J & J Log Home

 We finished getting all the 4x10's up on the girders, leveled, and secured. Also installed another 3 windows, the two fixed pane in the living room are in, and the slider in the kitchen as well. The next ones and the patio door I'll need Jessica's help with, too heavy to do alone. Cleaned up a little as it was getting messy .  Not too far from starting interior wall framing!!

 I've been getting 1 beam up after work each day this week, down to 3 left.

 Have 6 of the beams up on the log girders. Just 8 more to go and it's done, then ready to frame stairs.   The last picture shows how much sawdust comes off one rough cut beam after planing and sanding.

 We finished cutting the last door, so we are ready for second floor 4x10x16' beams. Well over 200 lbs each I think. Jessica and I carried 6 inside, and started planing and sanding. Used a chain hoist to get them up on the girder logs (1 person job if you're careful). First two are up and so far everything is level.

 Second living room window also cut in the other day. The patio door was the largest hole we had to cut in the wall. Luckily it missed rebar on both sides, and the height fell in between a course of logs. So it went relatively quick . Lots of firewood! I saved the 6' long lower 4 logs because they were pretty big, maybe make a good fire pit bench some day . Today I finished the kitchen window  This one was a pain in the ass. It fell 1/2 way into one of the largest logs in the house, and the top had to be cut in a couple inches too. Because of the height of the kitchen countertops.... But it turned out well after a lot of chiseling and chain sawing.

 Bedroom, mud/laundry, and two living room window bucks are installed. Next up will be the big patio door. Lots of firewood!   Will leave them with plastic on for a month or so to let them dry a bit before installing the windows.

 Mom and Dad were here for a new years visit. We just had our 3x12 window bucks and 4x10 second floor beams cut and delivered. Dad and I planed them and sanded them. We also installed one of the girder brackets with three 1" diameter lag bolts! Today Jessica and I cut the bedroom window and started on the first window buck.