With the kid's basketball season over and the plans modified to take full advantage of the selected building site it was time to get back to the timbers.
Google SketchUp was useful to visualize the new layout and help to plan the new timbers and required joints. After a few mortise modifications all of the previously finished posts were salvageable. In addition only small changes were required to the long sill's to accommodate the changes.
Thank God for the use of my parent's barn. It has been so nice to be able to dry fit the timbers while working inside. The barn was cold on some mornings and dark with just my headlamps towards evenings but it has become a welcome refuge for me during the project. Throughout the colder months visitors were few. My Dad, Nellie, and my bat friends (overhead in the barn rafters) were among the hardy few. With the weather warming now though I appreciate the more frequent visitations. It is always nice to have visitors (even better are those willing to help).
With the family helping we assembled the completed sills and posts to give the first impression of the size of the cabin.
Over the Winter I also dragged some oak logs up from the woods. Unfortunately there are too many older oaks dieing so I had picked (7) trees with relatively straight sections and hauled them to the old cow yard behind the barn to await Spring's arrival.
A neighbor with his WoodMizer came over a few weekends ago and we did quick work of the oak logs hauled out during the Winter. With the help of my Dad, the Oliver 550, plus Sherry and the kids we got (2) stacks of slab siding (some boards over 20" wide), a larger than expected pile of dimensional 1x8 boards, and (2) very heavy but nice 3" slabs for counter tops.
The oak was stored yet in another of my Dad's barns (the old horse barn) since it is more open for quicker drying than the main barn and much closer to carry the 3" thick counter top slabs. The horse barn was the original building built on the farm with beautiful hand hewn timbers.
All in all I thought it was not too bad for the price of (4) sore backs and $138.
Progress to mention on the logistics side - I booked a trucker. A gentleman from Montana has been hired to haul the load West. He is experienced with the area and has hauled logs for log homes in the past. The loading date for the Wisconsin to Montana trip has been set for June 25th. This more than anything has lit a fire under my @%#. So many joints to make with so few weekends left.
Speaking of time; floor joists with their dovetail mortises, tenons, and adzed tapers to reduce stresses can be VERY time consuming. So much time and effort that will be so quickly covered come raising day with plywood subflooring. I kept reminding myself that Simpson joist hangers were invented for a reason. After too many weekends spent on the base of the cabin. The finshed product was a joy to look at and to have in my past.
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Off to the long 6x6 plates, bird's-mount shoulders, and 4x6 rafters.
Anyone interested in helping please apply by posting a comment directly on the blog. 
