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navydave
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# Posted: 23 Sep 2021 08:16am - Edited by: navydave
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Hey all. New member here. Just bought 7 acres of raw land in Maine and plan to make an affordable year round cabin as my permanent residence. I was thinking a 20x26 cabin on the plot I picked out. Was also thinking of using rough cut lumber as much as possible. Any tips, tricks, thoughts, plans, websites, info, etc, would be much obliged. Shoot em my way. Thanks in advance.
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Steve_S
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# Posted: 23 Sep 2021 10:16am
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Check with local building dept to see IF they accept rough cut lumber. Some are "miserable" and only accepted milled commercial graded lumber.
Do you have Experience building with Rough Cut or Greenwood ? It IS different and comes with challenges. Greenwood also has several quirks which you have to be aware of prior to using it for structures. And if you are using mixed wood things can get quite tricky as it starts to dry & set.
Do you have a setup to re-cut lumber for dimensional consistency ? AND are you ready to re-cut everything for it ?
BE ADVISED, that metal brackets etc such as Simpson StrongTies are designed for dimensional lumber. They do produce "some" brackets etc for nominal sizes, as do some other companies BUT it's not teh easiest to find due to a lack of popularity.
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navydave
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# Posted: 23 Sep 2021 11:04am
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Will do. I have no experience with rough cut. A friend of mine that has carpentry skills and has built a couple of homes is helping me. I assume he knows this, but will double check these things out. As far as I know it is allowed in Maine. But will confirm with the town I'm building in. He did mention about using rough cut/greenwood right away and to not let it set too long. Also, at the moment, I do not have access to re-cut lumber. With the exception of skill saws and chainsaws. Thanks for the tips.
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BRADISH
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# Posted: 23 Sep 2021 11:37am
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Curious what the logic is behind a 20x26 building? I understand you're looking at roughcut lumber, but should you use any sheet goods in the process a multiple of 4' lends itself to less waste, etc.
I ended up going 20x28 for this reason.
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navydave
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# Posted: 23 Sep 2021 12:14pm
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It's all just a rough guess at this point. We were at the land, sizing up the location where the cabin would go. At first the thought was to go, 20x24, and then I said, we'll 2 more feet would be nice. Thats where the 26ft came from. So 28 ft would be a good option also. I'm a newbie so it's all learning/new for me. I have some experience as a carpenter's helper, but nothing to do with planning. A friend of mine that is helping, has more carpentry skills. So all tips and suggestions are welcome. Thanks for the suggestion.
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BRADISH
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# Posted: 23 Sep 2021 12:18pm
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Ahh I see. And yes, "2 more feet" is always a dangerously nice option 
I am basically in the same boat. I have experience building a few sheds, and industry work as a welder's helper, laborer, etc, but nothing to the scale of my current build. This forum and leaning on the skill and advice of folks at work and those who have cabins around mine have been invaluable in the process!
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 23 Sep 2021 12:58pm - Edited by: gcrank1
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Using the standardized lumber sizes, even if sawmill/roughcut that you have to re-cut to use, will ensure that what you are doing isnt so 'odd' that it makes EveryThing non-std/more difficult.
A radial arm saw can be your friend, and since they have dropped off in popularity, can be found fairly reasonable used. It can crosscut And rip. Ripping will very important in a rough build.
My 'cred':
Cabin I, self designed/hand built '83-'84 was mostly with recycled traditional post & beam barn lumber and dimensional lumber I had to find/buy.
Cabin II, my current, was prev owner built in 2012? with local sawmill/roughcut. He had a rad. arm saw (left outside, turned to junk). I am, and likely always will be, re-working his hack job and Every Thing has to be custom cut/done.
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navydave
Member
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# Posted: 23 Sep 2021 03:00pm
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Thanks. We plan on using rough cut hemlock. If that makes any difference.
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Steve_S
Member
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# Posted: 23 Sep 2021 05:00pm
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The main issue with Rough Cut which I use regularly, is that say you want a 2x6, with retail lumber that's 1-1/2"x5-1/2" but with rough it can be anything from that to say 2-1/2x6-1/4 or more... Generally it's not too radical BUT that really depends on the mill and how well it's setup...
When I talk about recutting, that means a Table Saw setup to handle the long lumber, circular saw etc. I used a Genset to run the table saw & charge the DeWalt batteries (90% of my powertool use to build home and more was 20V DeWalt Tools) *Lesson Learned a tad late into it, I realized a small BandSaw would have saved a LOT of angst which I ended up getting at a marvy yard sale...
I have to say that you will need patience, calmness and a crap load of time when building with rough, especially if it's a residential use... a Wood Shed in the backyard is another matter as you don't have to worry about being perfectly square & flush everywhere.
Fortunately I am surrounded by various mills, all using different kinds of saws because of the variety here... from hardwoods Maple & Oak to softwoods Pines & Cedars, we've got it all. Many of the smaller operations are actually really good because they can dial-in pretty tight and do limited runs keeping to tight specs. The bigger mills tend to do their rough to a basic spec because it then gets sent on for dressing & kiln drying, but the smaller mills can do better.
Companies like Jamaica Cottage Shop use Hemlock for their buildings which as I understand it they mill themselves. Hemlock is a pretty stable wood that dries & sets well, so I don' think you should have too many issues...
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navydave
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# Posted: 23 Sep 2021 05:13pm
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Well I checked with the town of Woodstock Maine and the lady at the town office said there are no restrictions on using rough cut lumber. Said that I just need the septic design in place before I build. Said that the building inspector comes by when you are all done. Its a pretty small town and low population, so they dont seem to be too strict. My friend said he had a miter saw so that should come in handy. Gonna use a local yard for the Maine Hemlock. Said they didnt have any this year due to prices or something like that. Hopefully wont be an issue procuring some for next spring.
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Nobadays
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# Posted: 23 Sep 2021 07:55pm
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In my first log home we used rough cut for all the partitions/rooms/ joist/gable ends, BUT... we milled it ourselves using a friend's VW powered sawmill, all long dead Ponderosa pine.... and we milled to standard dimensional lumber specs. Worked out well as when we needed to use c store bought lumber it was all the same size.
If you are milling yourself you have that option, or possibly a small mill would do that for you. A good sawyer can keep it within specs.
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Brettny
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# Posted: 23 Sep 2021 09:19pm
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A miter saw for framing? Usualy a carpenter would just use a circular saw. Are you sure your friend is the carpenter he says he is?
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navydave
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# Posted: 23 Sep 2021 09:28pm
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My Dad has one of those. Also a table saw. I may have misquoted the use. Lol. I'm not a carpenter. I can just bang a nail and cut some lines on wood. 😜
Well he built his own house back in the 80s and its still standing, so he must know something I suppose lol. Dad's getting up there in age, but he'll be around also for 2nd opinions. He's been a carpenter since the 70s, but retired now.
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Aklogcabin
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# Posted: 24 Sep 2021 09:41am
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When I buy rough cut lumber they saw it whatever dimension I want. 1-1/2"or 2" cut exactly what I want. And it is accurate 1-1/2" is 1-1/2". As far as width n thickness goes. Length is left longer for me to cut . With my miter saw.
I use a miter saw to frame with and radial arm saws are really nice to have on site, especially if you want square ended cuts. I don't know why someone would recommend not using one.
Lots of folks will build a bench that the saw sits into for holding the long lengths. And it is usually one of the first things unloaded to cut the framing lumber and is there until the trim is done.
On the insulation I would recommend insulation across the ties leaving more areas for vapor to move out. Leaving your insulation next to the heated area.
Good luck n have fun
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navydave
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# Posted: 24 Sep 2021 10:02am
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Thanks for all the tips. Will definately be an adventure 
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