DIY Home Improvement Forum banner

Gulf Island Building.

1M views 8K replies 149 participants last post by  Katie Cabana 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi all:
Since the summer of 1997, I have been building a cabin and house on our 1/2 acre lot here. Before I dive into that part, I am going to show a few photos to set the stage a bit. We are remote here. No services of any kind, except that which we provide for ourselves. So don't expect to see any paved roads with big trucks delivering any materials.
We live at the head of a small bay, which is both a blessing and a curse.
When the tide goes out, we have to clamber over hundreds of yards of rocks to get to our boat. When it is in, I can float logs right up to my little railway to move them onto the log deck. Well, not any more, but more about that later.
This is the bay in front of us.
 

Attachments

See less See more
1
  • Like
Reactions: grant
#2,478 ·
Keith, I will post a few pictures when the trees turn but don't expect much. :)
Buddy, we could sure use some of that rain down this way although our grass is my favorite color for grass right now, dead. :whistling2: Bet you can't tell I hate to cut grass.

It looks like you will be working inside today buddy, but just think of the cold rain outside and the warm glow of a great wood fire going. Man, I think I'm going to cry here just thinking of the 90 degrees + we are having here today.

Have a great day my friend.
 
#2,479 ·
Somebody ought to figure out how to even out the temperatures where you are and where we are.

It's 54ºF here now. Split 'em and it would be a pleasant 72º or so. Wouldn't that be nice!

I thought you loved cutting the grass Jim. :thumbup:

What you should do is to plant green concrete. Don't need to water it, no mowing, no fertilizing...nuthin'. :thumbsup:
 
#2,480 ·
Got the trim all cut out last night, and this morning eased the edges with the chamfering plane. Looks OK.

Now waiting for some floor tile to set up which I did first thing this morning.
 

Attachments

#2,481 ·
The big pile there is the wood which will be going around the walls above the tile. I think you probably had that sussed already.

The missus has painted the undercoat on those trims, and the topcoat should be able to go around 4 this afternoon. Earlier if I put the fire on. :thumbsup:

I'm trying to get the balance of the marble cut for the tub surround, most is done. The last few pieces are going to be the hardest to fit. It would certainly be nice to have a square corner at the back left of the tub.

Time for some lunch while I do some more pondering...:huh:
 
#2,482 ·
The solution finally presented itself for the troublesome back corner and all the pieces are now cut.

There is zero tile left and it would have been a treat to have two more tiles, but...that was not to be the case.

The tile on top of the surround is just sitting in place. Nothing stuck yet. That's next.

I hear the missus downstairs making aggravating noises, I had better go and see what's going on.
 

Attachments

#2,483 ·
Hmmmm...all the marble we have is stuck on. And HRH has decreed that we need to find a few more pieces. This ought to be fun.

Well, at least I can finish the floor and then carry on with more tiling downstairs. Who knows, we may be lucky. :wink:
 
#2,484 ·
Keith, you are both just phenomenal ya'll can run circles around a 20 year old working. I couldn't do all that back when I was a younger man. Judy just looked over here and saw your tile work and she really does like it also.

Buddy, that is going to be hard to find more marble like that, it is some kind of pretty.

Are you going to need to mill more lumber before finishing your home?
 
#2,485 · (Edited)
Well, thanks Jim, and to Judy too.

We will try the local tile stores first, but I was also thinking that Habitat might have the odd one. You just never know what they get in there.

I am hoping not to have to mill any more lumber, but I guess it depends on what I decide to build. For the house itself, I might need some for a dividing wall I have planned at the top of the stairs - the one where some more of that art glass is going.

I do have all the glass cut to the right sizes, but I think I need to buy a handful of 2 x 4's for the framing.

The only project of any size inside, will be the seat to go all the way around the floor opening in the master bedroom. It looks down to the solarium. That may be another project with a big lamination for the seat itself.

I was just looking at the length of the whole thing...I would guess it is something over 40'. I have plenty of decent arbutus which I can use for the legs and the cross supports for the seat portion, but I'm none too sure if I have enough cedar strips on hand for the seat. It would take about twice as much as that long handrail outside on that narrow deck.

But I think before I do that I should get the floor laid in the bedroom.

If I have to mill anything, it will most likely be red cedar. Chances are that if I spot a nice cedar floating out there in the chuck I will go and pick it up.

The missus wants me to put some soffit on her studio, plus fascia boards, and gutters made from cedar, and...
 
#2,487 ·
I guess if I can find a decent cedar log I can take pix.

So, if the seat runs around a total distance of 40', and it's 1 1/2' wide, and 2" thick, that would be 120 board feet. I would think the waste factor on something like that would be 30 to 40%, if not more. I should need to mill at least 200 board feet of clear cedar. And there's the catch...clear.

I don't know what is down at the mill right now in the way of logs. I know there is a very small log on the deck which may be 40 bd. ft. It's very small.

I will check tomorrow and let you know. And I don't think there is anything in the bay right now. This isn't a good time of year for logs.

And the other factor is that one side of the seat has a gentle curve, the other is pretty sharp. I'll see if it's possible to take a pic from down below so you can see the curve.
 
#2,488 ·
It doesn't look like these pics came out well at all. The outer curve I think has a radius of about 22 feet, the inner I'm guessing 12 or 13.

That means that the wood for the inner curve will need to be milled considerably thinner.

The outside railing is noticeably more gentle than that and 5/8" wood was about all you would want to use there. So 1/2" for the outer curve and 3/8" for the inner curve for this one.

I get in excess of 1,300 lineal feet of wood for that. Another quarter mile.

I don't know about that, maybe I will have to come up with a different system. Laminating another 1,300 feet doesn't sound really thrilling at the moment. I can't remember the lineal on the long handrail, but I think not over 600 feet.

Sorry, I just checked, it's just under 700 feet.

Not only is that a lot of wood, but also a lot of glue! Not to mention twice the time of the one outside.
 

Attachments

#2,489 ·
Another thought just came to mind...yes I do get thoughts occasionally...maybe I could build a framework, and wife number 2 could upholster it. I like that idea. :thumbsup:

I'll make sure she's in a good mood when I ask her! :yes:
 
#2,490 ·
That is a lot of wood and a whole lot of work. We think a lot a like, I hate doing the same thing twice although I have many times but after the first one it is not fun for me anymore.

Can you imagine what the seat would cost if you had to buy that beautiful wood (including the waste factor) and then had to pay for the milling, dressing, planing then the labor to custom fit and build the seat on site, not to mention sanding, finish sanding, sealing and all the coats of finish. Good gravy, a rich man couldn't afford that. I think the upholstered seat will look great my friend.
 
#2,494 ·
I did go down to the bay today...there is no cedar there. The only two logs in the chute are hemlock.

When the missus goes to town to see the boys (probably next week) I might cut the small cedar on the log deck. I could scout around the island to see if there is anything on the beaches. I can usually roll it off with the peavey.

Also went for a short walk to see if anything was happening with the big maples toward Sand Dollar Cove.

On the way there was a small tree, maybe 20 -25' tall and the leaves were starting to go. Don't know what it is.
 

Attachments

#2,506 ·
$15,000 is just a little low there buddy, you can't make any money by giving the farm away. Ya'll have some mighty beautiful plants up your way and that is one biiiig tree. The nurseries down this way sell a tree that looks kinda like your Norway Maple but the leaves stays a burgundy color most of the year. The leaves look a little like what some of these ******** smoke down this way except they are green. :eek:

Buddy, you take the most beautiful pictures, I hope you are saving all your pictures and note for your book.:whistling2: You are for a fact book quality and that is no joke. Thanks for posting the pictures for us Keith.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top