Almost ready!

I finally finished all of the timber work! I had left the rafters until the end since they were not needed to complete the bulk of the frame. When I finally got back to cutting them,  it took longer than expected because I had designed some complicated joinery to cut. It looked great on paper (and looks good finished also) but didn't really make sense to for production. In any case, they are finally finished and oiled and the house is ready to go! Over the next few days I will be working on preparing the trailer for the move. Right now, I am planning on moving the house on Tuesday! Hopefully we don't get a big snow storm first.

This is just a quick update, but I am happy to say that I finally have a plan to load the house on the trailer and move it! I picked up about 300 pounds of square steel tube and C-channel from the steel yard today to start preparing the trailer. I am going to bolt the tube along the bottom of the frame of the house to act as skids. The C-channel will be welded across the trailer to bring the width out to 8 feet. Each cross beam will have another piece of the C-channel welded on top to act as a guide. When the time comes to do the move, I will line the trailer up with the house, hook up a winch and pull it up steel ramps, into the guides and onto the trailer. Picture one of those trucks that pick up dumpsters: it is a very similar design.

My goal is to prepare the trailer and move the house by the end of next week. I will put out a call for help when I know what day I am moving. Wish me luck!

Work and other distractions have kept me from my house for a little while, but I am finally back on track. A few days ago I finally finished all of the siding that I can do until the rafters and gable panels are in place. One more item to cross off the list!

It took another afternoon to clean up, move piles of wood out of the way and wrap my head around the plans for my rafters again. When I cut the rest of the timbers for the house, I had skipped the rafters since I couldn't assemble them in the Firehouse. Once again, I should have finished them when I was doing the rest of the timbers. It took a while to sort through my piles of drawings to find the relevant cut numbers. Once back in the mode, it didn't take too long to remember how to do the layout and cutting though. Stephanie came over to help me start cutting the rafters.

Stephanie giving me a few pointers

start with the power saw

finish with a hand saw

The first two rafters oiled and ready to go

This morning I started clearing brush and saplings out of the old path down which I will tow my house into the woods. The location is looking good! I think that once I am finished with the rafters, I will figure out how to get the house onto the trailer and tow it over! This is the last big hurdle and once it is out there I will finish up the roof and all of the other details.