . Keep an eye on it for a few years and if you see any evidence of termite tubes up the pressure treated and into the first log, put 3-4 inchs of rock or concrete under it.

The other thing you could do is coat the first log with copper green or Timbor. If you don't like the smell of copper green (I don't) buy some powdered Timbor and mix up a batch and garden spray it on. Timbor is a bit hard to find sometimes but its odorless and works as good or better then copper green.