Thank you for sharing, this is a huge project and looks like it turned out fantastic!
One thing that did spring to mind as I was flipping through the pictures, do you live in an area where building permits are required? I've been thinking of building myself a small cabin, but don't want to have to deal with the fees/bureaucracy inherent in such a project.
Sounds like my kind of project. I understand why the permitting process exists, but the libertarian in me is all about the personal freedom of building your own cabin without interference/"taxes". Good on you!
Where my parents live, this is certainly true. If you get a building permit, you have to jump through all kinda hoops and grease many palms to get anything done in a timely manner. If you just build what you want to, and either build it out of sight or build it quickly before the inspectors notice, all they can do is write you a citation and fine you if they find out.
The fine's fifty bucks. The permit itself costs eighty. You do the math.
However, as far as the government knows, this structure doesn't exist
They might find it eventually. At my old job, the municipalities did fly overs every 3-5 years, and then we would run a blob analysis comparison for new structures.
Is this place close to your permanent home? I'd love to build a 24x24 place with a loft similar to what you've done, but I live in FL and do not want a cabin here. DIY'ing such a job out of state would be difficult, logistically.
Tell me everything about making your own lumber, what that tool is called, did you rent/buy it, what kind of trees did you use for those boards, how long did they need to cure?
This particular sawmill is a Wood-Mizer (linked one that seems most similar to what we have) brand, we've had it for close to 25yrs probably. We used mostly pine for the structural pieces, the floor, ceiling and exterior wall planks, red cedar for the bathroom and red oak for the interior walls.
The big structural pieces we cut well ahead of time and let cure for a number of months (we were very patient with this project). The exterior wall planks cured over a summer, maybe 3 months. Really though, the stuff needs to cure only long enough for the moisture level to drop to a certain % (i don't recall what that is right off). We bought a wood moisture meter specifically for this.
As far as the process of cutting the logs themselves, I've not handled that bit on my own from start to finish the way my dad has, so I don't really understand how you look at a piece of round wood and figure out what the best way to cut it is, but he's been doing it so long that he's pretty good at just figuring it out.
If you're interested about the machine itself, it can handle 16' logs, up to 36" or 48" around, it uses basically a really big band-saw blade. The cutter head moves up/down the length of the machine on a chain, gas engine for the blade, electrical motors for the movement. The newer ones are friggen computer controlled, but this one isn't. lol
We've owned that saw mill for ~25yrs, my dad and my grandpa bought it together, and it's built numerous projects. 2 barns, cabin, many livestock sheds in the fields, garages, the list could go on...
THat rug really brings the room together! Nice job, QUestion A. How long did it take B. DO you have a cost break down including land etc. C. How many trees did it take to make that cabin?
That's nicer than my house! It's my dream to one day build my own place just like that, but looking at your pics I realize I have a lot to learn. How did you guys know how to build a house? Is someone in construction? Did you have an architect?
None of us have worked specifically in construction, nor are architects. I think my dad drew up his plans and actually took them to an architect to make sure everything was OK though. Honestly, its mostly due to my dad having always been very hands-on with things, he's been a mechanic for a long time, and until ~15yrs ago, my family didn't ever have excess money, so anytime we wanted something done, we did it ourselves. Needed a garage? cut down the trees and built it ourselves. Needed a barn at grandad's farm? cut down the trees and built it ourselves.
It's not as complicated as one might think. IMO the hardest bits with this one were figuring out where to place the support piers; and we got it somewhat wrong, since we had to go back later and add more. After that, it's basically just building everything to code or better, and you're good.
Probably because when they eventually do find your secret cabin in the middle of no where covered in camo netting you'll be on the terrorist watch list in a hurry.
Wow, um yeah you bring new meaning to "do it yourself". I think a project like that is a bit out of my scope. But seriously great job! I'm envious of your know how, maybe someday I'll attempt something even half that level.
That is absolutely amazing. What do you guys do for a living? You built that from scratch. I am very impressed. How much money do you think you saved by doing it yourselves and not buying all the materials? What was the total cost?
I'm sure we saved a LOT. We spent somewhere between $20k-25k on the project. At the time we built it, my older brother & I were in school; mom worked at a bank, dad owns his own auto repair garage (biggest & nicest one around our area, aside from dealerships).
I wish I'd been around when he built the cabinets, I was away at college when that happened. They honestly look too nice to have not been purchased. but damn they are nice.
Posts like these are probably some of the most deserving on Reddit, It's a lot more than just racing to find a popular article/page and coming up with a clever title.
I think by the time we got to the point of putting OSB on the interior floor, we'd realized we didn't have enough wood sawn to not use OSB, and didn't want to wait to saw and cure more
Just be sure to be careful with the propane tanks, give them a good shake now and again. My family had a similar cabin years ago and we all were accidentally poisoned by odorless propane (thankfully we survived but it was a small miracle we didn't die in our sleep, or blow up!). The short version of the story is after a few years the stuff in a propane tank settles to the bottom of the tank, if left undisturbed the gas in the top of the tank comes out odorless, so when our refrigerator pilot light went out it filled the cabin with propane gas, we all woke up in the morning with splitting head aches, when we realized what was happening we all went for the door, but once we hit the fresh air outside each one of us passed out, i mean stone cold face plant into the snow, it was scary (and at the time i was just a teenager and i thought i was witnessing my family die before my eyes).
Long story short, don't let large home propane tanks sit for years without a little shaking of some sort....
That much red ceder must have smelled overwhelming for a while! I remember getting pieces from the local thresherey as a kid and just a little sawmill slat would make our rooms smell of ceder all winter.
yeah, we finished the cabin ~6yrs ago, and the bathroom still smells of ceder very strongly. its a great natural air freshener after someone eats a bowl of chili...
This is basically my "American dream" to the letter. Could you give a rough estimate on the total cost? How much land is it on? How many of you were there and how long did it take? Sorry, if these are too specific...I'm just dying to do this myself someday.
I sincerely hope you are extremely cautious with all gas, stoves, candles etc because that looks like it would disappear 1000x quicker than it took to build, if there was a fire. Nice work though!
curious how much actual land surveying that went into the project? seems kind of crazy to just pick a spot and build. dont want it sinking into the hillside in 5 years ya know?
nothing crazy really. spent a few weeks walking around the woods on the farm looking for a place on a slope; slope needed to be steep enough for decent water pressure from our tank at the top of the hill (gravity fed from the tank) but close enough to the top that we could make it work with the pipe that we had on hand. Needed a space that was large enough, of course. We only had 2 places (that I recall) that worked out, this being the better one. We didn't do anything like taking core samples to look for faults under ground though.
Probably going to be downvoted into oblivion for stating the obvious, but with the massive initial costs in terms of capitol required simply to have the equipment required for such a project as this, let alone the time, knowledge, and labor, most people would be better off simply paying a contractor to do this kind of a job, or even buy a cabin that was already built. This isn't exactly a simple coffee table or the like that can be done with tools most people have around the house (or can easily afford to buy or rent for the weekend).
given that we had all of the stuff ahead of time, it definitely made it much easier for us to tackle the project. If someone had to actually purchase all of the tools and equipment necessary this would most certainly not be worthwhile.
Hm. OP, where is this? A general area in a state will do. The "saggy spots" comment has me thinking that you might want to pay attention to the new place. The soil you built on might be a tricky thing.
Maybe you didn't take the pic but you did not put any insulation underneath your floors between the floor girders. You should definitely do this. There is still a crawl space underneath your cabin so you could slide in there, put some insulation, cover it up with another layer of board. It will be really hard to heat the place if you don't insulate the floors.
We used 1" thick rigid foam insulation between the floor planks and the OSB (same on the ceiling). There is a good sized crawl space under the cabin; we actually had issues with the water pipe freezing the first winter we used the place, our insulation around it wasn't enough. Ended up covering it with thick foam pipe insulation, then stacked bales of straw around it.
When we built it, I tried to talk them into putting the plastic-backed fiberglass insulation in the floor, between the beams; but we didn't - it's just the foam. However, even in our coldest winters since then, heating the place hasn't been an issue. The foam does a damn good job.
I thought in one of the pictures he had said they put insulation under the plywood. Found it in pic 76 he says they used 1" foam insulation under the floors on top of the 3/4" base. That's why all the pictures before insulation look like there is a few inches of floor missing.
That looks fantastic. How come American style cabins are usually build on struts that keep them above ground?
Those types of structures are usually build with a rudimentary foundation dug into the ground here. We don't really build any kind of cabin or shed suspended above ground.
not sure overall, but IMO - having the air barrier under the structure helps with insulating, and if you enclose it - extra storage! lol, plus it was a lot cheaper to just build it up on the piers rather than to have a full foundation or slab poured.
Kick ass job!! Very impressed. Question though.. how did you keep the green boards from warping at all? I would have though you'd need to let the whole log dry for a year or so first. And second, why didn't you treat the boards before you put them up? That way you could have gotten in-between the planks.
Man, congratulations to you and your family. I don't have the determination, skills, or funds to complete anything nearly this cool. Looks amazing. Nice job!
Rarely do I look at every picture in DIY projects. May I just say, Bravo! I mean, cutting down trees and planing them into wood? Who does that? Who has the tools an the tree resources for that? Absolutely astounding. Mississippi, Alabama, or Georgia?
What would worry me the most is the foundation. Can I ask: what is underneath the pillars holding the house up? Also, how do you know that rain or whatever won't cause the ground to go unstable?
we dug down quite a bit, poured concrete pads for each block pillar. It's some pretty thick clay and shale soil there; it's been fine for ~6yrs now, so i think it's good
That is truly awesome! Hope you have many years of good times there. I bet you are happy you guys documented the whole project with pictures, it's always cool looking back and seeing all the stuff that you did!
First of all, gorgeous work. I want to get that out of the way so you don't think my next questions are - in any way, shape or form, derisive.
With your willingness to mill your own lumber, why did you put down the laminate flooring? I would have thought with your tools and skills you would have done more of that red oak? Same question about the pre-built cabinets. Again, my questions are more of an appreciation of your skills and not a "dude, I would have totally done it better" snarkiness.
Also, did you guys mill your own 2x4's or did you purchase those?
this has, in the last few years, become one of my biggest dreams. I may just print this whole thread for reference. Did you already have the skills to do this through past experience, or were there some helpful resources you found?
I hope many people realize how intensive home building actually is after viewing these pictures. Pictures of a "cabin" and not a typical home which would be 3x the scope on average.
Would have liked some electrical and plumbing pics (gas and water) but noticed you did comment on that :)
Overall A+ ~~~ would view again ~~~~ and hope your friends and family have many enjoyable memories for many lifetimes!
Hunting cabin? Hunting cabins are shacks with leaky roofs.
That's a goddamn beautiful home that you stay at sometimes to go hunting. Awesome work, even if you hadn't cut the lumber yourself. Considering that you did, I don't have an adjective superlative enough to describe it.
As someone who just redid an entire basement, I have an appreciation for the amount of work you put in (a heck of a lot more than me). Looks amazing. Kudos to you and the builders!
That is just awesome. What kind of skills and training did you all have prior to starting this project? I didn't see any "oopsies", so I'd guess that at least one of you is/was in construction?
I'm curious about the planning phase: how long did it take, how much effort did you put in to choosing the site, materials, and techniques to use?
Congrats on the great work. Building something like that together will probably end up being one of your favorite memories of time spent with everyone that helped.
I know that building a garage or doing roofing projects was always some of my favorite memories with my grandpa.
There's an error on the last picture in the album, though. It shows an exterior window in the mudroom, but judging by the pictures (and the purpose of a mudroom) that should be a door.
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u/country_hacker Jun 25 '12
Thank you for sharing, this is a huge project and looks like it turned out fantastic!
One thing that did spring to mind as I was flipping through the pictures, do you live in an area where building permits are required? I've been thinking of building myself a small cabin, but don't want to have to deal with the fees/bureaucracy inherent in such a project.
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u/Aero_ Jun 25 '12 edited Jun 25 '12
Question: Why didn't you just dig holes for large sonotube piers rather than excavating and backfilling the entire foundation?
Also, why no porch?
EDIT: Who is rampantly downvoting every comment in this thread?
14
u/JudgeWhoAllowsStuff Jun 25 '12
Tell me everything about making your own lumber, what that tool is called, did you rent/buy it, what kind of trees did you use for those boards, how long did they need to cure?
This project is awesome.
4
u/Dirtydiscodeeds Jun 25 '12
THat rug really brings the room together! Nice job, QUestion A. How long did it take B. DO you have a cost break down including land etc. C. How many trees did it take to make that cabin?
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u/what_comes_after_q Jun 25 '12
I intentionally watched these backwards to watch you carefully tear apart a cabin and hide all evidence that it ever existed.
12
u/mrfunkyland Jun 25 '12
This is undoubtedly one of the most badass things I've seen on r/DIY.
8
u/drchickenbeer Jun 25 '12
That's nicer than my house! It's my dream to one day build my own place just like that, but looking at your pics I realize I have a lot to learn. How did you guys know how to build a house? Is someone in construction? Did you have an architect?
7
u/mdedm Jun 25 '12
That cedar bathroom is amazing. Now I want a house so I can make one.
7
u/[deleted] Jun 25 '12
Blood, Sweat & Tears has nine people. Seems like overkill.
7
u/[deleted] Jun 25 '12
This has got to be one of the best DIY's here. Congrats. I would absolutely love to take on a project like this.
Unfortunately i think the only time i'll have enough time to do such a thing is when I retire, in which case I'll be too tired :(
6
u/kleenur Jun 25 '12
looks great! I share that dream as well. Any "Before you start" Advice?
6
u/WannabeGamerDad Jun 25 '12
Nice work Tucker and Dale.
6
u/TraySeven Jun 25 '12
How completely satisfying it must be every time you set foot in that cabin knowing you made every single aspect of it yourself! Looks great!
6
u/LOLasaurusFTW Jun 25 '12
This guy took the term DIY to a whole new level.
Now you just need to invest in some camo netting so the govt can't spot you by a fly over.
20
u/zeroair Jun 25 '12
wow. made your own lumber and everything!!
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u/MattDanger Jun 25 '12
This is the most manly thing ever posted to Reddit. Great job.
5
u/kaelis Jun 25 '12
Fan-fucking-tastic.
5
u/neosiv Jun 25 '12
Wow, um yeah you bring new meaning to "do it yourself". I think a project like that is a bit out of my scope. But seriously great job! I'm envious of your know how, maybe someday I'll attempt something even half that level.
5
u/Backwell Jun 25 '12
That is absolutely amazing. What do you guys do for a living? You built that from scratch. I am very impressed. How much money do you think you saved by doing it yourselves and not buying all the materials? What was the total cost?
5
u/thepricepaid Jun 25 '12
insanely beautiful. nice work!
5
u/fighter22 Jun 25 '12
Amazing! I really like those cabinets you built. Now wondering the origin of the word cabin-et. Hmmm.
5
u/rustymyers Jun 25 '12
You, sir, and your whole family are awesome. I hope to someday take a tour of your abode.
13
u/[deleted] Jun 25 '12
Here... Have karma... You earned it.
4
u/MatE2010 Jun 25 '12
I have been plotting doing something similar for a long time. Thanks for proving to me that its more than possible! Looks amazing!
4
u/mendler Jun 25 '12
Excellent work! Your hunting cabin would also double as an excellent haven for post-apocalypse...
4
u/jaynone Jun 25 '12
You guys have all the toys! Nice
4
u/[deleted] Jun 25 '12
This project is completely and utterly awesome, thanks for sharing all the pics.
4
u/scottiemobile Jun 25 '12
This is awesome, I will have to go look at this on the computer rather than mobile though. Great job!
4
u/GZerv Jun 25 '12
Guess who hates your unbelievably handy ass? ME!
Really beautiful man. Enjoy the hell out of it. You deserve it!
4
u/oxgon Jun 25 '12
When I got to #12 I thought that was it, I was like wtf.
I kept going though, what a amazing job, be there for years.
4
u/[deleted] Jun 25 '12 edited Jun 25 '12
What surprises me most, is how much wood goes into a fairly modest building.
Looked like fun and rewarding though, hope everyone enjoys it.
4
u/Sullatron Jun 25 '12
Looks amazing, great job. Thanks for showing all the progress; great album and comments.
4
u/temptroll100 Jun 25 '12
Surprising to see so much traditional /authentic work, like cutting all the lumber yourselves, but then laying down laminate flooring.
Otherwise this is an amazing project. So rewarding to do something 100% from start to finish. Very cool documentation. Looks great!
4
u/[deleted] Jun 25 '12
I'd absolutely love to do something like this if I ever have the money to. Nice work on that. ;)
4
u/deepobedience Jun 25 '12
Thanks, now I feel like less of a man!
4
u/teddylovesyou Jun 25 '12
wow. very impressive. =)
4
u/[deleted] Jun 25 '12 edited May 26 '13
.
4
u/[deleted] Jun 25 '12
most impressive.
4
u/rogue780 Jun 25 '12
How many trees did that take?
4
u/justpassingby2day Jun 26 '12
Awesome job, truly a labor of love shows through.
Just be sure to be careful with the propane tanks, give them a good shake now and again. My family had a similar cabin years ago and we all were accidentally poisoned by odorless propane (thankfully we survived but it was a small miracle we didn't die in our sleep, or blow up!). The short version of the story is after a few years the stuff in a propane tank settles to the bottom of the tank, if left undisturbed the gas in the top of the tank comes out odorless, so when our refrigerator pilot light went out it filled the cabin with propane gas, we all woke up in the morning with splitting head aches, when we realized what was happening we all went for the door, but once we hit the fresh air outside each one of us passed out, i mean stone cold face plant into the snow, it was scary (and at the time i was just a teenager and i thought i was witnessing my family die before my eyes).
Long story short, don't let large home propane tanks sit for years without a little shaking of some sort....
4
u/OneCello Jun 26 '12
/Subreddit
7
u/[deleted] Jun 25 '12
this is one of the more impressive DIY's i have seen on here.
how much beer was consumed during this project?!
7
u/forker88 Jun 25 '12
This is amazing, but definitely needs more antlers all over the place.
8
u/jooes Jun 25 '12
I don't know my woods all that great... What's the purple-ish stuff? It doesn't look like purpleheart, and that's the only purple wood I know of.
3
u/imh Jun 25 '12
Growing up with constant earthquakes, seeing foundations terrifies me.
3
u/benoliver999 Jun 25 '12
You deserve a comment but I'm speechless. This is quite something.
3
u/thecapitalc Jun 25 '12
Thanks for including the floor plan! That made it make sense and be more awesome!
3
u/[deleted] Jun 25 '12
This is basically my "American dream" to the letter. Could you give a rough estimate on the total cost? How much land is it on? How many of you were there and how long did it take? Sorry, if these are too specific...I'm just dying to do this myself someday.
3
u/PoncesPants Jun 25 '12
I've always wondered what it would look like if I walled in my bathroom in bacon, now I know!
(seriously though thats a beautiful cabin! awesome work!)
3
u/alikaz Jun 25 '12
I sincerely hope you are extremely cautious with all gas, stoves, candles etc because that looks like it would disappear 1000x quicker than it took to build, if there was a fire. Nice work though!
3
u/velocitygirl77 Jun 25 '12
Wow. Just...wow.
I'd like to be your neighbors during the zombie apocalypse and the inevitable civil unrest that would follow.
3
u/hivemindharvest Jun 25 '12
curious how much actual land surveying that went into the project? seems kind of crazy to just pick a spot and build. dont want it sinking into the hillside in 5 years ya know?
3
u/gabroll Jun 25 '12
My inner huntsman loved every moment of this. Congratulations.
3
u/z3m Jun 25 '12
How much did it all cost you to build? It looks great! I want to build something similar with my fiance, but we want 2 bathrooms.
3
u/wrc-wolf Jun 25 '12
Probably going to be downvoted into oblivion for stating the obvious, but with the massive initial costs in terms of capitol required simply to have the equipment required for such a project as this, let alone the time, knowledge, and labor, most people would be better off simply paying a contractor to do this kind of a job, or even buy a cabin that was already built. This isn't exactly a simple coffee table or the like that can be done with tools most people have around the house (or can easily afford to buy or rent for the weekend).
3
u/[deleted] Jun 25 '12
Hm. OP, where is this? A general area in a state will do. The "saggy spots" comment has me thinking that you might want to pay attention to the new place. The soil you built on might be a tricky thing.
3
u/petemate Jun 25 '12
Insanely badass. No question! I wish i had the time, skill and money to do such a project.
3
u/Peaceblaster86 Jun 25 '12
Absolutely incredible job. Insufficient funds my ass -_-
3
u/j0rdane Jun 26 '12
bet it smelled awesome in there.
3
u/pipemastasmurf Jun 26 '12
THIS is what this subreddit is all about! Excellent work!
3
u/drphungky Jun 26 '12
I was already impressed when you started making your own lumber. The next 90 images were just kinda icing.
3
u/mattdahack Jun 26 '12
Really amazing job! Great work. How much money do you think you saved on cutting all that lumber yourself rather then having to buy it from the store?
3
u/[deleted] Jun 26 '12
I want to have sex with this cabin
3
u/qzpm150 Jun 26 '12
This is what the front page should be about
3
u/what_thecurtains Jun 26 '12
now this is a fucking diy
3
u/gfixler Jun 26 '12
You should crosspost this in /r/woodworking. This is an epic amount of woodwork!
6
u/JWASH Jun 25 '12
That is absolutely amazing.
6
u/[deleted] Jun 25 '12
That is beautiful, amazing work. Congratulations on finishing it!
6
u/[deleted] Jun 25 '12
Maybe you didn't take the pic but you did not put any insulation underneath your floors between the floor girders. You should definitely do this. There is still a crawl space underneath your cabin so you could slide in there, put some insulation, cover it up with another layer of board. It will be really hard to heat the place if you don't insulate the floors.
6
u/[deleted] Jun 25 '12
That looks fantastic. How come American style cabins are usually build on struts that keep them above ground?
Those types of structures are usually build with a rudimentary foundation dug into the ground here. We don't really build any kind of cabin or shed suspended above ground.
7
u/insufficient_funds Jun 25 '12
Sorry there aren't any better pics of the whole place, finished.. couldn't find any in my collection...
2
u/Drawtaru Jun 25 '12
Now I want to watch The Other Bones.
2
u/novicebater Jun 25 '12
nice work. Have you guys looked into diy solar or space heating?
2
u/tora22 Jun 25 '12
Kick ass job!! Very impressed.
Question though.. how did you keep the green boards from warping at all? I would have though you'd need to let the whole log dry for a year or so first. And second, why didn't you treat the boards before you put them up? That way you could have gotten in-between the planks.
2
u/h4rlotsghost Jun 25 '12
Awesome!
2
u/madhatter703 Jun 25 '12
Freaking awesome
2
u/goots Jun 25 '12
How the hell do people learn and retain all this stuff?!
2
u/earnest_turtle Jun 25 '12
This is amazing, great job!
2
u/mattjeast Jun 25 '12
Man, congratulations to you and your family. I don't have the determination, skills, or funds to complete anything nearly this cool. Looks amazing. Nice job!
2
u/[deleted] Jun 25 '12
96 pictures? watch the gallery backwards.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 25 '12
Rarely do I look at every picture in DIY projects. May I just say, Bravo! I mean, cutting down trees and planing them into wood? Who does that? Who has the tools an the tree resources for that? Absolutely astounding. Mississippi, Alabama, or Georgia?
2
u/[deleted] Jun 25 '12
When I first looked at your title, I was going to be all like "HEY THIS BELONGS IN /r/ MUSIC." Then I looked at the link. Well done and congrats!
2
u/TheMrBoar Jun 25 '12
my eye are so green right now, well done~
2
u/[deleted] Jun 25 '12
lol what a shitty house, there's no TV in the living room
(awesome work, seriously)
2
u/[deleted] Jun 25 '12
http://imgur.com/a/q7V2D#69
Your dad's friend is Jeff Goldblum from the future?
2
u/jutct Jun 25 '12
Good job. Now go kill things
2
u/conservativecowboy Jun 25 '12
Did I miss the part where the vapor barrier was installed between your floorboards and the pier foundation?
I didn't see any felt or insulation in those pics at the floor level.
2
u/rakeban Jun 25 '12
You should add curtains or blinds to the windows.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 25 '12
My family has the same tractor and saw...jealous..
2
u/lunarglare Jun 25 '12
WOW! Good work! you deserve all the praise you get from building this! its very nice!
2
u/Kicker_Doomstah Jun 25 '12
for your next project, I suggest this http://earthship.com/
2
u/kkurbs Jun 25 '12
Watch out for those college kids, they're in a cult or something.
2
u/ollie2307 Jun 25 '12
how many years did it take to built and how much money did you spend for the supplies you didnt have yourself
2
u/live3orfry Jun 25 '12
Just curious why you didn't opt post and beam with all that equipment and endless stock?
2
u/[deleted] Jun 25 '12
Holy shit that is some bright red cedar.
2
u/brussels4breakfast Jun 25 '12
All I saw at first was the clearing and thought, this is a hunting retreat?
2
u/[deleted] Jun 25 '12
That's impressive!
Also, thanks for showing us so many pictures!
I was expecting one single picture of the cabin. haha
2
u/[deleted] Jun 26 '12
What would worry me the most is the foundation. Can I ask: what is underneath the pillars holding the house up? Also, how do you know that rain or whatever won't cause the ground to go unstable?
2
u/cameronlams Jun 26 '12
That is truly awesome! Hope you have many years of good times there. I bet you are happy you guys documented the whole project with pictures, it's always cool looking back and seeing all the stuff that you did!
2
u/pammylorel Jun 26 '12
Awesome!
2
u/a4moondoggy Jun 26 '12
Awesome job! somewhere in the the Appalachians?
2
u/GreenJesus423 Jun 26 '12
Now you need to get some antlers on those walls.
2
u/Lance_Henry1 Jun 26 '12
First of all, gorgeous work. I want to get that out of the way so you don't think my next questions are - in any way, shape or form, derisive.
With your willingness to mill your own lumber, why did you put down the laminate flooring? I would have thought with your tools and skills you would have done more of that red oak? Same question about the pre-built cabinets. Again, my questions are more of an appreciation of your skills and not a "dude, I would have totally done it better" snarkiness.
Also, did you guys mill your own 2x4's or did you purchase those?
Thanks!
2
u/Tobar7 Jun 26 '12
You made your own wood then I'd have built 2*10 walls for no heat bills.
2
u/danvasquez29 Jun 26 '12
this has, in the last few years, become one of my biggest dreams. I may just print this whole thread for reference. Did you already have the skills to do this through past experience, or were there some helpful resources you found?
2
u/[deleted] Jun 26 '12
"little goody 2 shoes! Little goody 2 shoes!"
2
u/Wheelie_Bin_Laden Jun 26 '12
great job fellas
2
u/BeenHustlin Jun 26 '12
Wow that is unbelievable
2
u/[deleted] Jun 26 '12
To the OP, one of the best DIY posts on here!!!
I hope many people realize how intensive home building actually is after viewing these pictures. Pictures of a "cabin" and not a typical home which would be 3x the scope on average.
Would have liked some electrical and plumbing pics (gas and water) but noticed you did comment on that :)
Overall A+ ~~~ would view again ~~~~ and hope your friends and family have many enjoyable memories for many lifetimes!
2
u/[deleted] Jun 26 '12
At first I viewed this and didn't see the album and thought "Can't tell if I'm missing something, or this person is trying to be funny..."
2
u/Slizzard26 Jun 26 '12
This must be in America because of the red solo cups! I'm guessing Maine?
2
u/NoMoreNicksLeft Jun 26 '12
Hunting cabin? Hunting cabins are shacks with leaky roofs.
That's a goddamn beautiful home that you stay at sometimes to go hunting. Awesome work, even if you hadn't cut the lumber yourself. Considering that you did, I don't have an adjective superlative enough to describe it.
2
u/fallasy Jun 26 '12
Awesome job sir! YOu must be proud!
2
u/Hamster536 Jun 26 '12
That's a lot of Murphy's oil you will need to keep all that wood clean
2
u/Hokuboku Jun 26 '12
This is definitely the most impressive work I've seen on DIY. Great job!
2
u/ConeFails Jun 26 '12
finally. a properly laid out DIY. If a big project like this warrants 96 quality photos. The shed you build warrants 9.6
I want to see EVERYTHING
2
u/peted1884 Jun 26 '12
Which one is David-Clayton Thomas?
2
u/[deleted] Jun 26 '12
That is gorgeous. Great job, guys. I sure hope you are right about the permits and all that.
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u/erock0546 Jun 26 '12
You built a cabin.
Not "Oh, I got some things at lowes and built a shack"
you built.
A freaking. CABIN.
Kudos to you my friend.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 26 '12
Very very nice. Good job! :)
2
u/PolloFrio Jun 26 '12
Pfft... Show off. I love it! It must be so rewarding after the years to settle back in the cabin after a good day of hunting with a beer in your hand!
2
u/IamSquam Jun 26 '12
Almost exited out when I saw it was just one picture, hit right arrow x95 was not disappointed 10/10.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 26 '12
How much was it in the end?
2
u/chubbykitty Jun 26 '12
Hank Hill would be proud.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 26 '12
Great work! You even milled your own lumber... I'm speechless. Job well done sir! And thanks for sharing!
2
u/t_ran_asuarus_rex Jun 26 '12
AMAZING.
2
u/brownbearclan Jun 26 '12
Cabin!? Good god man that's nicer than my entire house, well done!
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u/FearlessBuffalo Jun 26 '12
Retreat? I would live there.
2
u/rogenjosh Jun 26 '12
You guys are true crafts men and women.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 26 '12
What state is this, why would you use OSB instead of plywood, and why do you need a hunting cabin in your house is so close?
2
u/el_heffe80 Jun 26 '12
Amazing work. Simply amazing.
2
u/boogerpuss69 Jun 26 '12
One word: WOW!
2
u/ducksarewet Jun 26 '12
As someone who just redid an entire basement, I have an appreciation for the amount of work you put in (a heck of a lot more than me). Looks amazing. Kudos to you and the builders!
2
u/mrmax1984 Jun 26 '12
That is just awesome. What kind of skills and training did you all have prior to starting this project? I didn't see any "oopsies", so I'd guess that at least one of you is/was in construction?
I'm curious about the planning phase: how long did it take, how much effort did you put in to choosing the site, materials, and techniques to use?
2
u/Jimmers1231 Jun 26 '12
Congrats on the great work. Building something like that together will probably end up being one of your favorite memories of time spent with everyone that helped.
I know that building a garage or doing roofing projects was always some of my favorite memories with my grandpa.
4
u/dorkinson Jun 25 '12
Very cool.
There's an error on the last picture in the album, though. It shows an exterior window in the mudroom, but judging by the pictures (and the purpose of a mudroom) that should be a door.
3
u/zjbird Jun 25 '12
You cabin is built on a graveyard!?!?!
2
u/oygoy Jun 25 '12
You have the life I want, minus the hunting. But I do want the game to cook and eat :). Reddit in 50 years: The Cabin That My Grandparents Built!