The Hegers' Log Cabin Adventure

Epilogue....

2011-08-19T16:17:00.003-04:00

I stopped by the cabin to see what the new owners have done with the place - very happy to see all the great things they have done with it. They redid the stairs, added a few windows in the peak, replaced the bargin windows I had found with really nice windows, added a deck off the back, stained both the garage and house a very cool color and as you can see they are adding a very impressive porch on the front.

End of an adventure

2009-01-16T10:51:00.004-05:00

Well - the economy in Michigan tanked and I had to sell the cabin. I took down this blog in February but now that my grief period is over I realize it still was a great adventure and regardless if I got to keep the cabin I truly loved every step of the way. So I decided to open the blog back up and share it with you once again....

Enjoy!

Tim

The End

2008-02-05T14:46:00.001-05:00

Finished the field stone backstop

2007-09-06T08:51:00.000-04:00

I recently finished the field stone back stop for the free standing stove - all that's left is to run the chimney up and we got heat!

Recent photo - coming right along

2007-09-06T08:48:00.000-04:00

As you can see I have started to trim off the ends of the logs to be more uniform, had the final grade done and planted grass and started building the support structure for the porch.

Rebar is our friend - but it don't like truck tires!

2007-08-05T20:24:00.000-04:00

I had pounded some rebar into the ground to help tie off some ropes - and forgot to take them out.... found it!

Chinking Chick #2

2007-08-05T20:22:00.000-04:00

Dani - she's a chinking machine!

Chinking Chicks

2007-08-05T20:20:00.000-04:00

My wife and daughters can chink with the best of them - they can be foofy girly girls - but they can sure get 'r done!!

Da mix'er

2007-08-05T20:15:00.000-04:00

My boy is a cement mixing fool!

A little corner work....

2007-08-05T20:14:00.000-04:00

Chink!

2007-08-05T20:12:00.000-04:00

We have started chinking! For those of you who have taken the class - this is cement placed between the logs to keep the wet and cold out....

Floor Plans

2007-04-13T10:51:00.000-04:00

Changes to the plan....

2007-04-13T10:40:00.000-04:00

As you can see from comparing the artist drawing to the real cabin I have made a few modifications that better fit our needs.

1-I did not put any windows on the front of the cabin except those on the first floor to save heat. It get mightly cold up here...

2-I am going to build a slightly different porch that is only on the front of the building and not on 3 sides. The roof line of the porch will match the roof line of the cabin.

3-I have removed all the interior walls on the first floor and placed the utility room and bathroom on the outside walls. This has given the cabin a much more open feel.

The front is done!

2007-03-28T19:36:00.000-04:00

Finally got all the board-and-patten on the front of the cabin... its really starting to come together!

A zillion nails.... but its all good

2007-03-26T20:00:00.000-04:00

I have stuffed the crack between the logs with insulation and now am starting the laborious task of placing nails every few inches so the chink has something to grab onto.....

One of the last really big steps in the project - the roof!

2007-03-12T20:18:00.000-04:00

One thing I have learned during is project is to know when you are going to be beyond your skills - the roof was one of those things that I probably could have done myself but its just too much for me to do safely.

The guys I hired to do the roof have been great - working with all the "character" issues (my goof ups) and working hard.

The roof, the roof, the roof is going on!

2007-03-12T20:06:00.000-04:00

Another look at the roof - ain't it great! The foundation and roof will be the only two things that I didn't do myself (with the help of my friends and family of course!).

Dining room

2007-02-26T19:58:00.000-05:00

This was taken from behind the island - the first door is the utility room (washer/dryer, water heater and electrical panel) and the second door is a half bath.

Kitchen looking from stove area

2007-02-26T19:56:00.000-05:00

Another view of the kitchen from by the stove. In between the pantry on the right side of the picture and the window will be the back door.

The Kitchen

2007-02-26T19:53:00.000-05:00

Over the past few days I have been focusing on the kitchen. The is going to be a window in the center of the picture - should get it in shortly. There is an island where the range and stove will be.

Our Wood Stove

2007-02-26T19:51:00.000-05:00

Once we have the chimney hooked up things are going to get a lot warmer.... the last few days it was as cold as -4 degrees. Cold - very cold!

Electrical

2007-02-26T19:48:00.000-05:00

I have started to run the electrical - most of the first floor is done. The sooner I can get the electrical and plumbing done sooner I will have heat and (most importantly to my wife and daughters) in door plumbing!

Turkeys at the feeder

2007-02-26T19:45:00.000-05:00

It's not the best picture in the world but you'll have to trust me that it's a Tom (male) and 2 Pea Hens (females). They come in every morning and stay till after lunch. The lady down the hill has 200 - 300 at a time!

At night the dear come in to the feed - it's a very popular place during these long winters.

Looky - It's a garage!

2007-02-26T19:43:00.000-05:00

Once a bit warmer weather arrives I can have the garage floor poured and all that is left to do after that is to hang the doors.... it's nice having some place to store all the "stuff" for the project.

Starting to Insulate

2007-01-24T19:17:00.000-05:00

My lovely Daughters started stuffing insulation between the logs in preparation for chinking... also helps to keep the snow out!

Exterior is Coming Along

2007-01-24T19:16:00.000-05:00

Here's an early shot of the exterior - using the same board and batten as the garage....

Front of the Garage

2007-01-24T19:13:00.000-05:00

A closer look at the front of the garage detail - once spring comes and the cement trucks can travel again I will pour the floor and install the doors... It's a nice size - 24'x28' with 10' interior walls. Lots of room for toys!

The Garage Cometh!

2007-01-24T19:12:00.000-05:00

Here's an early shot of the garage as we where putting it up - its all done now.

Hey - Doors and Windows!

2007-01-24T19:11:00.000-05:00

It really is looking like a cabin and not a very large pile of logs! All the exterior windows and doors are in - it really changed the look.

34' Ceiling

2007-01-24T19:09:00.000-05:00

From the front half of the house there is a clear view to the cathedral ceiling - 34' up....

Do we have scrap...

2006-10-13T21:17:00.000-04:00

Man do we have scrap - but the good thing is a friend of mine heats with wood and is going to take it away once we have used what we need from it for stickers.

Lumber - I gots lumber!

2006-10-13T21:12:00.000-04:00

We took a guess when he started sawing up the logs that I would have about 6,000 board feet of lumber. A board foot is a board that 1" x 12" x 12".

Well as we get closer to finishing up the sawing it appears that we where way, way, way off - we will end up with 11,000 board feet!

This will more than enough to finish everything in the cabin - build the 2 car garage and still have a bunch left over.....

The saw

2006-10-13T21:10:00.000-04:00

He has a band saw (instead of circular blade). I have heard that you get a lot more lumber using a band saw.

Logs, logs, logs

2006-10-13T21:07:00.000-04:00

We ended up with WAY more logs than we needed so I hired a guy to cut them down to lumber - so I took the full length logs and cut them down to 10 foot lengths and piled them up.

2006-10-13T21:01:00.000-04:00

I have started cutting in the windows. I came across a killer deal on windows so I want to get them in and out of the garage....

I stopped by UBC the other day and came across a pallet of 12 brand new vinyl - 3x5 foot - for only $25 each.... and 5 - 4x6 foot windows for $40 each.

Ceiling of front half of cabin

2006-10-13T20:55:00.000-04:00

A view from the third floor looking out front. It will look great when it is done - but it has been slow work. Between the height (the ridge is 34 ft) and the size it takes a few people to get anything done. This ceiling is exposed all the way down to the first floor - 34 feet down.

The roof is coming together

2006-10-13T20:51:00.000-04:00

As you can see the roof is coming along nicely - in the spring I will put on the final roof but for now it is coming along. I hope to get the gables closed in before the snow comes for winter.

Long time......

2006-10-13T20:46:00.000-04:00

It's been way too long since I last posted on my blog - here's what I have gotten done since spring

Finished putting the 4x10 rafters in place
Almost finished putting the 2x6 tounge and groove on top of the 4x10's
Began cutting in the windows
Purchased all the windows needed for the cabin
Hired a friend of my Uncle's to saw up the remaining logs into lumber

I have a few new pictures for you....

More shots....

2006-06-02T01:04:00.000-04:00

Starting to frame in the dormers

2006-06-02T01:03:00.000-04:00

Started framing in the dormers..... working hard to get the roof on.

Long way down....

2006-04-24T17:29:00.000-04:00

Back at it!

2006-04-24T17:26:00.000-04:00

Back at it again.... here I am sitting up on my ridge pole (about 40' above the ground!) pinning my rafters in place with rebar.

Man - it's good to be at the cabin again!

Done for the year....

2005-11-16T15:41:00.000-05:00

Winter is here - supposed to get up to 6" of snow today - which means a foot up at the cabin. My Dad and I arranged the remaining 4x10's into a temporary roof - nailed down some plywood and put a tar paper on top of that.

It's been a great first phase and I look forward to getting back to it soon.

The garage - someday!

2005-11-16T15:34:00.000-05:00

I have stacked the logs I will be using for the garage so they will dry. It's going to be a while before we get to the garage.....

A view from the top

2005-11-16T15:30:00.000-05:00

The top floor of the cabin with traditional stick built - here is the view from our bedroom.

3rd Floor complete!

2005-11-16T15:28:00.000-05:00

My lovely wife and I finished the decking on the 3rd floor and my Dad and I built the stairs.

3rd floor joists in place....

2005-11-01T21:04:00.000-05:00

The joists for the 3rd floor are hung and in place. We are getting there - slowly but surely!

On to the 3rd floor

2005-11-01T21:02:00.000-05:00

Once we finished the second floor we hung the joist hangers for the 3rd floor.

Stairs from 1st to 2nd floor

2005-11-01T21:01:00.000-05:00

Another view of the second floor

2005-11-01T20:58:00.000-05:00

and the top of Jerry's head.

The bookworm returns!

2005-11-01T20:54:00.000-05:00

Here's Jerry Jenkins - Uber Worm - coming up the ladder to the second floor. The 2x6 tounge and groove is also complete.

View of second floor from above

2005-11-01T20:53:00.000-05:00

Second floor joists are in place

2005-11-01T20:51:00.000-05:00

This design has 2 lofts - what you see here is the joists that hold up the first loft (second floor).

Another view of the first floor

2005-11-01T20:50:00.000-05:00

It sure looks great.

First floor is in....

2005-11-01T20:46:00.000-05:00

After placing the joists we nailed down the 2x6 tounge and groove. Looks great and solid as brick s*@thouse!

The MVP of the project....

2005-10-16T20:01:00.000-04:00

With a tear in my eye I bid farewell to the MVP of the project - the telehandler. This past weekend the telehandler went back to NationsRent. I don't know how we could have done this project as safely and quickly as we did.... farewell my friend - job well done!

Hey - it's my Dad in the door way!

2005-10-16T17:56:00.000-04:00

Another big step was to cut in the front door.... it sure seems like a cabin now. The door way is smaller than the size we will need for the actual door.

Joists are 2' on center....

2005-10-16T17:54:00.000-04:00

Ok - it's a bit of over kill....

2005-10-16T17:49:00.000-04:00

Many of you are wondering - why is he using 4x10's for floor joists and those heavy duty joist hangers?

Well - I don't have a good answer except it seems like a good idea. :)

The joist hangers are made from 1/2" steel and have a total of 10 - 3" lag screws.... ya - even by my standards this way over kill!

Now comes the floor

2005-10-16T17:46:00.000-04:00

Now that we have all - yes I mean ALL - the logs in place we move on to the floor. The floor is supported by a 4' wall in the crawl space. After the 4' wall was in place we started placing the floor joists in place.

The domer ridge pole

2005-10-16T17:42:00.000-04:00

As you can see from the image at the top of this page - the domer is supported by another ridge pole. This one was a bit of bugger to get into place - but Ron, Dad and I got her in place after a few tries and bit of cussin'.

It's a cabin!

2005-10-11T20:57:00.000-04:00

The ridge pole was a lot easier than we thought to get in place. After the ridge pole we started placing the rafters - we got 4 pairs up before calling it a day.

RPSL's! Can you believe it!

2005-10-11T20:50:00.000-04:00

After row 16 we moved promptly on to the ridge pole support logs - RPSL's. They where a bit tricky to get over the wall logs (20 feet high) - but we managed.

My Dad's buddy Ron - "Uuurah"

2005-10-11T20:46:00.000-04:00

My Dad's buddy Ron - a Marine (there is no ex-Marine's) is also pounding on row 16....

Richard "The Beer Man" lends a hand...

2005-10-11T20:44:00.000-04:00

My lovely bride and our good friend Richard Lyman pound away on row 16 - yes - row 16 the very last row!

Ahhh - fall in Michigan

2005-10-11T20:40:00.000-04:00

Leaves are falling and there is a chill in the air - WINTER IS COMING AND I GOT TO GET THE ROOF ON THIS THING!!!!

Oinkel Toad! aka my brother Todd

2005-10-03T09:48:00.000-04:00

On Sunday we had the whole Heger clan there - my Dad drove the tractor and my little brother Todd came out to pound on the logs with us. Ol' Toad is an Engineer by trade but don't hold that against him. He did a pretty good job hitting the rebar - but did smack is ankle a good one.

If you see Toadly on the street today - don't wave to to him - his arms are going to be so sore that he won't be able to lift them up without whimpering......

Row 14 is up!

2005-10-03T09:45:00.000-04:00

Row 14 went on this weekend - only 2 more to go. On row 15 I will place the second cross beam that the 3rd floor will rest upon.

It's not the fall that kills you...

2005-09-26T16:24:00.000-04:00

it's the sudden stop!

Well it is now over 20 feet to ground on the inside side of the cabin and if I remember Myth Busters correctly - we are getting to the point where it could be a bit dicey if you fell.

I strung a rope 30 ft in the air (using my stable braid rigging line of course!) from one tree to another, intersecting the structure. Then I went to the local rock climbing store and got set up for safety! Now if you fall you ***should*** be fine. Let's hope we never find out! The picture shows the over head line with the two leads hanging down. I use my camera phone for the pictures so the quality isn't the best - but you get the idea.

An even dozen!

2005-09-26T16:20:00.000-04:00

Yes sir, yes sir - it's an even dozen! As the rows get higher the work gets slloooowwwer - hauling the tools up, down and around just takes time. We need 16 rows so we are down to the final 4 rows..... I hope to have them in by next weekend. It might be sooner if I can russel up some help. After the rows are done it is RPSL's and the RP.

10 rows and time for scaffolding!

2005-09-15T07:38:00.000-04:00

We are now on row 10 and it was time for scaffolding. It is over 16 feet down on to the inside of the cabin - far enough that it might leave a scratch if you fall.

The scaffolding was fairly cheap to rent - $675 a month - and makes my wife and mom very happy!

Southern Yellow Pine I Believe....

2005-09-15T07:36:00.000-04:00

Here is a view of the ends of the 4x10's. Man are these joists a thing of beauty. I can't wait to get them in the cabin.

All the way from 'Bama!

2005-09-15T07:31:00.000-04:00

Tuesday night I received a call from the trucker that he had my load of 2x6 tounge and groove and 4x10 joists..... he arrived around 7pm and we got the last load off just after dark.

Though he will never read this - thanks for your help and sharing your passion for Christ. It was good to meet you.

The North American Tufted Bobkeip.....

2005-09-15T07:27:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago a good buddy of mine stopped by to help out - Bob Kiep. Doesn't his name sound like some small woodland bird.... "and now you see the black tufted Bobkiep in its natural habitat..."

Anyway - he was a great help as usual! Remember to report any sightings of the black tufted Bobkiep to your local DNR office!

Enter the Gas Man!

2005-09-12T16:52:00.000-04:00

No Art Primeau doesn't need Bean-0... he has extensive experience in the oil and gas biz and know's why gas goes up instantly when someone burbs in TX but takes weeks to pass through a 50% drop in oil prices.

Even with the lecture on gasconmics Art was able to master the telehandler and swinging the hammer. No sissy blisters for him like the book worm got a few days earlier....

Cousin Tommy to the rescue!

2005-09-12T16:50:00.000-04:00

My cuz Tommy came by for the day and we worked him silly.

He's a young buck who swung the hammer with the best of them! He promises to be back - we shall see, we shall see.....

Book worms can swing hammers!

2005-09-08T15:57:00.000-04:00

Yes friends - this is indeed Jerold R. Jenkins - book publishing mogal - pounding away today on row 8 of our cabin. Jerry's delicate hands haven't seen anything worse than a paper cut for years - but after today he has a couple of real-life blisters to show off to his fellow book nerds!!!

Thanks Jerry -you're welcome anytime - and I might even let you drive the telehandler next time!

The H3R Top-Secret Plans!

2005-09-06T09:57:00.000-04:00

Here is the plans to make your very own H3R. The only cost for this amazing time and labor savings device is 2 dozen of your very best homemade chocolate chip cookies!

Hummmm cookies!

Hard at work - my Dad - Herbert E. Heger

2005-09-05T18:44:00.000-04:00

Scampering up the logs like a young mountain goat - driving the telehandler - pounding in rerod with a fury that leaves his son slumped in the corner - it's my Dad - he only knows one speed - full throttle!

I hate pounding down the rebar....

2005-09-04T20:26:00.000-04:00

So I fabricated a plunger system that uses the power of the boom to drive the rebar into the logs.

And down it goes!

2005-09-04T20:21:00.000-04:00

The boom pushes the plunger down - with not a single swing of the sledge hammer.....

The results!

2005-09-04T20:11:00.000-04:00

The 24" rebar is now driven 22" into the logs - and pounding in the last 2" is a lot easier!

7 Rows!

2005-09-04T20:06:00.000-04:00

As you can see we are making great progress - here you see the best telehander in NW Michigan - my lovely bride Diane - next to the wall. 7 down and 9 to go!

Lifting the logs the easy way....

2005-09-04T20:01:00.000-04:00

We rented a telehander - basically a fork lift that goes up/down and in/out. We use a strap that is rated for 10,000 pounds to lift the 3,500 pound logs. Once the log is in place we use log dogs (sort of big staples) to hold the log in place.

Closer view of the corner

2005-08-28T10:03:00.000-04:00

This will look great when it's done - if my sissy muscles and hands can take it!

3 Rows Done....

2005-08-28T09:59:00.000-04:00

Well - we have 3 rows now complete. The technique we are using requires us to pound a 24" piece of rebar through the top log and into the lower log.

I now am painfully aware of how much a computer nerd I am! This is hard work! My Dad and I can get 4 logs on in 5 hours - after which we collapse onto the ground.......

As Dad always says "If it was easy everyone would do it..."

Logs!

2005-08-25T22:56:00.000-04:00

Now that's a pile of logs!

The First Row too!

2005-08-25T22:53:00.000-04:00

Not being slackers - ol' Dad and I put the other 3 logs in place - total time to place the 4 logs was about 4 hours. Not too bad seeing as this is our first time doing this.

The First Log!!!!

2005-08-25T22:51:00.000-04:00

Just behind the birth of my children was the joy I experienced as the first log was lowered onto the rebar and into place..... tears of joy almost sprang from my eyes - but it turned out to be sweat!

Dani says "Thumbs up to the Log Parade!"

2005-08-24T15:11:00.000-04:00

My helper extrondinaire - Dani - was in charge of taking pictures - fine job Dani!

2005-08-24T15:10:00.000-04:00

We're gonna get these logs up this hill dag nabit!

It's the Log Parade!

2005-08-24T15:06:00.000-04:00

After having to dump 2 loads of logs at the bottom of the hill and carrying them up 1 at a time we got the bright idea to create a parade of POWER! The front end loader pulled the telehander which pulled the semi full of logs - and the whole mess was being pushed from behind by a bulldozer! As with most men - we responded with overwhelming force when confronted with a difficult task.....

Our first load of logs - YIKES!

2005-08-21T19:24:00.000-04:00

After giving up on getting the logging truck up the muddy driveway - we had the logs unloaded at the bottom of the driveway.

The logs are much larger than I expected. I had made a scale model of cabin and ordered the logs based upon the model. After seeing the acutal size of the logs I might have way too many.... looks like everyone gets a log for Christmas this year!

One stuck logging truck

2005-08-21T19:21:00.000-04:00

Not a very clear picture - but I had to give the logging truck a push. All the rain made mud, mud, mud....

View down the drive way

2005-08-21T19:19:00.000-04:00

Foundation close up

2005-08-21T19:14:00.000-04:00

The vertical logs (called RPSL's (Ridge Pole Support Logs)) need a solid base to rest on. The RPSL's rest on the columns you see in the picture.

The blue tank in the background is the well tank - which holds the water from the well.

The foundation.....

2005-08-21T19:11:00.000-04:00

I had a crawl space foundation poured - 30 x 30.

Toys - BIG TOYS!

2005-08-21T18:59:00.000-04:00

At log cabin building class we took they recommended using a block and tackle system to lift the logs. While that is a noble way to get the logs in place - I just don't see it happening.....

So I rented a telehandler - it can lift 3 tons up to 42 feet - and it's a blast to drive. This is the telehandler in the area we have cleared to stage the logs.

This is the goal....

2005-08-16T23:17:00.000-04:00

If all goes as planned - this is what our cabin should look like - only time will tell.

Trees are everywhere!

2005-08-16T22:44:00.000-04:00

When we first bought the property there was a significant amount of trees and brush to clear to get a building site big enough to move the equipment around.