<![CDATA[Woodworking On The Homestead

<![CDATA[Woodworking On The Homestead - Blog]]>Tue, 04 Mar 2025 13:24:07 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[BUIlding my passive solar greenhouse]]>Mon, 24 Oct 2022 16:49:50 GMThttp://woodworkinghomestead.com/blog/building-my-passive-solar-greenhouse
Having a constant supply of food grown yourself brings great satisfaction. Also, producing seedlings for your landscape needs in large quantities is kind to the budget. Being less dependent on food sources far from home saves shipping costs, store overhead cost, and YOUR time traveling to get food you need! There is great benefit in growing your own plants, including taste due to freshness of your own homegrown produce. Another is the nutritional benefit from food grown in your own greenhouse!

The Proposed Greenhouse Design

This is a major project I've just completed, but still have work to complete furnishing the interior. My REAL job (residential home design ... planshoppe.net) keeps me occupied most of the time, and it took longer than expected to complete. I've built it almost entirely on my own, except for a couple of tasks that I just didn't want to take on at my age.

Anyway, the plan was to build a large greenhouse (36' x 24') down here in Louisiana to take advantage of our mild winters. I hope to begin seedlings for our yard, and then vegetables and citrus in the future. I just completed a concrete driveway, and had to wait until it was put in so that I could plant shrubbery in the right places. A few years back was the right time to take the plunge and just do it. It will hopefully serve my wife and I for all our remaining years, and the next few generations to come.

Passive solar design simply means that the greenhouse does not require an active heating system. It uses the heat from direct sunlight collected during the day and stores it inside mass, which in this case will be a concrete block wall and barrels of water alongside the wall. The heat will slowly be dissipated back into the interior area at night, keeping the temperature (hopefully) above freezing. If the temperature in my area stays below freezing for an extended length of time, I’ve installed a backup propane heater for heat.

The upper windows will open for venting during the unbearably hot summers here. They also have screen on them to prevent predators from coming inside. The rear storage room will be for my mowers and yard tools, as well as fishing supplies for my pond which is behind the building.

ASSEMBLING WINDOWS AND DOORS

Over the year prior to beginning, I collected quite a number of same sized wooden window sashes:

Same Size Thrift Store Wooden Window Sashes

I started the project by assembling them into 1x4 treated pine frames, screwed and glued together with Titebond II wood glue. It's a glue made for exterior application, and works well for projects like this one. The lower sash will fold up inside onto the upper sash for air circulation in the summer. The lower sash pieces I found were single pane, and the upper were 9 lite divided panes. (Actually I didn't find quite enough lower sashes, and so I made some to match out of treated pine and had 1/8" glass cut to size.) If I had to do this again, I'd use all large single pane glass, since the individual pieces are a PAIN to paint! This first photo shows the window frame being assembled with the outside face up. It will be necessary if you build something similar to adjust the frame size to fit your sashes. That's why dimensions aren't so important to give here since you can build one any size you want. I was just fortunate to find so many old sashes the same size.

Treated Wood Window Frames With 1/2" Fixed Wire Screens

I used treated lumber for the window and door frames, as well as the front framing, which will all be exposed to constant water and humidity. I also found some old doors in downtown West Monroe, Louisiana at antique alley. This is where Mrs. Kay’s Sweet shop is located….from Duck Dynasty! By assembling the windows before framing the greenhouse, I would now know the rough opening sizes I’ll need. I had to replace some broken glass and fill some old holes with wood plugs and glue, but once they are finished, it will be hard to tell they were any other way! Here’s some of them:

Assembled Windows Before and After Painting

Here's a photo of the doors getting the first coat of paint. The plan is to paint only one coat and add a second once they are in place. The trim around the openings will be a cedar color, and this makes it a LOT easier to do a second coat without having to be so precise in cutting in between colors:

Old Wooden French Doors Being Painted

I had to make the upper vent windows in my shop, along with some of the lower glass frames in some of the main windows as I said before. Here are a few construction photos of the upper smaller vent windows I made:

Making Vent Windows From Treated Pine

A completed Vent Window

I know they look a bit rough, but a second coat will do wonders once they are installed.

FOUNDATION

I used my old Ford 9n tractor with a box blade to get the area more level and take off the grass.

My 1943 Ford 9n Tractor

Here is a photo of the area where the greenhouse will be. South is to the right:

Leveling and De-Grassing the Site

Forms were built around the perimeter for the footings and storage slab area. The footings were 18″ wide. Our frost line is 4″ so the footings were not very deep. I ran 2 re-bars along the footings for reinforcement, and used wire mesh in the storage slab area. I also dug the center footing deeper due to the weight of the interior block trombe wall. (The forms are not completed in this photo.)

Beginning the Concrete Forms

Then the concrete work was poured. I went and got a few 8"x8'x16" concrete blocks as I went along for the next step. The outside facing of the blocks I used on the greenhouse had a texture on them (a bit more expensive) and the trombe wall blocks were standard. I decided to use the textured blocks for a nicer finished look. Later I painted them a natural rock color which is found all around my place.

The Completed Concrete Foundation

Next, work began on the center trombe wall and three block high walls along the front and half way down the sides. The rear wall will be full height and insulated since it faces north. As we went along, we poured gravel into all the block voids to build up more mass to retain heat. We also placed 1/2" x 8" anchor bolts about every 6' along the top of each completed wall sticking out about 2 1/2" to be able to bolt down the 2"x8" treated sill plates. Then we braced the trombe wall to prevent it from toppling over with strong wind until the framing was installed to brace it. The trombe wall along with barrels of water set alongside will retain the heat of the day, and release it during the night. Here is a photo of them going up:

Block Work Being Done

A treated 2″x8″ sill was then bolted to the block top to allow for framing to be attached. Here is a photo of the completed block walls. Notice the textured blocks on the outside. Cool look, don't you think? :)

The Completed Block Work

FRAMING THE GREENHOUSE

Next, I began to stand up the perimeter walls. I think I made them 6' high. I used treated lumber for all the framing in order to prevent rot due to interior moisture. The walls are 2"x4"s at 16" centers. Here’s a few photos:

Framing the Walls

Here is a picture of the way I assembled the side walls working alone. I simply placed a couple of saw horses to support the top plate until I got a few studs nailed on. The distance between the window openings is really tight side to side in order to make the finished front trim look nice.

Saw Horses Used to Support Framing Walls

After the walls were up, I added some double 2″x10″ joists that I cantilevered about 3' to support an upper center wall and attic pathway. I also angled the exposed ends in the middle to get a nice finished look, and also pre-painted them on the ground before. Trust me, that's the easy way to paint ... right in front of my face, and not on top of my face. Hey, I like my face without brown splotches on it!

Next I added some serious metal strapping to hold the joists to the rear wall top plate. I also strapped the rear storage wall down to the bottom plate. I didn't want the weight of the roof to cause the cantilevered area to sag.

The 2"x4" pathway above was added next with three 2"x4"s flat with about a 1/2" spacing between. You can see in the picture the 2"x4"s added along the underside of the pathway for bracing. I’ll use it to walk on and open and close the vent windows twice a year.

Storage Area Ceiling Joists and Pathway Framing

Then I stood up some upper support walls….not fun to do alone!

The Center Upper Support Wall
(Framed For Vent Windows)

The rear rafters were then installed (2"x6"s @ 24" centers), and a metal roof added. I then framed in the two gable ends with 2"x4"s The roof pitch on the rear metal roof is 5 : 12, and the front roof pitch with the clear panels is 3 : 12. You can adjust it to whatever slope you need. The rear solid metal roof prevents the sunlight entering during the summer months. The clear roof glazing area is along the front half, south facing growing area.

Rear Roof Rafter Framing

Metal Roof Installed On Rear Rafters

The fellows that installed the metal for me commented about how stout the roof was they were on! Made my day.

The next step was to add the front rafters. First, I installed a 2"x6" on the upper center wall a few inches below the upper vent windows all the way across the 36' building. Next I laid a 2"x6" over an end wall and made a pattern for the 2"x6" rafters and then cut them all. BEFORE I installed them, I painted all the pieces. Did I already say why?

I didn't put on the clear panels until the rest of the building was finished. There are no joists in the front to allow for maximum ceiling height for tall plants and short trees. This braced the front window wall well since the rear area is bolted to the block wall which anchors everything. I installed the upper front rafter flashing though at the top that the panels would slide underneath later. The flat 2"x4" runners for the clear roof panels were nailed onto the rafters, pre-painted of course. Here's a picture of the rafters in place:

Front Rafters Installed

SAWING THE SIDING AND TRIM

My sister recently had some acreage harvested, and down in the creek bottom were some large cypress trees….perfect for the greenhouse! The logger laid three huge trees in a clearing about a mile from me down a long double rut dirt road. Here is a photo of two of the trees:

Cypress Logs Harvested Nearby

I cut the long trunks into 12′ and 8′ long sections in order to pull them back home. I began dragging the nine log sections with my tractor. The poor thing strained its guts out pulling the long, water laden, extremely heavy monsters back home down the road:

Dragging the Logs Home

Next I began cutting the logs into the dimensional lumber pieces that I needed on the bandsaw mill. Turning those huge logs is TOUGH by yourself on a manual mill, but I persevered. I had to use the winch some in order to turn them as I cut. Of course it gets easier as you go.

Cutting Cypress Into Dimensional Lumber

Making 8" Wide Beveled Lap Siding

Well! Would 'ya look-ie thar! I see mah greenhouse a growin' out the ground behind that thar sawmill in the pitcher!!

Ahem. Sorry. On the right is a closeup of some siding being cut. I placed a couple of 3/8″ thick small sticks under the one edge of the 8" wide cant to lift it, and take a cut. Then I removed them for the next cut, and achieved a consistent beveled thickness for the finished siding.

I took a photo of some of the siding stacked into the dry kiln in preparation for drying a full load. I ended up not needing the siding for a while since my real job once again got in the way. By the time I got back to needing the siding, it was already dry enough with the heat naturally generated inside the kiln with no fans circulating! Here's a picture:

Lap siding in My Solar Dry Kiln

A few days before I began installing the exterior boards, I unloaded the kiln and stacked the boards under my carport to use. Less than a WEEK later, after they sat inside the kiln for MONTHS, a strong and nasty storm blew through here producing 80 mph straight line winds. The kiln was blown off its block supports.

The Damaged Dry Kiln

To be honest though, I’d planned on moving the thing to the rear of the barn one day when I built it, and made it tow-able. I figured it was God’s way of letting me know the time had come to move it, so I went with it! The photo above shows the roof hail damage. It had been in the same place for almost 10 years. Here is a photo of my cousin helping me (or really, me helping him since he knew what he was doing) put the tires on the axle:

Installing Wheels On the Kiln To Move

That's my old Chevy van backed up to tow it to the back…first time I’ve ever moved the kiln, and it did perfectly! Anyway, in order to back it into the tight area where it needed to be, my van ended up almost perpendicular to the kiln. Danny (my cousin) kept hollering at me which way to cut my wheels in order to do such a perfect, and tricky maneuver. He drove an 18 wheeler, and taught big rig driving at the local voc-tech. It was a cool experience.

Anyway, here is a photo of it in its new home, all leveled up and ready to use. We removed the axle and hitch I'd installed when it was originally built (See Solar Dry Kiln Post) since it now had a permanent home. The area is not quite as ideal a location as before with total sun, but I think it’s good enough to do the job:

Solar Dry Kiln's New Location

INSTALLING THE SIDING AND TRIM

Now back to the siding. I began on the rear wall. My cousin and I dragged the double door units from my shop to the rear storage opening and nailed them into place the same day we moved the kiln. They were too heavy to move alone. Later, I began to nail on the cornice boards. I had cut some 1/2″ thick x 12″ wide cypress to use underneath the overhang after a coat of paint, as well as the 1″x8″ fascia and 1″x4″ trim boards. The 1″x4″ trim was installed next to the metal roof. Here's a closeup of the cornice:

Installing the 1"x8" and 1"x4" Fascia Trim Boards

Yeah, I see the errant nail. Guess that's why my hammer came with a claw on it.

When I put on the 2″x4″ runners to screw the roofing to over the rafters, I let them extend about 3/4″ past the rafters. That is visible in the photo since the end overhang is not yet complete. This enabled me to install the 1"x8" fascia boards alone by shoving them up and holding them in position with one hand while nailing with the other. It was not fun, but it worked well!

When I installed the 8" wide lap siding, I allowed 6 1/2″ exposure to each new row. This provided a lap of around 1 1/2″ for each row. I used an inexpensive harbor freight staple gun for the siding, and it actually worked great! I first applied a layer of 15# felt underlayment to the exterior walls before applying all the siding. Then I nailed on the end 1″x4″ corner boards. Here's some progress photos:

Installing and Painting the Exterior Siding

Next I began the upper wall area which I had been dreading doing alone. I laid some scaffold boards over the rafters to walk on while working. Once again I installed the cornice boards, then caulked and painted as before. I put felt on the wall, and then nailed on some flashing (mentioned earlier) I'd made with the correct pitch, allowing 1 1/4″ clearance for the roofing panels to be installed later.

I brought the windows up one by one and installed them. Then I installed the siding and finally, caulked and painted the entire area: Once again I installed the cornice boards, then caulked and painted as before. I was HAPPY that headache was OVER! Then I moved to the front side and installed the cornice. Here is a progress photo showing the upper area finished along with the front cornice:

Finished Front Upper Vent Window Wall

Finally it was time to begin the front window wall installation. I screwed the first unit in the center of the front first in order to give me some play if I needed to sledge hammer the vertical double stud over a bit to make it go in. I’m glad I did it that way, since I DID have to knock a few over a fraction to wedge them all in. I had allowed 1/4″ clearance side to side rough opening, and that was a bit close for a couple of them since wood swells with moisture. Here is the first one in place:

Installing the First Window

Installed Front Windows

Then I then added felt over the remaining exposed side, including a strip between windows:

Applying the Front Felt

Next I added some pre-painted trim pieces and small bits of siding on the ends. The reason I pre-painted the trim was so that I did not have to be so precise when adding a second coat cutting in between paint colors.
Here is a photo of the caulked and painted, finished front product It's finally starting to look like a greenhouse!

Finished Front Wall

Next, I began working on the ends. First, I installed the doors and windows. I worked on one end at the time in order not to be toting setups from one end to the other since I am working alone. I then added felt over all the siding areas. After installing the felt, a bad storm blew through and took a lot of the felt off! Oh well.

Felt Applied On End Wall

Next I began installing the corner trim boards followed by the cypress lap siding. And lastly, I installed the soffit boards BY MYSELF. I believe I nailed a board horizontally along the outside front and rear wall so that all I had to do was hold up the opposite end and start nailing. It worked quite well…..except for me smashing my finger with the hammer due to an awkward angle when the hammer glanced off a large nail and caught my finger. You talk about hurt for a few days!

A Left End Before Painting

The Finished Right End

COMPLETING THE INSIDE SIDING AND WALLS

I moved inside, and began first by working on roughing in the electrical. I'd placed a 1" pipe under the footings before pouring the concrete foundation for the wire from the house. The electrical feed wire could then run to the greenhouse and be tied in later. I installed the outlets about 3′ above the floor area to provide easy access after the benches and plants were installed. Then I installed some ceiling and wall light boxes where I thought they would do best. I carefully placed a couple of outlets on the cantilevered joists above and concealed the wire for two fans.

Once all the electrical wire was run (12/2 with ground) I insulated the ceiling on the rear half of the greenhouse with R-19 faced batts. Of course the front greenhouse rafters have no insulation, only the translucent panels on top. Next I insulated all the remaining perimeter walls with R-11 batts, including the entire rear wall (along with the storage room rear wall).

Then I began to work on finishing the rear center storage room completely. (We’ve always been crowded by lawn mowers and tools in our garage for years. So I wanted to go ahead and do the storage room first to get them where they belong….out of our way.)

Back in my shop, I began running some 1/2″ x 12″ wide cypress rough-sawn boards through my old Sears Belsaw planer, and surfaced one face (side) only….no need to have the back side smooth. I think the final thickness ended up a little over 3/8″. Next, I used minwax polyshades to brush on a stain/varnish. It only took one coat, which made it a quick process.This made the boards easy to hold above my head. Then, using my harbor freight staple gun, I secured them into place with 1 1/4″ staples. I placed 1×4 trim around the rear doors and the interior access door first and then applied the siding on the 3 sides. This is the same siding used on the exterior. I decided on doing this since there will be constant watering going on inside of the plantings. The 4th side of the storage is the back side of the block trombe wall. Here’s a picture of the first ceiling board installed:

Installing the First Cypress 1/2" Ceiling Board

The wall above has not yet been insulated, but it was prior to the interior lap siding being applied. The next photo shows the completed ceiling boards, along with the wall lap siding being applied.

Interior Siding Being Installed

After all the ceiling and siding was complete, I painted the interior, including the rear of the concrete trombe block wall:

The Completed Storage Room
(Electrical Not Yet Installed)

As you can see, the walls in the storage room are painted white so I can see items more easily inside. The greenhouse area walls will be the cedar color used on the exterior. This color combination in the storage of white walls, cedar exposed beams, and oak stained ceiling boards made me wish folks could see it from inside the greenhouse, since it looked so cool. Hey .... I was happy!

I then moved to the greenhouse area, and began installing the ceiling boards, followed by siding in the area where a sink cabinet will be. I’ll use the sink area for potting, as well as canning in the future. I have outlets for an electric element to boil water on the counter-top also.

After getting some of the siding up, I painted it so that I could install the cabinet, since my plumber was scheduled to come and install the sink for me. Did I mention I HATE plumbing? This is because EVERY time I do something, it leaks. “A man has got to know his limitations”….done in my best Dirty Harry voice. So a plumber bill was necessary.

After that, I began working on the cabinet itself in my shop. I used eastern red cedar, which we have in abundance around here, and since I already had a bunch in my lumber storage shed. It ended up about 11′ long, and so to was a bit heavy to tote into place, I left even left the bottom shelf boards off to help a bit, which it did. My brother-in-law Michael came over and helped me move it into place. Thanks Bro! Here’s a few photos of it being built. Note the open grate on the right of the sink. This is so that I can place a waste basket underneath on the lower shelf to use for handy disposal when cutting items for canning:

Cedar Sink Base Cabinet

Sorry about the messy shop! What can I say. I do clean it regularly, and sometimes it looks really good. If I were a big outfit, of course I'd have folks to do that for me. But this is the real world folks. But I digress.

I added a couple of coats of satin polyurethane for the finish. The bottom shelf boards aren't shown here since I left them off until it was in place. After the storage room was complete, I moved to the interior greenhouse area and applied the remaining ceiling and siding boards. I caulked all the joints and bad spots on the rough lumber, and painted the entire area. Here's more progress photos:

Completing the Interior Greenhouse Walls And Ceiling

I began leveling the dirt floor to about 2" below the slab height. Then I applied a small bags of pea gravel. It took a lot of loads in my old van to complete the whole area due to the weight. I also bought a lot of 12"x12" x 2" thick concrete pad blocks for pathways and cabinet supports.

Then I leveled out the area where the cabinet would be placed, and added a landscape fabric. I placed some 12″x12″ concrete pads where it would be located and where the walkways would be. And finally, I added pea gravel in between all the other floor areas. The plumber then came and installed the sink.

Applying Floor Fabric, Stone, and Blocks

The Sink Cabinet In Place

And here's the completed interior. The trombe wall is to the left. The sun rays in the winter shine through the ceiling and hit the wall, heating it up with the dark color. You can also see the red colored floor blocks in front of it. That's where the black barrels of water will be. They will also act as heat storage for the large area. Two fans were added above for air circulation. I've also added a propane ceiling heater since these were taken for backup heat when needed.

The Completed Interior

And that's how I spent my summer vacation! Not really. :) It took off and on a couple of years to complete the project, since I work mostly alone. By doing the work myself, and even cutting most of the lumber for the project, I was able to pay as I went. That's the way I like to do things in order to avoid debt.

I certainly appreciate you hanging in there with me to the end. It was actually a great and satisfying project to take on, although sometimes challenging. I would encourage you to build a greenhouse. Maybe not on such a grand scale as this, but to do one for the lifetime benefit it will provide to you and your family's health. You'll know what's actually IN the food you're eating, and you'll be able to have year-round fresh food. Thanks for reading!

]]><![CDATA[My Lumber storage shed]]>Mon, 17 Oct 2022 14:46:35 GMThttp://woodworkinghomestead.com/blog/my-lumber-storage-shed
INTRODUCTION

Providing yourself with a proper environment to store your lumber is an important addition to your building quality wood pieces. It is an effort to build a shed such as this, but it will provide a lifetime of security for your stock. Being able to select that perfect piece of walnut or oak immediately will always be a benefit to your passion for makings things from wood.

Having lived with stacks of lumber cluttering up my yard and garage for years, it was time to build a place to organize and store my accumulation. Having a sawmill as a hobbyist means that you eventually WILL need a place for extra pieces from projects, as well as a place to store unexpected lumber from logs that just seem to show up. Many times, logs will be offered from folks that know or learn of your mill. Many hate to see the logs they believe useful going to waste, and will gladly give them to you. And that means MORE LUMBER!

The first challenge for me (and doesn’t apply to large scale sawmill operators) was to design a structure with easy access. I lift my boards manually since I don't own a fork lift. It's just impractical for me at my home. I looked for lumber storage ideas all over the internet, and saw only a few that resembled the look I wanted. I finally came up with a system which provided strength, and good organization to meet my needs.

I wanted to be able to store lengths up to 16′, since I rarely cut anything over that length on my Norwood Lumbermate 2000. I began by laying out a 16′ wide by 16′-8″ deep design with 2 aisles. Each aisle would have stacks on each side. I’ll show you the finished product first, and then a few pictures showing how I built it. Now that it’s done, its only about one third full, with all of my different wood species and sizes available for immediate retrieval.

My Lumber Storage Shed

The front entrance doors lead to two aisles front to back, with shelves on each side. The shed is 16′ side to side, and 16′-8″ front to back. The glass area in my two flea market doors were perfect for allowing light into the storage areas. Both were found at the local Texas trade days flea market for $20 each. I cut the majority of the lumber for the shed on my sawmill. I ended up purchasing the 1″x4″ material for the shelves and a couple of treated 2"x6"s for the foundation since time was limited for me, and I wanted a consistent finished size of lumber to make the parts fit well.

Lumber Shed Aisle

FOUNDATION

For a small hobbyist/woodworker like myself, this was a perfect size building to house the leftovers. I seem to use much of it at about the same pace that it's refilled. If you'd like to build one, keep reading and I'll give enough detail so you can do it yourself. Feel free to adjust the overall size to fit your situation.

I began by deciding on a location I could easily access with my trailer or vehicle, and not be in the way of anything I might want to do in the future. I needed to be able to back my trailer right up to the doors for easy loading or unloading. I had to take down a few trees there were a little close to the site, and my brother Ronnie showed up to give me a hand:

Cutting a few Trees and Clearing the Site

I leveled the area by using my box blade on my 1943 Ford 9n tractor. That thing is like a mini bulldozer. Henry knew how to build something that would last! The frost line in north Louisiana is only about 4″, so footings around here need to be at least 6″ into undisturbed soil. This was a shed, and so there was no need for me to do any overkill on the footings. I simply dug out nine holes, spaced to accept concrete blocks at the corners and centers.

Next, I measured and placed 18″x18″x4″ thick concrete pads I bought at the lumber yard and leveled them all up to the same top height. That took a little doing, since I still had a site that sloped down from the back about a foot. I suppose that’s good so that it won’t hold water under the shed. Then I placed the 8"x8"x16" concrete blocks on top, and fabricated a termite shield to fit over the top. The galvanized sheet metal has bent sides to prevent termites from building their tunnels up the block sides and into the structure (at least that’s the theory, and so far so good!) Here’s a picture of one of the corners:

Foundation Corner Blocks

Next, I laid a treated 2″x6″ on top of the blocks cut to the exact dimensions. This helped in two ways. First, it of course became the bottom plate for the floor joists to rest upon and secondly, gave the center runs something to rest on while I nailed them all into place. Here’s a picture of the plate simply resting on the leveled blocks. (It was NOT bolted down. I'm not worried since the joists will hold it firmly in place, and the weight of the shed plus the lumber will definitely prevent anything shy of a tornado from moving it!)

2"x6" Treated Base Plate Set On Blocks

I began to place on the 2″x10″ joists at 16″ on center. I doubled the perimeter joists and the center beam. I nailed them together as two large sections and pushed them together at the center beam afterwards and nailed them together. This way I didn't have to use any joist hangers.

Installing the Floor Joists

The Completed Floor Joists

With the double 2″x10″ beam across the center and the double beams around the perimeter, I was able to build the entire joist system using 8′ long material by lapping them. I think I did have a few boards a bit longer for the 16′-8″ lengths, so they must have been at least 8′-4″ long. I nailed them down to the bottom plate everywhere I could. The flat treated base plate resting below on the termite shield and blocks was now stable. It turned out really well!

One thing I need to mention is one of the most important features of the shed. The entire thing, floors, roof, and walls are all surrounded by a layer of 15# roofing felt. This creates a moisture barrier that completely encircles the lumber stacks. That way, I don’t have to worry about the kiln dried lumber re-absorbing humidity from the outside air. The outside temperature doesn’t matter, but the moisture content of the boards does!

The next step was to roll the felt across the joists and apply the 1″ rough sawn stock for the floor. Here’s a picture showing what I mean. (That's my friend Tim giving me a hand). If you look closely, you can see the felt underlayment under the last board that was just installed. I don’t think we even had to staple the felt in place. Oh, and yes, we hand nailed the thing together! My nail gun was on the fritz. What ya gonna do? :)

Installing the 1" Floor Boards Over Felt

The Completed Floor

FRAMING

Framing of the lumber shed was fairly straight forward. I stood up the 2 side walls and rear walls using 8′ long 2″x4″s spaced at 16″ centers. I used a 2″x4″ bottom plate, and a double 2″x4″ top plate. If you’ve done framing before, you know that the upper plates lap at wall intersections. This provides stability in the corners. The front wall with the doors was about 10′ high I believe. The upper sides were filled in with 2″x4″ blocks in line with the studs below. The last wall to stand up was the center one which runs front to back.

One more important point to note is that the side and center wall studs were spaced the same so that the shelf arms would all line up. The spacing of the supports are 32" apart due to the stud 16" spacing ... so every other stud got a shelf. Keep the stud spacing in mind if you decide to build one of these!

I placed a double 2″x12″ beam on top of the side and center walls across the center of the building side to side. This once again allowed me to use shorter boards for the rafters to rest upon and lap at the center. When you work alone, it’s not a lot of fun to lift long boards by yourself. Just a tip. (I’m smiling here.) Here’s a picture showing the beam running side to side sitting on top of the walls. I think it was taken from the right front door looking up. You can also see where the rafters lap on top of it (The beam itself also laps due to 8' long boards):

The Center Upper 2"x12" Beam

Next I installed the rafters running front to back, lapping the shorter boards over the center beam. I must have cut a bunch of 10' long stock for that. I extended them on the front and rear for a 12" overhang. We don't worry about snow load down here, so I used standard 2"x6"s at 24" centers for them. I also hung a couple of rafters out each side 12" for an overhang. They are secured using 2"x4"s notched into a center end rafter, and nailed into one of the inner rafters. Next I installed flat 2"x4"s on top for the metal roofing. I think I spaced them at 24" centers too. You could probably spread those out a bit more.

The last step before roofing would be to fill in the short gable end blocking. I just kept them in line with the stud walls below. Here's the completed framed building:

Completed Framing

I had some help putting on a metal roof. We put on 2″x4″s about every two feet spacing to brace the rafters first, and then applied 15# felt over them before adding the metal roofing. I let the metal overhang about 4″ since we were later to add a 1″x8″ fascia board and a 1″x4″ trim board around the top over the fascia board. This gave a finished metal overhang of about 2″.

Rear View of Framing (Metal has been Applied)

I used 8″ pine beveled lap siding that I made on my bandsaw mill. (I plan on doing a post showing how I cut the lap siding with a piece of scrap wood as a jig!) I first applied felt over the walls, and then nailed on some corner boards and butt the lap siding to them. I added a 1″x4″ trim piece to the top of the siding after we nailed on a 1/2″ x 12″ soffit board (that I also cut on the mill.) Here’s a few pictures I took during the siding installation:

Applying the 8" Lap Siding

The small roof over the doors was a design element that I added for looks as well as functionality, mainly to protect the doors from rain. It turned out kinda cute I thought. It was tricky to build though, and I had a lot of little tacky sketches to go by that I drew out after some powerful head scratching.

The Front Overhang

Maybe this closeup will help you a bit if you decide to go with something like it. It does a fantastic job of protecting the front doors from weather also. You can also see the 1"x8" and 1"x4" trim board fascia above, and the roofing sticking out the top about 2". The last thing to do on the exterior is caulking every joint with an acrylic latex caulk, and then adding a couple of coats of exterior paint. Now it's starting to look like something!

THE INTERIOR 1"x4" STORAGE RACKS

The last thing I did was to install the interior storage rack system. I used 1"x4"s from the lumber yard for all of them. There are five sections front to back. The three rows high are spaced 24", 48" and 72" above the floor. This spacing works well. It's very important to use 2" screws to hold the pieces together ... nails will work loose and cause an eventual failure with the tremendous weights involved.

You can see from the photo above that the center arms are common to both aisles, and the end arms are one sided only. The center arms are 4' long (you'll need 30 pieces) with an angle cut on the ends to prevent knocking yourself out as you move the lumber. Don't ask me how I know this. The sides are 24" long (you'll need 60 pieces) also with the angle on one end.

Bottom support Pieces

I just took the photo above showing the bottom of each rack post. Screw a 15 1/2" long 1"x4" (you'll need 30 pieces) to BOTH sides of the stud bottom with a rack. Next, cut the angled pieces for the center racks that rest over the first piece below. They are 10 1/2" long with a 45 degree cut on each end (You'll need 30 pieces for the center area.) These direct the weight downward evenly as well as support the arms effectively. Next cut the end wall angle pieces 7" long with an angle on one end only (you'll need 60) and install them on the end wall racks. Now install the arms that you've cut: 48" long in the center area and 24" long on the end walls.

Center Area of the racks

Now cut and install the next pieces 17" long (you'll need 60 pieces) on all the racks. Then add the next layer of arms, rinse and repeat until you've done the three rows high. Lastly, nail on a 2"x4" block between all of the arm extensions. It's not necessary to screw these on. I don't think they show on the photos, but just everywhere you see each of the arms sticking out, add a block between the two 1"x4"s. That's all.

Top Of Rack

Last thing, add a small 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" piece on top (you'll need 30) to hold everything in place. This system is great and DOES NOT SAG OVER TIME. Just take your time, look at the pictures, do a bit of measuring to make sure your heights are right, and you'll be good to go. Screwing in all the pieces is tedious and takes some time. Just don't rush it, and you'll have a great storage shed for all your future projects. Thanks for reading!

]]><![CDATA[BUILDING MY SOLAR Powered DRY KILN]]>Thu, 13 Oct 2022 14:25:03 GMThttp://woodworkinghomestead.com/blog/building-my-solar-dry-kiln

INTRODUCTION

Being able to kiln dry your OWN lumber is a major benefit to a woodworker. This is especially true since many custom projects require species not available at box stores. Also, owning a kiln allows the furniture builder to use locally sourced lumber from logs which, many times, are left to rot where they fall. Owning your own kiln is a necessity if you are fortunate enough to own your own sawmill. The potential projects can then become limitless with this powerful combination.

I came across the best Solar Dry Kiln design built by a local former military fellow, a great friend of mine, who was over the computer room in Huntsville, Alabama during the NASA Apollo Space program. His design is hands down more efficient than many other small solar dry kilns you'll see available. It can get as hot as 200 degrees Fahrenheit inside the kiln during the summer months here in the southern United States. The first photo shows the front of the kiln and five large doors. The center three are removable, and the two end doors are hinged. It's 18' long and 5' wide. If you build one, consider the length to accommodate whatever size your mill can handle. Just add (or subtract) the removable center doors as needed.

Solar Dry Kiln

The system is basically a collector panel plenum (the area between the rafters) which heats up with the sun’s rays. The air is circulated through the lumber stacks by a couple of metal blade fans. Additionally, a dehumidifier is added inside to collect the moisture drawn from the wood. There is no other heat source but the sun, and temperatures can reach in excess of 180 degrees Fahrenheit. It can accommodate 16' long lumber easily. I also added a trailer hitch attachment in order to move it, although it's now in its permanent home.

Solar Dry Kiln rear view

A Load Of Walnut Inside the Kiln

In the photo above, you can see the dehumidifier unit on top of the stack, as well as two metal blade fans that blow down from above. The main idea is the sun heats the black corrugated metal sheet that is attached to the bottom of the rafters facing up to the sun. The clear roof panels attached to the top then create a plenum between the rafters (sort of like a tunnel). If you’ve ever grabbed a black handrail that's been exposed to the sun, you know how hot it can get. That’s why the metal is painted black and facing up to the sun. It gets REALLY hot. The upper plastic roof panels on top trap the heat which rises to the mini attic and recirculates down by the fans blowing down. The air flows through the lumber and reenters at the rear of the roof (the lowest roof point.) Take a look at the drawing below:

Here's a video of me describing the kiln from a few years ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTnvkeDsp7c&t=6s

FOUNDATION

I used a wood foundation on blocks. You can do this, or use a reinforced concrete slab. I began by cutting lumber I needed on my Norwood Lumbermate 2000. The stock needs to be air dryed so that it will be stable when applied.

Milled Lumber Used on the Dry Kiln

I had a trailer hitch attachment that came with my mill and an old axle laying around, and decided to use them. I wanted to be able to move the kiln to a different location later. The original hitch simply attaches with a removable pin. (If you build a kiln that remains fixed, it's unnecessary). The custom piece was made to attach the hitch to the kiln. My buddy Wayne welded it together for me. You’ll get the idea of where it goes in a bit:

Custom Trailer Hitch Metal Attachment Piece

Old Trailer Axle

Now time for the fun part. I began by laying out some blocks I had, and did some heavy calculatin'. I wanted the kiln to be 18' long and 5' deep, and so I leveled them up to fit that. Then I placed some of the supporting foundation lumber on them:

It Begins!

You can see the notches where they were laminated (lapped) for strength. The 2 long sides were made of 2 layers of 2"x6" lumber lapped in the middle. The two end and center pieces were 6"x6". I bolted them together at each joint. The blocks used weren't uniform. I just needed something to support the base. Also I happened to catch the corrugated metal I found at the dump (see to the right laying on the ground) that I would later use under the rafters after I'd painted them black. Here’s a little more progress:

More Foundation Beams in Place

Attached Axle

And finally, I had the base beam system completed. I sprayed on some black paint for a little protection. I also bolted on the custom piece the the trailer hitch would sit under. I did a bit of notching to make it and the inserted hitch flush with the top. I bolted it through both beams so the notching didn't weaken them.

The Completed Foundation Base

FRAMING THE SOLAR DRY KILN

Next I added the floor joists. They consisted of 2″x4″s spaced 16″ center to center. Notice in photo below that the added floor joists are set back 1” from the front edge. This allows the front doors to fit. I’ll cover that a bit later on. I added some blocks where any boards were joined together for strength. Then I nailed the completed joists down into the beams all around with 12 penny nails. I HATE 16 pound nails. We used to call those sucs-teens. :)

2"x4" at 16" on center Floor Joists

Next I installed a layer of 15# roofing felt, and added 1" thick floor boards. You can see a small hinged access door over the hitch I made for the hitch pin.

1" Decking (Floor) Boards over 15# Felt

Then I began framing the walls. To first determine the height I needed for the front wall (the back wall is 4' high) I drew a 45 degree angle on the floor and popped a chalk line. This gave me a full sized template I could use (I'm basically drawing the section I showed earlier on the deck full size).

Quick Sketch How To Determine Front Wall Height

The 45 degree angle is simply a good one for my area. It could change further north to adjust for the sun rays. But now you know the height of the front wall. WRITE IT DOWN! You might forget (I do that a LOT nowadays). So then I laid a 2"x4" on the floor drawing and cut a pattern rafter, remembering to have the flat area at the top and bottom to fit the layout. Next, I stood up the rear wall seen below, and next the two end walls the same 4' height. Progress!

Rear Wall in Place

The front beam over the doors was made using an engineered design I found on the internet. The site has since disappeared, but after a number of years, the beam has not sagged. Of course you can buy and engineered beam sized for the length if you'd like. But mine didn't cost me anything except time and nails.

Here’s a couple of pictures of the beam being built. You can build one like it by doing EXACTLY as it's shown in the photos if you used an 18' length. Good luck if you went with a different size. :)

It’s built out of 2″x4″s. The top and bottom are full length boards, and connected with blocks at a SPECIFIC spacing…and like I said, I don’t remember from the original design the exact spacing. (It looks like there is a block in the center to me, and then another spaced between the center block and the ends). I filled it with batt insulation and then applied some leftover 1/2" plywood I had to both sides. The nailing pattern on each side was intense, and REQUIRED so many nails per inch. You can see the large number of nails in the bottom photo.

OK, now pay attention to this. I had forgotten until now how I'd framed the front wall offset. I just went out and took a look, and it occured to me what I'd done. If you'll zoom in on the photo below, you'll notice a 1" short board cut to width that is nailed on the two front ends of the foundation. That is there for the door channel. The front wall studs sit flush over them. Take a good look, and you'll see what I did. Do the same.

After cutting the front corners to the correct height (that was determined by our rafter layout sketch on the floor) I man-handled the now HEAVY beam into place by myself. That was a mistake! Get help to do this! It was a harrowing experience, but I persevered. Here’s a picture of the walls and beam in place:

Completed Walls (Less the Gable ends Added Later)

Now you can see the completed wall framing and the front corner framing. I beefed the corners up that support the roof, since almost all the weight is on them. I added a top plate and 2"x4"s at 16" centers over the beam at this point which isn't shown. Next I plumbed the walls, and braced them. Then I sat a rafter into place. It fit great! I guess the goats liked it too.

The First Rafter In Place

It looks as though I got a bit excited and installed a bit of exterior lap siding on the rear wall. I don't remember why! Anywho, it's necessary to apply a layer of 15# felt to the wall to act as a vapor barrier first, and then add the siding. Continuing on, I added a few more rafters, and then completed them all.

A Few More Rafters in Place

I went ahead and filled in the two gable ends with 2"x4"s in line with the ones below, and then added felt and siding to complete the exterior end walls. I used 1"x4" trim boards on the corners first, and butt the siding to them.

End wall Framing

I added the electrical next. I placed an combination outlet/switch near the bottom for the dehumidifier plug and single switch for the two fans, and also a dual outlet at the top center over the beam for the 2 fans.Then I placed another outlet box below the first one facing out to plug the kiln into an outdoor extension cord. You can see the two boxes on the end and the one on top of the beam in the middle. And here’s a picture of the exterior outlet box I use to hold the plug for the kiln:

End Wall Outlet Box

Next I insulated the walls and began adding the interior 1/2"x8" boards I milled. Be sure to put the insulation kraft paper facing IN on the heated area. Also, note a flat 1"x4" was nailed to the top of the end gable studs to have a nailer for the interior metal ceiling.You can see it sticking out on the far end of the second photo. We call that "dead wood" when we were framing houses.

Insulation is added and Interior Siding

I put felt on the front. I also added a 2"x4" set back 1" from the front onto the bottom of the beam which is shown below. This is the top door channel area:

Felt Applied To Front

Continuing on ... The picture below is from the inside looking up and shows the 2″x4″s in place over the 2″x4″ rafters. You can see the trim board (dead wood) mentioned earlier over the top of the end walls used as a nailer for the interior metal ceiling ends. The clear panels from Home Depot were then screwed onto the top of the 2"x4" runners. Allow about a 3" overhang all around. All the siding should be cut to butt up to the panels for added support to prevent sag and air leakage.

Roof Panels Applied

I then added some blocking for the fans to rest inside. You'll need to make SURE you use fans with metal blades. Plastic blades will melt with the heat. Choose a model that will fit into your space, and block to fit. You also need to make sure you make it removable for future replacement when needed. If fact, it might be a great idea to buy a couple of extra ones and store away for that purpose so they will fit well later too. I've had to replace a couple over the last ten years.

Fans In Place

One day I took a load of trash to the dump. It just happened that a fellow was throwing out some galvanized old metal. It was perfect for me to use on the next step of the build, and so I loaded it up. When I got back home, I laid it out on the ground, and caulked all the holes in it. Then I spray painted it black on one side:

Painting the metal black

This was then screwed onto the bottom of the rafters with the black painted side facing up. THIS NEXT STEP IS IMPORTANT! Leave about a 6″ gap at the top and the bottom. Look back at the section. This allows the air to enter and exit from the plenum that is created inside the rafter cavities. I then added some ceiling boards between the fans and the ends to create a mini attic. This traps air and causes it to collect more heat. Then I added some boards between the fans and to each end to create a mini attic. Next I insulated it with the paper back facing DOWN. It was NOT fun! Here’s a picture showing the added ceiling boards:

Mini Attic Installed

We're almost done!! Thanks for sticking with me, and I sure hope that this means you're thinking of building one. I would encourage you to if you own a mill. It is the most beneficial thing you can do to be a great woodworker.

The next thing I did was build the front doors. The two end doors are hinged, and the 3 center ones are simply lifted and removed. They sit in a channel I made on the bottom and top. It is about 1 1/2″ deep on the top and 1″ on the bottom. This allows me to lift the doors into the upper channel, and let them down into the lower channel. They remain about 1/2″ into the upper channel keeping them in place.

Next I added a long 1" thick board cut 1" less in width than the two short end boards we nailed earlier to the front foundation. It goes the entire length of the front between the two short boards, nailed to the front foundation, and kept flush with the bottom of the two existing end boards. This is the beginning of the lower channel.

Then I added 1"x4" trim boards around the door area. The two end 1"x4"s are flush with the studs. The top 1"x4" is offset down 1 1/2" below the beam to create a 1 1/2" deep channel to hold the doors along the top. (Remember the 2"x4" we nailed onto the bottom of the beam earlier? That's now the back of the top door channel.) The bottom 1"x4" is placed with the top 1" above the long board we just put along the bottom of the front foundation.

I began making the doors by building each of the five frames out of 1″x4″s using biscuits and glue. Make the middle ones all the same size. To determine the height of the middle frames, measure between the channel areas we created earlier along the top and bottom and subtract 5/8". The hinged door frame height is 1" less than the distance between the OUTSIDE upper and lower trim boards just applied. They should clear the trim about 1/2" on the top and bottom when they are put on the hinges. Just make sure when you install them that they are inline with the channel when shut.

Now measure between the two front trim boards all the way across the front. It should be somewhere around 16' or a bit less. Then subtract 2 1/2" from the total length. Then divide by five. That gives you the width of all the frames. The 2 1/2" was subtracted in order for the frames to have a bit of a gap between them to fit in the channels easily. Since the siding will overlap each frame, I didn't worry about air leaks.

Next, I sat them into place using hinges for the ends, and letting the center ones rest in the channel spaced correctly into position. They have about 1/2″ clearance between and fit loosely. I then applied the siding on each door using the method below. I offset the siding, one door to the next to have it overlap onto the next door which helps to hold them in position. Below are a couple of photos to get the idea. I ran a string along the length to keep them straight also:

Front Door Frames Set Into Position

By placing the frames into the channels and THEN adding the siding, you can keep the pieces straight by using the string from end to end on each row. Let me try to explain about the siding length for each door.

The end door pieces are cut 1 1/2" less than the width of the end frames. It is applied flush to the hinge sides, and screwed onto the opposite end allowing 1 1/2" of the frame to be exposed. This is so the next door's siding can sit on top of the end door frames. Is that clear as MUD?? Well, it is totally necessary for the doors to stay in alignment and also seals out air.

OK....listen up. The siding for the two doors next to the two hinged doors is cut the full width of the frame! Apply it 1 1/2" outside the frame in order to lap the hinged doors on the ends. You'll have the same exposed 1 1/2" on the opposite side. Lastly, the center door siding is cut 3" longer than the width of the frame and applied so that you'll have it sticking out 1 1/2" on both sides. When they're all set in place, you should have a nice front siding job. You'll probable figure this out when you do the bottom siding first row. Just take your time and you'll be fine.

I just went and took some pictures of my kiln that may help you a lot. Here ya go:

Front Door Details

My poor kiln has taken a lot of abuse through the years, but still looks pretty good, and still works great! But time to move on. (I'm a bit winded after hustling to take the pictures. remember I'm gettin' up there.) OK ... here we go....

So after the front siding is on the doors, I laid each door on my sawhorses with the siding down and cut some 1" styrofoam to fit:

Installing the Styrofoam into the Doors

Then I applied the same 1/2″x8″ material I used for the inside walls, being careful to make it the correct width for the doors to fit. I guess I don't have a picture of that. Just make sure you cut it to fit to clear all the inside obstacles....floor, etc. Maybe just mark where the siding goes BEFORE you take the doors off with a sharpie. You'll need 1/2" clearance.

The final step was to install a heavy cloth tarp which is used to lay over the lumber stacks when drying. It diverts the air back into the rear upper plenum 6″ area I made earlier when I installed the metal. I attached it (with much effort, it was not fun) along the top at the end of the metal ceiling pieces. Here’s a shot of the tarp I used. Get a heavy duty one and cut it to fit. It drapes over the finished stack maybe a foot or so. This directs the air from the rear of the lumber stack back up to the top rear of the kiln.

Rear Tarp That Drapes over the top of the Lumber

Here's a photo of it installed. I used a 1"x4" to fasten it to the metal and hold it in place. I probably just marked where the board went (4" up from the end of the metal) and secured the tarp to the metal first. Then I put the 1"x4" on top of it to hold it in place. REMEMBER to make sure you are clear of the rear 6" void above.

The tarp in Place

The last few steps are to finish the front corner trim and siding. Remember to butt the top piece up to the panels for additional support. Caulk all the joints around the kiln with acrylic latex caulk, and paint with an exterior paint for protection. Don't put this step off for long since it can harm your siding.

Hey, that's all I got on this project. It was fun going down memory lane with this. If you have a bandsaw mill, let me strongly encourage you to build one. It's not very hard to do, and if you have enough mechanical skills to use a mill, you are definitely handy enough to build one. So get busy, and THANK YOU FOR READING.

]]><![CDATA[My NORWOOD BANDSAW MILL]]>Wed, 12 Oct 2022 13:05:32 GMThttp://woodworkinghomestead.com/blog/my-norwood-bandsaw-mill
INTRODUCTION

If someone is serious about building quality furniture,
it's necessary to have access to a good supply of specialty lumber for projects.
There is no better way to do that than by owning your own bandsaw mill.

OVERVIEW OF THE MILL

Here’s a picture of my Norwood Lumbermate 2000 bandsaw mill:

This is a pile of lumber that became my solar dry kiln:

As I’ve said in other posts, I only became aware of portable bandsaw mills after visiting a friend of mine who owned one after I moved up into the country in north Louisiana. I was intrigued by it, and knew I had to have one in order to make myself an endless supply of lumber for all the projects I’ve always wanted to build. Owning a personal bandsaw, and being able to cut any tree that has been sourced locally opens endless possibilities for the woodworker.

Just be sure to read ALL THE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS that come with your mill. Try to get the original manual from the previous owner if at all possible. I did, and it's been a life saver for me. One of the top things I keep in mind is I never let anyone stand on the front of the mill while I'm pushing from the rear down the track. Anything can fly off and cause an injury. And NEVER allow anyone to be near the sawdust exhaust area. When a blade breaks on my mill, it flies out that thing!

A random walnut cant on the mill. It's the best local wood that I've used for furniture:

By first owning the sawmill, a woodworker can then cut stock to build a dry kiln. I did just that, and the solar dry kiln construction is documented on another post. This is the best combination for a serious furniture maker that I could imagine. It has opened up endless possibilities of using locally sourced logs that might otherwise go to waste. The majority of the logs I’ve used (and it’s into the hundreds that I’ve milled in the last few years) were given to me.

My solar dry kiln with a load of walnut for my brother's new house.
He used it for his cabinets and his stair treads:

Finding a used bandsaw mill is not too difficult. Many folks want to upgrade to sawmills with more bells and whistles, and will gladly part with their old model. As I said, I found the same model my buddy had in the next state, and we went and picked the thing up. I got it for about half of what it was when new. That’s my point. Look around and be patient. You’ll eventually find one you can use.

Cutting some 8" wide beveled lap siding:

THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE BUYING A MILL

One thing about owning a mill though is that folks will get wind of your mill, and want you to saw up logs for them. If you want to do that, knock yourself out. Most sawyers get 50% of the logs, and this might serve you well. But for me, I just use what is given to me. I just don’t really have lots of extra time to saw for others. But on the other hand, I have done it for family (for FREE!!) Isn’t that a requirement somewhere?

My Nephew built a camp house down the road from me. Over a two month period, he and I cut a ton of Southern Yellow Pine for all the framing. Here he is unloading some of it:

And here's the camp being framed:

Many folks think that it is always necessary to buy items that are new. I’ve never been in that group. If I find something that will do the job that I need done, and the thing works, I can usually deal with things that can go wrong or wear out. This enabled me to get going on something while others would be held back bogged down in expenses. I try to pay as I go.

I learned in school NOT to buy tools you don't need. There is always a temptation to buy something on sale that will always sit on the shelf taking up valuable space. Getting started, especially in woodworking, is a field that allows for the purchase of used tools. Most were built heavy duty in the past, and still have a lifetime of use as you come across them.

Here's some eastern red cedar we cut for his front porch columns:

Finding a used bandsaw mill is not too difficult. Many folks want to upgrade to sawmills with more bells and whistles, and will gladly part with their old model. As I said, I found the same model my buddy had in the next state, and we went and picked the thing up. I got it for about half of what it was when new. I've used it for probably fifteen years now. That’s my point. Look around and be patient. You’ll eventually find one you can use.

HAULING LOGS

Sometimes in life, you get get lucky. A fellow will out of the blue offer to bring logs to you. It's rare, but does happen. If they do, at least have a way to pull them off his trailer. I use my old Ford 9n tractor to do that and move logs around my place. You can use a pick-em-up truck with a chain attached to yank them around too. Hey....All you guys with loaders…stop laughing. We all ain’t in the business!

My 1943 Ford 9n tractor. Still works great!

Anyway, having a heavy duty tandom trailer is a wonderful addition for any woodworker. If you already own one, great! Just don’t use a light duty trailer to haul logs. It is dangerous. It will fish-tail and get out of control. I have an old trailer my Daddy had built 45 years ago. I rebuilt the thing by having the frame re-welded where it was needed, and put new floor boards on it. I used pine in the beginning, but within the last year, I replaced it with white oak which should last many years to come.

My Daddy working on his trailer:

Here's a picture after I rebuilt it. (It needs work again....looks rough today, but works great :)

Since the restoration, I’ve had to replace the pine floor boards with white oak. I first used pine in the beginning because that’s all I had. My buddy Wayne saw my beat up trailer boards, and actually set aside some white oak for me to use for the replacement. He felt sorry for me! It’s nice to have good friends.

Anyway, I’ve hauled hundreds of logs with the trailer, which was originally made with side guards about 6′ high to haul cattle. I’ve just used it as you see it in the photo though. It’s taken a beating from loaders dropping logs onto it. I have a good memory of around thirty years ago when I helped my Daddy par-buckle logs onto the trailer. Par-buckling logs is when a couple of heavy timbers or lumber are leaned onto one side of the trailer. The log is placed alongside the trailer parallel to the lean to boards. I did a really bad pencil sketch which shows the process:

Par-Buckling a Log

I know it’s tough to see, but the top shows Chain #1 hooked to the sides of the trailer and looped under the log. Chain #2 is then hooked to the vehicle and run over the trailer and hooked to chain #1 in the center. The purpose for two chains is to roll the log straight onto the trailer. Go slowly pulling the log up as you get the hang of it, and KEEP ANY HELPERS OUT OF THE WAY. It can get off center and do strange things to hurt someone too close. But it worked for us.

Another way to haul logs on a small scale is with a "log arch." Do a google search, and you’ll come up with many designs. They can be pulled with something as light as a 4 wheeler. They are great for going to remote locations and hauling logs to your mill or trailer. You can pull them with anything that has enough power.

Of course the easiest way to move logs on site is with a tractor with a front loader. Logs that are not too heavy can be lifted onto a trailer or off loaded. They can also place the log on the bandsaw bed requiring no touching of the log at all.

One other thing to note is that some mills, such as the one I have, have a winch mounted on the side opposite where the logs are loaded. I use it to pull the logs onto the mill after I cant hook them into position on the ground. I just don’t need to spend $20,000.00 for a front loader tractor to use every now and then, and my system works great for a one man show. Also, I use the winch to turn large diameter logs that I cannot turn manually with the cant hook.

SAWING TIPS

This is a topic that is HUGE. There are a number of ways to make cuts to achieve different lumber sizes. If you are into woodworking at all, become a member of a forum. I’ve been a member of forestryforum.com for years. It is the best one out there for folks interested in getting the most from their mill. There is a General Woodworking section where members show projects, and many describe the building process as I’ll do here in detail. You should check it out. You’ll learn a lot reading the posts.

The neatest thing about having your own sawmill is the ability to saw exactly the board you need from any part of the log. You can do quarter sawing, which reveals rays reflecting through the wood for amazing grain patterns. You can even saw cookies, a term used to describe a cut completely through the log in a vertically supported position. These are usually a couple of inches thick. They are popular right now for wedding decorations. There are innumerable possibilities for them. You get the idea.

Now, let me briefly describe how I go about sawing on my mill. After securing the log to the bed, I’ll usually take a cut off the top, exposing roughly 4-6″ of wood. I’ll then continue slabbing off a few more at 1″ or 2″ intervals. The slabs are then thrown off the side to be trimmed later. Then I’ll flip the log 90 degrees, and do the same thing. After a few cuts, I’ll flip it one more time 90 degrees and take a few cuts. The center cant has now taken shape, and by flipping the thing once more 90 degrees, I can begin to cut the cant to whatever thicknesses and widths that I want. After that process is over, I grab the slabs laying beside the mill that are useful and stand them on the mill on edge vertically and saw one side to remove the bark and achieve a straight side. (I could leave the edges as they are if I plan on having a piece with a “live edge.” A live edge is used to describe a full width of the tree board which retains the bark and all.) Sometimes I edge only one side, which gives me a straight reference line when sawing to width later on the table saw. But most of the time, I edge both sides to the width boards that I need.

Note the attached winch on the right center of the mill bed. It swivels around over the bed when in use.

After, the log is completely sawn, the boards are then stacked to air dry using a stable base to elevate them off the ground, Add 1″x1″ “stickers” between each of the boards every 3 feet or so when stacking. This stacking allows air to get to all surfaces of each board in the pile. Of course, if you have a dry kiln, you could put them directly into that. Or you could air dry them first to remove the majority of the moisture they contain while green.

You now have some good lumber that you’ve made yourself. The biggest advantage here is that you can have any width, any species, and any thickness board you need to build almost anything. Happy sawing!

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