Notes Video 3/3 - Cabin siting

Muttering about where the cabin should face. Never quite sure, but decided that we need to see the dock from the porch above all other factors.

Sept 09 Notes 2/3 - Driveway and Parking areas

Notes on the driveway areas mostly

Notes Video - 1/3 Pump, Road, Property lines

Ok, so now I know 10 minutes max for youtube... split up notes into 3 parts. These are probably dull unless you really need to know this stuff. Site documentation using my flipvideo camera as a tape recorder basically.

Movie - People on site

Thanks to all who helped me up at the Rock last weekend - Gerry - who dropped two 75 foot pines, the Murnanes - doubley so to Dan who stayed on a few days, Tim Buckingham who pulled a few dozen stumps with a skid steer and made the parking area, Janet who zoomed in with food and energy mid-week, and John D3 - the 66 yo wonder boy woodsman, - and Paula, Cory and Rach who put up with my absence.

Photos from Sept Clearing work

Or if slideshows drive you nuts, click here:

PFD-Sept09-Clearing

Tim Buckingham

Called a cousin-in-law, Tim Buckingham, who will come out with his skid steer starting on Saturday and clear the site and driveway for us. Decided that made more sense than me doing it with a rented one. I do like lower center of gravity, track type skid steers though, so if someone had offered me a Bobcat T-300 (which I have used) instead of a John Deere wheeled model 250, I would have been happy as a pig in Virginia clay. However, it will be awfully nice to have someone skilled to do this part instead of me. No shortage of work here... money yes, work no.

It begins on Saturday

Well, either that or it begins again. Always reminds me of Chaim Potok's first line: "All beginnings are hard."

I sent a deposit to LokNLogs, and the Rockdale mirror +2 ft is "on the boards." Getting a permit next week (I hope) and drilling some rock. And holding my breath.

Generators

Keep wishing I had my own, so checked amp draws for some tools. Specifically checked rotary hammer, circular saw and compressor (oh DRAT, forgot to check chop saw). Max was circular saw at about 750 watts running and if it binds, maybe 1500 watts or so. Rotary hammer thru granite does not stick, and my portable Dewalt 2 tank compressor is similar but less than circular saw.

To Do

Planning for 19th-24th

Before arrival

1. Get building permit if possible from Paul Gyore (sealed roof plan needed now, or later?)
2. Discuss concrete pour with supplier – hose reach ok? Driveway? Wed ok?
3. Get 24” long #4 rebars – 30 or so.
4. Get 16(?) 48” sonotubes (or 8 at 8’ or whatever HD has) in 12” round.
5. Make 16(?) brace boxes for the sonotubes out of 2x4 (12x12 inside clear box, and a couple of legs that can be pinned to ground (rock?)
6. Tools and materials - load up minivan. Add storage to rear and roof as needed.

On site

1. Cut trees that need to come down in future and might be somewhere near the camp.
2. Cut trees in future septic location, as we don’t want to cut a tree AFTER the camp is up if we can help it.
3. Mark north property line setback (12’6”?)
4. Layout camp footprint in soil approximately to match latest site plan
5. Remove stumps in camp footprint area using skid steer – remove soil there?
6. Scrape driveway with skid steer - add gravel or concrete to holes? IF SO, NEED GRAVEL DELIVERY AND PLACE TO PUT GRAVEL NEAR ROAD – CLEAR OUT DELIVERY ZONE WITH SKID STEER
7. Set up batter boards (may need to anchor to rock?) and using builder’s level, set mason string to height of sonotubes
8. Mark pier locations – dig out dirt there and cut sonotube height to fit.
9. Drill rebar hole, epoxy rebar in place (1 per sonotube, except if slope spot – then a couple).
10. Set sonotubes in place, and anchor wooden braces for each tube so they don’t move around.
11. Snap chalk lines to show center points for each tube.
12. At end of pour for each tube, bury a 6” SS ¼”x20 bolt upright with 3” showing to anchor sill plate.

Skid steer

Reserved a John Deere 250 skid steer ($192/day, $770/wk plus $60 delivery) and a generator ($48/day or $193/wk) from Ace Hardware in Lowville (315-376-6022, open 7A-7P). Closing in on real work, so I better call Paul Gyore.

Piers

Met with a structural engineer who gave me some off the meter advice. He said #4 rebar is fine, and 12” deep is a good idea in case any of the rock is fractured. He said if granite, then probably not fractured. He said one rebar is fine, but do two if I want to do two. Fussing to myself more and more the closer I get to starting the construction.