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duster
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# Posted: 8 Oct 2013 05:51pm
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Two weeks ago, I bought about 5 acres on the Mattawa River near the Quebec border and I'm planning a log cabin using the trees from the land.
I have in mind a squared-log cabin, notched at the corners, about 15 x 30, not winterized, and off-grid.
As someone who's never done any serious building before, I have TONS of questions. Here are a couple:
* I'll be using mostly pine. How long after I've cut the trees can I mill them? A year? Two?
* Has anyone used one of those kits that converts your chainsaw into a sawmill? How well do they work?
* Anyone have even a rough idea of what I'd have to pay to have a well drilled? They'd be drilling through Canadian Shield, but on teh up side, the lot's right next to a lake.
This site is full of great info, congrats to everyone who's built their cabin. It's an inspiration.
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bc thunder
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# Posted: 8 Oct 2013 08:24pm
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I too am interested. I ordered a beam machine to start with, but am planning to buy the Alaskan saw mill this winter. If your on solid rock it might not work for you, but someone posted here last week on a sand point well. That's what I'm going to try.
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davey25
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# Posted: 8 Oct 2013 09:11pm
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I would invest in a sawmill..buy one used then sell it later..too much milling for a saw..and for the well..I'd say up to 5000 no problem
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leonk
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# Posted: 8 Oct 2013 09:49pm - Edited by: leonk
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Congrats and good luck building.
I suppose you mean 'squared' logs? Did you choose a notch?
Those are really popular in Scandinavia.
There are different schools of thought on drying and shrinkage.
It's quite popular today to build with 'green' logs. In the old days, drying logs before construction begun and letting it settle before finishing was given more importance. I am 'armchair' log builder, there are couple sites on the net where people with experience hang out.
I heard 3 years is good. The log need to be peeled and properly stored.
I'd consider getting water from the lake, if you're not winterizing.
I'd second the sawmill advice and handling 30' logs would required some equipment.
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 8 Oct 2013 09:50pm
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Well drilling is about $45 a foot around here. I figure $5000 per 100 feet depth. How deep you need to go is anyone's guess.
Get Robert Chambers book 'Log Construction Manual' for excellent info on building log.
Good luck.
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Just
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# Posted: 8 Oct 2013 10:27pm
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make a materials list first , Then ask a custom band saw operator to come to your lot and mark the trees you will need ,He will tell you how to dry them and store them till you are ready to build .
It's just a gess but I would think you could get a pro to cut it all for 1500$
I know the area any were near Burritt's Creek there are lots of spring wells in that area could be one on your land ,should have a look .
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duster
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# Posted: 15 Oct 2013 05:18pm
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Thanks everyone, fro your input. (And I ordered the book - it should be here this week).
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duster
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# Posted: 4 Apr 2014 05:53pm
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I'm heading back up next month to start picking trees, and a final building site for themain cabin.
I hope to have a much smaller, saddle-notch log cabin finished by the end of the summer.
I'll add some pics of my land next week.
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old old buddy
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# Posted: 6 Apr 2014 07:33am
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duster
Thank God for initiative! I'm getting tired just reading about it
You can get all the info you need on here-for sure. I was glad to read you're planning on building a smaller cabin NOW rather than having to wait years for the logs to be ready for your big cabin build.
Keep us updated with lots of photos!
Old Old Buddy
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 6 Apr 2014 09:06am
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Mattawa is a beautiful area. Camped there last summer.
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hattie
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# Posted: 6 Apr 2014 12:06pm
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Mattawa was my favourite place to go as a child!!! It is SO beautiful there. I can't wait to see pictures.
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duster
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# Posted: 8 Apr 2014 02:13pm
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These are some pics from last summer, before I bought the place
Building site
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My waterfront
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Looking south, toward my lot line
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duster
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# Posted: 8 Apr 2014 02:18pm
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Correction: The pic on the far right is looking north up my road, to the slope that runs down to the water. You can just make out the north shore of the lake through the trees.
Although technically it's the Mattawa River, it's wide enough at this point that it's considered a lake (Chant Plein Lake)
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hattie
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# Posted: 8 Apr 2014 08:40pm
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BEAUTIFUL!!!!
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leonk
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2014 06:58pm - Edited by: leonk
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nice! you know they say winter cut trees are better 
Good luck and be safe, logs are heavy
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w8n4rut
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2014 09:09pm - Edited by: w8n4rut
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I live on 5 acres with a lot of mature red pines. When one dies I cut it down and mill it with my Alaskan mini-mill. It is work but I can clean up a tree in 4-5 hours. The pic is a tree I did last Saturday....it still amazes me how much wood you can get out of a tree! I have time so the mini-mill works good for me...plug along stacking up logs as time goes by. When I do get my "cabin land" I will have my cabin stickered and stacked ready to go
When I built my house 5 years ago I took out about 15-20 red pines where the house went. I was on a time schedule! I called in a guy down the road with a Wood Mizer and he milled everything in two days. I had everything cut, kiln dried and milled for about $2500. I put it all inside the house and did the outside in "low maintenance".
I will second Robert Chambers book. If you are wanting to do a handscribed log cabin he is a wealth of knowledge. You will need some big equipment to move logs if you go that route.
Good luck- Beautiful land
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duster
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# Posted: 10 Apr 2014 01:05pm
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Thanks hattie and leonk. Looking forward to getting back up north next month.
W8n4rut: I'd love to get a portable sawmill, but they're expensive. Thinking about the Woodland Mills 126, but only cuz it's so cheap (about 3K). Otherwise the mill at the end of my road is going to be getting a lot of my business.
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old243
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# Posted: 10 Apr 2014 05:08pm
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If you can get someone local to do your milling , if a mill purchase doesn't fit in your budget. Might be the way to go. I have my own bandmill. If you are going to use pine or spruce , make sure you mill them in the winter , or early spring. There is a bug that gets in them if the bark is left on. If you leave them lay over the summer you will end up with a pile of bug damage. I have had some success, spraying the logs with diesel fuel. I try to have all my pine cut in the winter or early spring. I also have a small kiln so like to get it done before the heat hits it. You can get blue or brown stain in pine lumber, it is a fungus that forms in damp wood. Male sure lumber is stickered properly , immediately after sawing. A good computer site is the WOODWEB go to the sawing and drying forum, ask any question, they will help you out. Also look in their archives. Have fun with your project old 243
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duster
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2014 03:00pm - Edited by: duster
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I'm finally under way. A buddy and his son came up north with me and we managed to put up a shed - which is a huge first step, since lugging all the tools and equipment was difficult and time-consuming.
No blackflies - but lots of other flying critters (the horseflies up there are the size of sparrows. One other surprise. When I was u pin May I expected I'd have to clear away a lot of overgrowth but it was pretty much clear. Not last weekend. Here's the difference between my property in May and my property 5 weeks later:
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duster
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2014 03:05pm
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It's about a four hour drive from where I live (Toronto) to the land, so I go up on Saturday morning and take the Monday off work. The first stop was picking up the lumber for the shed at the lumber yard in Mattawa, which I ordered on Thursday. My buddy Chris has a pick-up which was essential - I never could have gotten all that lumber in my Escape.
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duster
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2014 03:07pm
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By the end of Saturday (about four hours work at the site) this is where we stood. We cooked steaks and baked potatoes on the campfire (along with a beer or two) then headed back to the motel.
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duster
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2014 03:15pm - Edited by: duster
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At first I figured that, in a pinch, I could sleep in the shed if need be, before the next stage of the development happens - a small log cabin where the road ends and the building lot begins. But I discovered it's way too hot in the shed. (I also discovered that a bear wintered on or very near to my place. So I want to get Stage 2 built asap - a small, very rough log cabin - probably 12 x 9. I'm not going to bother drying the logs or even de-barking them - just something I canuse for a year or two, while I work on the next steps toward the final cabin.
Here are some of the trees I'll be taking down - nice and tall and straight.
They're right on the edge of the building lot where the slope down to the water begins. You can just make out the lake through the trees. The view will be better once I take down the big pines.
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duster
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2014 03:17pm
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By the end of Sunday, it was more or less finished. (Those gaps you see had been covered with OSB) and the roof was shingled except for the last row and a half.
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duster
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2014 03:25pm
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We had to rush back to the site Monday morning because it really looked like it was going to rain and we needed to finish the shingling, which only took about 10 minutes, tops. Chris trimmed the shingles where they hung over th side, while his son and I finished off that last row. So I'm good to go.
I'm scheduled to be off from late July to mid-August and I plan on heading up there to A) Clear all that vegetation and B) start a rough/simple foundation for the log 12x9.
Anyone have any suggestions for clearing brush that thick? I may have to rent a brush hog, but I'm not sure how I'd get it down the access road (no trailer). I'm leaning toward some sort of chemical solution. Chris suggested lye.
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PatrickH
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2014 05:29pm
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I use one of these URL with a brushcutter blade very versitile and cuts 1"+ trees no problem you dont want to acres with it but you could.I have cleared some thick stuff with mine.
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duster
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2014 07:48pm
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Thanks Patrick. I actually went to buy one of those a couple months ago but it was a bit too pricey. I opted for a slightly less expensive one, which cannot handle the brush-cutter blade (I don't believe) . It is proving to be pretty useless against this vegetation.
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bc thunder
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# Posted: 14 Aug 2014 07:22pm
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how'd that cabin turn out???
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duster
Member
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# Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:26pm
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On my first day of holidays this summer, my transmission blew, so I won't be doing any work on it this summer. I'm going up to the site early next month to do some minor prep work + kill some tall pine trees, which I plan to cut down and peel in the spring - probably March if I can get into the site.
I'll start building the small log cabin in May. But the main cabin, a post and beam basically, won't be started for a couple of years yet. Everything (including transmissions) is way more expensive than I anticipated...
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:56pm
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Sorry about your luck duster. What I have learned from my setbacks is it gives me more time to think about what I'm going to do and make changes for the better. I tend to rush into things and later regret not giving it more thought.
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FishHog
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# Posted: 20 Aug 2014 02:06pm
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Nice country around Mattawa, looked at a few properties in that area.
I just bought a couple acres near Sudbury, but was told that I cannot cut down pines as they are owned by the crown.
I was trying to find info on this to see if I can clear a bit of land or even cut down some dead ones.
So, is this true, or is it acceptable to cut pine trees down on land you own?
thanks,
FishHog
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