# Just starting



## RikBrooks (Jun 6, 2010)

OK, before y'all call me crazy - I know I am. I'm a computer programmer nearing retirement. I've always wanted to build my own house from nothing - milling my own wood from my own trees.

I'm finally in a position to do it. After a lot of reading I decided on the Granberg Alaskan Mark III. I'm also going to buy the Granbery mini mill just because they said I would really need it and appreciate having it.

I've heard over and over that my poulan pro 42cc will be way too small so I'm going to buy at least a 70cc chainsaw. I'll leave my Poulan pro for the branches.

I'm going to build a lumber kiln from a covered trailer

Most of my lumber will be hickory, since that's what I have most of.

These are purchases that I will make this week. I've bought a timber jack, sort of a hook and lever to get the trunk 11" off the ground.

I've watched a whole lot of videos of using the chainsaw mill. Almost ready to go. 

Question 1, does what I want to do sound reasonable?

Question 2, wouldn't it be better to get the logs about waist height so I don't have to stoop over? If so, what kind of table do I need and how do I get the logs up on it?

By the way, I'm teaching myself masonry, plumbing and electrical work too. I want to do as much of this as I can. My wife taught herself how to design the house and our plans are approved now. We will do this thing. I just want to make sure we don't spend more energy than we have to.

Thanks for listening


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## Andrew96 (Jun 6, 2010)

RikBrooks said:


> OK...... call me crazy....build my own house from nothing.......I just want to make sure we don't spend more energy than we have to.
> 
> Thanks for listening



Well I'll call you misguided before I call you crazy. It's going to be a heck of a lot of work. My dad and I made a log cabin (15'x 20' ish) many years ago using one 60cc saw on a mill, some logging chains and an old 40s pickup ($25 but ran). Two summers worth of a hard working fun. A whole house? You need to remember why CSMs exist. They can be carried way deep into the woods and can make one tree into usable lumber while using up a lot of physical energy along the way (portability is the key). BSMs were created to 'efficiently' (speed, small kerf, low physical energy) make lumber but require the proper tools to move trees. 
I love the idea you two are up too...but I think you have chosen the wrong tools to create your lumber. There is a better way. BSM. Oh...don't get me wrong here...you can do it..but it will take more energy than you thought it would...makes me sweat just thinking about the volume.


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## dustytools (Jun 6, 2010)

Andrew96 said:


> Well I'll call you misguided before I call you crazy. It's going to be a heck of a lot of work. My dad and I made a log cabin (15'x 20' ish) many years ago using one 60cc saw on a mill, some logging chains and an old 40s pickup ($25 but ran). Two summers worth of a hard working fun. A whole house? You need to remember why CSMs exist. They can be carried way deep into the woods and can make one tree into usable lumber while using up a lot of physical energy along the way (portability is the key). BSMs were created to 'efficiently' (speed, small kerf, low physical energy) make lumber but require the proper tools to move trees.
> I love the idea you two are up too...but I think you have chosen the wrong tools to create your lumber. There is a better way. BSM. Oh...don't get me wrong here...you can do it..but it will take more energy than you thought it would...makes me sweat just thinking about the volume.



I agree. As much as I enjoy getting out and hobbying around with milling my own wood for projects I would cringe at the thought of milling enough to build a house, especially one that is to be built from hardwoods. Good luck, Terry.


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## RikBrooks (Jun 6, 2010)

*Sure*

The key here is that we don't mind if it takes several years to finish the project. We aren't going to kill ourselves over it.


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## mtngun (Jun 6, 2010)

Glad you found the milling forum. 

As said before, you need softwoods for framing and siding. Save the hardwood for floors and cabinets. 

At least one retired person did build an entire house and shop and barn with a chainsaw mill, but he used a Logosol M7, not an Alaskan, and he was cutting softwoods.

Here's the link: John Herbert builds his home with a Logosol. 40 pages, but a good read.

Here's his Logosol.






So it can be done, but a used bandsaw mill would make more sense -- *IF* you have softwoods. 

Or you can hire a portable sawyer to bring his bandsaw mill to your property and saw your logs. You will need to have the logs skidded to the cutting site, and have a means to load the logs onto his mill (a tractor).

Note how John Hebert got his logs up on the mill -- he has two boards ramping up to the mill. A cant hook was used to roll logs up the ramp. Works on small logs like the one he is sawing, perhaps a bit dangerous with larger logs.


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## RikBrooks (Jun 6, 2010)

*Looks like a book here*

I may have to document our journey building this house. It might make a nice book.


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## BobL (Jun 6, 2010)

RikBrooks said:


> Question 1, does what I want to do sound reasonable?


It depends on the size of the house you want to build. A small log cabin?- then maybe, anything bigger then it's definitely not reasonable. Unless you want to spend the rest of your life CS milling I'd say a band saw mill is a minimum for anything bigger than a cabin.



> Question 2, wouldn't it be better to get the logs about waist height so I don't have to stoop over? If so, what kind of table do I need and how do I get the logs up on it?


Yes it is better. Tables get in the way because they fill up with sawdust. Unequal height saw horses, or even a couple of tall wide cookies with a V notch cut into the top work pretty well. 



> By the way, I'm teaching myself masonry, plumbing and electrical work too. I want to do as much of this as I can. My wife taught herself how to design the house and our plans are approved now. We will do this thing. I just want to make sure we don't spend more energy than we have to.


Great.
Can you show us a picture of your plans?


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## huskyhank (Jun 6, 2010)

RikBrooks said:


> The key here is that we don't mind if it takes several years to finish the project. We aren't going to kill ourselves over it.



I'd rather be horse whipped than build a house using only a chainsaw mill for milling the lumber. (and I like chainsaw milling) The hickory that you say you have lots of is pretty tough to mill and pretty tough to nail. No way would I do that.

Living in Tennessee (not that far away from you) I can imagine having a lot of nice poplar (some pine where you are?) trees to cut, a tractor for moving them, a nice milling set up at the building site and the whole fall to build a small cabin. Throw in plenty of money, nothing else to be bothered with and a nice camping trailer or motor home on site and that just might be fun.

I don't think you will need to kiln dry the wood. The cost to do this will be more than you can buy the wood for. Put it up green like a barn. It'll have lots of character and you will have lots of skill at working over wavy framing by the time you are done. 

If I had to do this I'd much rather cut softwoods with a bandsaw mill. If that's not reasonable then I'd buy the wood. Now's a good time as building material prices are way down. You will still have plenty to be proud of with all the other work.


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## RikBrooks (Jun 6, 2010)

The house will be 1 bedroom 1,350 sq foot house. I guess that would be a very small house. 

My wife tells me now that we are just going to mill the joists and girders. Guess I was wrong about the whole thing.

We have a family farm up in Jackson, Tennessee with plenty of pine and cedar. Think I'll do the siding with cedar.

I'll work on pics of those plans.


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## HUCKLEBERRY (Jun 6, 2010)

*Unanswered question.*

I apologize if someone already asked and I missed it, but what method are you going to use to build the house? You have stated that you and your wife are willing to spend some time learning the skills necessary to do everything from scratch so here's a thought. If you like the style of building and the aesthetics of it, there are some really good timber framing workshops available for people just like you.

Another positive aspect of this type of building would be the possibility of milling your own timbers. Many of the home projects you see on the Granberg site are timber frames or post and beam style so there is no doubt it can be done. With a timber frame you could take pride in milling the timbers for the frame and purchasing the stuff that just was not practical to mill yourself.

In any event I'd like to see how things go for you two. I love small well planned homes with character. Please share your progress.


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## jimdad07 (Jun 7, 2010)

HUCKLEBERRY said:


> I apologize if someone already asked and I missed it, but what method are you going to use to build the house? You have stated that you and your wife are willing to spend some time learning the skills necessary to do everything from scratch so here's a thought. If you like the style of building and the aesthetics of it, there are some really good timber framing workshops available for people just like you.
> 
> Another positive aspect of this type of building would be the possibility of milling your own timbers. Many of the home projects you see on the Granberg site are timber frames or post and beam style so there is no doubt it can be done. With a timber frame you could take pride in milling the timbers for the frame and purchasing the stuff that just was not practical to mill yourself.
> 
> In any event I'd like to see how things go for you two. I love small well planned homes with character. Please share your progress.



:agree2:100%. Learn to timber frame and you might make it a whole lot faster. You may want to get a load of soft wood logs there if you have none on your property, and mill the hickory for flooring and cabinets. Keep us posted and good luck.


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## RikBrooks (Jun 8, 2010)

A guy at work introduced himself to me. He just built his own house probably ten minutes north of my place. He bought the wood and paid $40,000 for it.

HOLY MOSES!

My house will be a timber frame house. We started to do stack log but I discovered at my age those logs are just too heavy to handle all day.

I know we are going to do the floor with hickory. We may do the framing with pine. The siding might be cedar or we may get tired by then and just buy it.

We bought a chipper yesterday. We figure we might as well turn the branches into something we can use --- mulch. Here's Marylynn looking dubiously at our new chipper just after we cranked it up.






Here's my wife using a cant hook to get a hickory log out of the work area... that's my pond in the background






And here's a hickory that I felled and we are limbing now.


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## mtngun (Jun 8, 2010)

Love the pics !  Great building site.

Wish I could trade you some of my pine and fir for your hickory. Man, I'd love to have a hickory floor. 

Glad to see you are thinking about your options and fine tuning the plans.

The wood for flooring will take a long time to dry. Do you have a place to store the wood while it is drying ? Maybe, as a first step, build a woodshed/barn type of structure on the property, if you don't already have one ? You'll need the storage, and it'll be a good learning experience to prepare you for building the house.

Exposed timber frame buildings look awesome, but you'll need either a barn raising party, or else heavy equipment, to raise the timbers. 

Then you have to fill in the walls between the timbers. What are your plans for the walls ? If the filler is going to be stud and siding/drywall, then what have you saved compared to a stick-framed house ?

Not trying to discourage you, or say you are doing it wrong, just want you to think through the process and realize there is no easy, cheap way to build a house.

BTW, I am about 3/4 the way through the process of building my retirement home, so I've been down this same path you are about to walk. 

Even if 100% of the lumber and siding and trim is free, you still have to buy windows, insulation, HVAC, plumbing, septic, well, electrical, roof, paint, varnish, etc.. So, you won't save that much. Still, you can save a little, and there is great pride in a house that you made with wood you milled yourself, from your own property. 

Store bought hickory flooring would cost thousands. Store-bought trim for an entire house would cost thousands. Even if you only mill enough wood for flooring and trim, that would probably save enough to pay for an entry level bandmill. When you are finished with the job, you could sell the bandmill and recover some of your costs.


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## RikBrooks (Jun 8, 2010)

Thanks - this propety is fabulous

We don't have a structure for drying the wood. We are considering our options. It's very hot here in Mississippi but we are sub-tropical so it's humid. 

We are considering building a platform to keep it off the ground and just covering it with tarp. We are also considering a frame with tarp over and around it. We are also thinking about a covered trailer.

Those are the thoughts so far.

We aren't actually trying to save lots of money, that's not the point. We have about 12 years before we retire and we want to do it because it's our Mt Everest. As soon as it's done my next Mt. Everest is to build my own guitar. My last one was wood turning (still doing that. It's such fun). I also am learning beekeeping and have my first hive back behind that pond you see in the picture. That hive is doing SO WELL.

We are saving the big branches for railings since we are going to have a wrap around porch. We thought that would look awesome. Originally we wanted to leave the bark on them but then we read that bugs will get under the bark so we'll have to de-bark them. It was a good idea though.

Here's another. Take a small branch and debark most of it. Leave about 3 inches of bark on one end. The best back scratcher in the world.

I lived several years in Centralia, Washington. Lots of pine and fir. Here we have lots of deciduous trees. For softwoods I'm pretty much stuck with cedar. I'd love to have some of those straight pine trees. 

Thanks for your input though. There is so much to learn. You wouldn't have a link so I could look at some of those "Exposed Timber Frame" buildings would you? I love looking at different ideas. My wife is learning SO MUCH. We'll drive down the street and she'll point out houses and say, "Look at how high that foundation is! or I think I'd put more overhang on that.

Cool.


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## yukon7 (Jun 8, 2010)

Here is a link to a fellow who did a project similar to what you are proposing. He did his milling with an Alaskan. 
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=46904

Jon


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## huskyhank (Jun 8, 2010)

RikBrooks said:


> snipped......
> 
> We are considering building a platform to keep it off the ground and just covering it with tarp. We are also considering a frame with tarp over and around it. We are also thinking about a covered trailer.
> 
> ...



Don't cover your stacks with a tarp and especially don't cover the sides. You have to have airflow and plenty of it when you have high humidity. Just keep the sun and rain off it and it will dry.

I think the best bang for the buck is to build an open shed (pole barn with no sides - carport - roof only) and stack the wood on stickers so there is plenty of airflow around all the wood. The structure can become your garage, barn or carport later on if you plan and site it right.

Next best is to make each stack into its own little covered area with a roof on top of the stack. A bunch of stacks each with its own roof. 

A concrete slab would be nice, otherwise level up some concrete blocks and start the wood about a foot off the ground. Put stickers (1x1" boards or similar) between each layer of wood you're drying.

There are a couple of pdfs out on the net on the subject of drying wood. I have a couple I'll send you if you will PM me your email address. Also do a search here for drying, stickers, stacking, etc.


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## jimdad07 (Jun 8, 2010)

To add to the above mentioned, don't use pressure treated for anything that will be exposed in the finish project for stickers, they tend to stain the wood.


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## gemniii (Jun 8, 2010)

RikBrooks said:


> The house will be 1 bedroom 1,350 sq foot house. I guess that would be a very small house.
> 
> My wife tells me now that we are just going to mill the joists and girders. Guess I was wrong about the whole thing.
> 
> ...



Well neighbor I'm going to be living just down 78 from you in Fulton. I've got several hundred acres of timberland around the county and a year or so ago was planning on doing similar. 

But we bought a foreclosed home in a pretty fair neighborhood, 3 bedroom, 1 bath on a 1/3 acre lot, for $25,000. One block south of the city park.
It was a HUD foreclosure, and all but the kitchen and floors had been refinished before the poor owner ran out of money.

I originally wanted it (before I saw the inside) just as a large storage shed we could move our stuff into as we transition from Virginia. If I had taken out a mortgage it was very close to what the rental would have been on two storage units.

The dream of building with your own wood is great, and your wife was very wise to limit it to beams and joists.

But right now with the hold-off of the Toyota plant at Blue Springs, there is a lot of housing being sold at foreclosure. Many are like the one we bought, look like they were owned by investors who thought they were going to make money due to the 2007 housing boom and the construction of the new plant and all support facilities.

Good luck and be careful of your backs.


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## HUCKLEBERRY (Jun 8, 2010)

RikBrooks said:


> Thanks for your input though. There is so much to learn. You wouldn't have a link so I could look at some of those "Exposed Timber Frame" buildings would you? I love looking at different ideas. My wife is learning SO MUCH. We'll drive down the street and she'll point out houses and say, "Look at how high that foundation is! or I think I'd put more overhang on that.



Looks like a very nice piece of property. Think I even saw a pond in the pics. Good for you.

Here are just a few resources for you to take a look into regarding timber framing.

-Timber framers guild - good website for anything timber frame.
-Ted Benson - many give him credit for the modern revival of timber framing, he has several books and they are pretty reasonable on Amazon. Tons of pictures, information and ideas. 
-Steve Chappell- does workshops and writes, "A Timber Framers Workshop" is my favorite book on the subject.

Good luck.


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## rarefish383 (Jun 12, 2010)

Rik, the subject of "bark on" has bugged (pun intended) me for a while.I work for UPS in MD, just out side of DC, very humid here. One of my customers live in a beautiful log home, sitting back in the woods. It was built in the 1920's by some guys from WV. The logs are about 10" Poplar with the bark on. This house is almopst 100 years old and the bark is still tight. They said the guys had a secret process for treating the bark. I've spent hours on the web and asked at Log and Timber Home shows, and no one has a clue how they did it. It can be done, I just don't know how, Joe.


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## Andrew96 (Jun 12, 2010)

rarefish383 said:


> Rik, the subject of "bark on" has bugged (pun intended) me for a while.....The logs are about 10" Poplar with the bark on. This house is almopst 100 years old and the bark is still tight. They said the guys had a secret process for treating the bark.........



Joe, Of course I don't have the magic potion, but I do have an observation. 4-5 years ago I wanted to make my own lumber using small trees. My shop is in my house along with my 5HP bandsaw. I brought short Cherry limbs into my house to cut up while green. That worked but I never finished. I still have two 6' limbs inside. Not only is the bark still on..but it's on so hard it will have to be cut off. Bang it, hammer it, it won't come off. 
I think it has to do with keeping the tree out of the sun and rain (hard to do when it's an open house you're in the middle of building). My test limbs never saw sun, or rain since the the day they were cut. If they were built into this house, they would still have the bark on...and on good.


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## RikBrooks (Jun 12, 2010)

I'm not going to worry about the bark. I just ordered from Baily's Online. I'm gonna use the mini mill to square up the logs so the bark won't be an issue. Here's the order I made, I'm so excited waiting for it:

SOLO 694 chainsaw w/24" bar and chain (might use it for crosscutting big cedars)

32" PREMIUM SPROCKET TIP (.375 X .050) 105 DL
D.L. 375 X 050 RIPPING CHAIN 
BASIC ALASKAN MILL WITH 36" RAILS
GRANBERG MINI-MILL
GRANBERG OILER ASSEMBLY (extra protection for the bar)
(2) HUSQVARNA PRO FOREST HELMET, one for my wife.
GRANBERG PRECISION FILING GUIDE
FILEMATE UNIVERSAL FILING GAUGE
PFERD 8" ROUND FILE 7/32" (EACH)
SAVE EDGE 6" RAKER FILE

And I bought a used copy of Chainsaw Lumber Milling for $17 on Amazon.

It will be Christmas in June. Oh, and I think I mentioned I brought down a 45' hickory. I finally got the limbs lopped off one side and measured it, 64' 10". That is a BIG tree.

Took my granddaughter out to the property yesterday and she rode the garden tractor around for a couple of hours. She loved it.


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## huskyhank (Jun 12, 2010)

Looks like you're off to a good start.
I'd order some more chains.


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## BobL (Jun 12, 2010)

great start by the look of it.

How's you PPE situation? I recommend using face protection and getting the best set of muffs around (Peltor 10H) and use ear plugs as well.


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## huskyhank (Jun 12, 2010)

+1 What Bob wrote.


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## RikBrooks (Jun 18, 2010)

*Everything came in today*

Oh my. Three giant boxes. That 94cc chainsaw is a monster! Got the mini mill and the Mark III. Only a couple of pages of instructions for each. Love the helmets with the screen on the front and the earmuffs.

Been grunting like Tim Taylor all afternoon.

Can't play with them tomorrow. Going to the farm in Jackson Tennessee and will spend the day with dad working his bee hives. Have to work my own Sunday but I may get to do a little with the chain saw then. Prolly start milling next weekend. Intend to mill me a whole bunch of stickers. Then maybe the wood for the drying shed.


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## huskyhank (Jun 18, 2010)

Run a few tanks of fuel through it cross cutting before you start milling. It'll need a little break in.


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## dustytools (Jun 19, 2010)

huskyhank said:


> Run a few tanks of fuel through it cross cutting before you start milling. It'll need a little break in.



+1. I would also tune the saw about 1K rich when running it on the mill. Good luck and have fun with the new toys.


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## smokinj (Jun 19, 2010)

That much milling ported saw mill and if you go the chainsaw route your going to want the monster saw 120cc+ good luck "wish I was you"..............Love Your Plan!!!!!!


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## smokinj (Jun 19, 2010)

That much milling ported saw mill and if you go the chainsaw route your going to want the monster saw 120cc+ good luck "wish I was you"..............Love Your Plan!!!!!!  Maybe I can just bring my gear and stay with You? lol


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## RikBrooks (Jun 20, 2010)

smokinj said:


> That much milling ported saw mill and if you go the chainsaw route your going to want the monster saw 120cc+ good luck "wish I was you"..............Love Your Plan!!!!!!  Maybe I can just bring my gear and stay with You? lol



So, it may take several years to get it all done. See, that's where I am different than most. I'm not in any all-fired rush to get it done. So I'm not going to wear myself out doing it. When I get hot or tired I rest and maybe sharpen the chains or just drink some ice water and fish for a while in the pond.

It may take five years to finish but hey, those years are going to pass anyway, might as well spend them playing in wood chips and enjoying myself outdoors - don'cha think?


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## grover (Jun 20, 2010)

It will take 5 years.......with age comes wisdom. Like you say it will be 5 years from now one way or another, blink your eyes....might as well be there to enjoy it!

Let us know how that Solo 694 works! I am looking at that setup also.....have you started it up yet......wondering about the lack of the decompression valve for starting.


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## smokinj (Jun 20, 2010)

RikBrooks said:


> So, it may take several years to get it all done. See, that's where I am different than most. I'm not in any all-fired rush to get it done. So I'm not going to wear myself out doing it. When I get hot or tired I rest and maybe sharpen the chains or just drink some ice water and fish for a while in the pond.
> 
> It may take five years to finish but hey, those years are going to pass anyway, might as well spend them playing in wood chips and enjoying myself outdoors - don'cha think?



Yep Iam the same way had my 880 now about a month and will just be getting started this week.....5 years this is a life style if you will you should do fine! :greenchainsaw:


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## RikBrooks (Jun 21, 2010)

grover said:


> It will take 5 years.......with age comes wisdom. Like you say it will be 5 years from now one way or another, blink your eyes....might as well be there to enjoy it!
> 
> Let us know how that Solo 694 works! I am looking at that setup also.....have you started it up yet......wondering about the lack of the decompression valve for starting.



Gonna fire that Solo up today after work. Come home, take off the suit and tie, put on some coveralls and it's out to the farm! A half hour after getting there I'll be covered in sweat and dirt. My co-workers wouldn't recognize me.

I'm writing a book on this process, the whole thing. It's tentatively titled "A Place Of Our Own: The story of Rik and Marylynn Brooks and Dogpatch Mississippi" That's just my title - my publisher usually makes me change it but this time I think I'll self publish, the royalties are better. I'll be taking pictures tonight for the book. I'll share them.


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## RikBrooks (Jun 22, 2010)

Well, the solo didn't fire up. I was oh so carefull. I mixed the gas just right. I put some stabilizer in it cuz it's 10% ethanol. I put bar oil in. I put on the cross cut bar to run a few tanks of gas through to break it in. I adjusted the chain "just right". 

The instructions said that I should pull it out just until I felt resistance (bringing the piston to the top), then give it a sharp tug.

I pulled it out until I felt resistance. Then I slacked it off and YANKED.

My arm almost came out of the socket! Nothing! It didn't pull and sputter - it didn't pull at all. It was like the cord was LOCKED.

I did this several times for several minutes. The heat index was 105. So I gave up.

This morning when it was cooler I thought I'd try again. The sun was rising and I was out in the front yard with the new SOLO. I realized I might wake everyone up. Then I thought that I'd just fire it up and turn it quickly off.

But I didn't know where the stop switch was. I finally found it - the stop switch was in the STOP position all this time.

I just put it back in the garage. I suspect I know the problem now and will have more luck tonight. This is all a learning experience.


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## mtngun (Jun 22, 2010)

RikBrooks said:


> But I didn't know where the stop switch was. I finally found it - the stop switch was in the STOP position all this time.


That's a good story. :hmm3grin2orange:

I wish all problems were that simple.


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## huskyhank (Jun 22, 2010)

I think it does not have a compression release?

Pull the cord through slowly and feel the piston coming up to the top and then down - do this a couple of times to get the feel. You want the piston to be at or near the top still under compression when you pull it for real.

Now, turn the switch on and set the choke if its cold. Pull the cord and feel the piston come up and the compression build. Let the cord back in and pull it like you mean it. Do this --every single time-- you pull and you won't get jerked.

If you choked it, as soon as it "pops" push the choke in before pulling again. 

Find compression every time - then pull.


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## grover (Jun 23, 2010)

Hey RikBrooks did you ever get it started? Hope your not nursing a messed up shoulder. That can do it ...I think I have a torn rotator cuff from years ago. It's fine untill I try something like that. Maybe that big Solo is not for me!


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## RikBrooks (Jun 23, 2010)

Yup got it started. I called Bailey's and said "What the.....??"

They said to lose the bar and chain and try just the powerhead. I was taking off the bar when I noticed that the sproket is sort of two tierd. I had the chain on the top one. I moved it to the larger one, put everything back together and it started on the first pull.

It still requires a manly tug. A 10 year old would never be able to start it. But it's not too awful hard.


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