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unixfmike
Member
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# Posted: 10 Aug 2008 05:25
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Hello. I'd like to introduce myself. Im Mike from California, now Oklahoma, USA currently stationed in a hot sandy foreign country right now. I recently bought land about 2 1/2 hours from home and fortunately I do not have to pull permits to build in my county (yes, thank you, I am very lucky). Me and my wife have planned this for a couple of years, and just 3 months ago took a leap of faith and bought 5 acres at a rate underpriced for the area. To date I have created about 9 different home/cabin/cottage designs, however my prints are not too great. So if anyone can recommend free software for drawing blueprints, I'd like that. I'm also willing to share the completed designs for free (with anyone and everyone for any purpose). I have about 12 years of construction experience prior to joining the Army. I've done everything from dirt to final inspection except for plumbing. I plan on building something in the 300-400 square foot range. The size goes along with the funds saved. I look forward to getting started when I get back to my native soil. I can't wait to get started. The land survey will be completed soon. The tools have been ordered and are waiting at home. I am stuck here with a hand full of plans and a head full of ideas. Until I get started, I'll be lurking and learning from all of you, and willing to share any ideas I can.
MikeW / Unixfmike
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soundandfurycabin
Member
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# Posted: 11 Aug 2008 12:17
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I can't think of any true drafting software for free. Google's Sketchup is free and available from http://sketchup.google.com/. It's great for 3D modeling of your designs but isn't intended for creating working drawings. You could probably use it for blueprints but it might be frustrating for that...no different line styles available, and no automatic dimensioning (although there is a measuring tool and you can add text annotation). But it might be adequate for a simple design.
I'd be interested in seeing your designs if you do get them drawn up. Good luck.
Frank
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CabinBuilder
Admin
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# Posted: 11 Aug 2008 15:49 - Edited by: CabinBuilder
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Welcome to the cabin forum, unixfmike!
Although I didn't look thoroughly, some of the CAD tools I considered far back had fairly steep leaning curve to justify simple cabin sketching/drawing I needed.
Once place I use to search for the free software is http://sourceforge.net/
Search there for "technical drawing" - there are few choices available there...
It would be very interesting to see your cabin drawings and sketches, even if you just scan them from the paper.
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unixfmike
Member
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# Posted: 12 Aug 2008 04:38
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Hi Frank and CabinBuilder. I've been using Sketchup for roughly a month now, and now that I know how to use more of it's features, I am finding it to be a bit more powerful than I previously assumed.
I'm having a hard time remembering how detailed the detail sheets where in a set of house plans. Its been about 9 years since I worked with blueprints for a house. Some of the details are coming back.
I've included a sample of one of my works (my first learning excercise) with Sketchup. My current work should be done later today, and has more detail to it. Hopefully by the time I get something workable, I'll be back up in the hills above my little township in Oklahoma, with the tools, a truckload of wood, and a month of leave from work to build my place.
Mike.
P.S. I hope you can make sense of the primitive drawings.
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unixfmike
Member
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# Posted: 12 Aug 2008 09:30
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This is the little plan i came up with today. I would not build it, but it was fun to draw up using sketchup.
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CabinBuilder
Admin
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# Posted: 12 Aug 2008 10:29 - Edited by: CabinBuilder
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Very nice drawings! Thanks for sharing.
I like the front deck idea in front of the cabin.
A thought regarding the first sketch:
Don't know your cabin surroundings, but if possible I would have a window (or two) on other sides of the cabin. But obviously it's a matter of personal liking.
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unixfmike
Member
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# Posted: 13 Aug 2008 00:22 - Edited by: unixfmike
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Thank you for the compliment. I like the idea of a full wrap porch or front porches, I don't know why. Maybe it has a lot to do with my grandfathers old cabin in the hills of Volcano, CA.
I've only been designing with limited windows due to the build site, and sun. My land has a north facing slope and the south, east, and west sides have a good amount of trees. I don't want to cut down any more trees than I absolutely have to. I think so far I only have 6 that I will cut down due to broken limbs, splits, and lightning damage.
Here are a few pictures of the land.
Mikew
land_plot.jpg
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lower_creek_at_west_.jpg
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the_build_site.jpg
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the_road_in.JPG
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soundandfurycabin
Member
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# Posted: 13 Aug 2008 01:09
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Looks good. Is the room between kitchen and bath a sleeping area? Using Sketchup to plan your framing layout is a good idea; you could probably figure out your complete lumber order and cut list. And looks like Sketchup does do dimensions after all. For the level of detail needed for basic houses, you can check out some of the plans at http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/abeng/houseplans.htm. But if you don't need permits and you're doing the work yourself, you probably don't need a lot of detail.
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unixfmike
Member
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# Posted: 15 Aug 2008 01:48
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The area between the kitchen and bathroom can be used for sleeping with twin bed or a set of bunk beds / small office / storage cabinets / hobbies / etc. My intention was if this was the plan (my wife) wants, then we would have a place for the kids to sleep (not on a couch), but not a full bedroom of their own to make a mess of. You'll notice that every plan I come up with will have a sleeping area for the kids, a bedroom (queen bed) and a bathroom. The kitchen I can do without thanks to woodburning stove's and washbuckets. If I had it my way, this would be a 8x8 tool shed with an Army cot in it and a camp toilet. But the wife said, "If you are going to build a cabin to get away at, it better be nice enough for all of us". And believe it or not, she is the creative force behind alot of ideas.
I am glad you sent that link, it will definately help me. I found CADlite and while it is CAD, it don't like the final product from it. I like the visually asthetic appeal of the results I get from Sketchup better. It may take more work, but then again during a 24 hour workday on standby, I have a lot of not actually working time to come up with plans. I'm sure by the end of the year I'll be semi-proficient with Sketchup and will have some really cool free plans for all.
Mikew
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Pyro
Member
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# Posted: 15 Aug 2008 20:32
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I used Punch Professional Home design to draw umy plans to show the new floorplan of the old cabin to my wife. We tweeked a few things after we drew it up. In the end, the drawingwere a great help.
BTW, Google Sketchup is a GREAT proram to get to know. I was at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) convention in Boston this year & Google had a huge booth promoting the professional version to the Architects. The fact that there is a free version is fantastic. (But I have yet to master it.)
I'm at the cabin now & have to go in to town to hi-jack the Wireless outside the town Library. When I get home (highspeed) I'll upload my drawings & the corresponding "after" photo's
Joe
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unixfmike
Member
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# Posted: 20 Aug 2008 07:32
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I uploaded 8 of my little plans. If anyone is interested in them, you can view take them from my website. All of the cabin/shed files are in PDF format and start with a "C_".
http://www.unixf.com/index.php?display=files
mikew
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Vince P
Member
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# Posted: 20 Aug 2008 08:20
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Nice build site with lots of hardwoods and little undergrowth. Are going to clear a perimeter in the trees, or tuck it somewhere in there?
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unixfmike
Member
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# Posted: 20 Aug 2008 13:08
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Hi Vince. Me and the wife are going to tuck our cabin into the woods. I have intentions of only making 4 corner/plat markers out of some sort of masonry. I don't want to cut a perimeter, or cut anything that I don't absolutely have to cut. Me and the wife are even reconsdering various floorplans and dimensions to fit the few clear areas we have. We already came up with a winding driveway solution to safely weave through the trees so that we don't have to cut down a path in. Once I get back from Iraq, I'll have about 3 weeks off to build, and I'm hoping to spend that time building and not clearing.
Mikew
Ideas are easy, it's the work that is hard.
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Vince P
Member
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# Posted: 21 Aug 2008 11:12
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Quoting: unixfmike Ideas are easy, it's the work that is hard.
I hear ya. I built my driveway almost a quarter mile long from the road and no mature trees were harmed in it's building. Now it just winds through a stand of red pines and finally mixed hardwoods just before the cabin appears around a corner.
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