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Small Cabin Forum / Member's Projects and Photos / Another cabin going up. 16' x 20' loft
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OwenChristensen
Member
# Posted: 1 Aug 2013 23:23
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I'm building another cabin in the neatest area. Right in the heart of Boundary Waters and less than a mile from Canada in northern MN. As of this post I'm three days into it and I expect three or four more to go.
floor
floor
walls and rafters
walls and rafters
first day done
first day done


ShabinNo5
Member
# Posted: 2 Aug 2013 18:16
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Gunflint Trail or Ely Area?

trollbridge
Member
# Posted: 4 Aug 2013 13:15
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Post pics when you can of the progress. I wanna see this one to completion!

OwenChristensen
Member
# Posted: 4 Aug 2013 19:36
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Shabin, this is actually farther up. It's called the Arrowhead trail cuts off from Hwy 61 at Hovland. It's about 25 miles north to the border lakes.

OwenChristensen
Member
# Posted: 4 Aug 2013 20:13
Reply 


I forgot to take pictures, but all the windows and door are in, chimney and roof is done. We also Tyvek is on and the loft is in.
Here's pics. from the day before.
sheathing
sheathing
tin roof
tin roof


ShabinNo5
Member
# Posted: 5 Aug 2013 06:58
Reply 


Owen, I should have remembered. Back around 1984 I built a log home just before you get to Hovland. During that summer I spent a lot of time exploring the Arrowhead trail and the numerous cross roads. If I recall correctly, shortly before you climb the last hill to lake McFarland there is a road on your right. Back then it was drivable through a clearing until you reached the older forest, about a third of a mile. Then you walked the road for a few hundred feet and took the border route trail to the right. In half a mile the trail brought you to the pigeon river. Beautiful country and excellent grouse hunting in the fall.

OwenChristensen
Member
# Posted: 5 Aug 2013 09:22
Reply 


Yes, I think it could be the most beautiful area in the state.
narrows into Pine
narrows into Pine


Dillio187
Member
# Posted: 5 Aug 2013 10:00
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until winter anyways...

tisk, that's a 4 letter word this time of year...

Rick004
Member
# Posted: 5 Aug 2013 21:07
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Great looking cabin !!! How long are the 2x8s you used for the rafters and how much headroom is in the loft ? Thanks

OwenChristensen
Member
# Posted: 6 Aug 2013 04:39
Reply 


135 3/4''. With the 2x8 loft joists on top the walls and deducting 8'' for the rafter thickness, there's about 6'8'' headroom.

OwenChristensen
Member
# Posted: 7 Aug 2013 07:34
Reply 


I just got back from another trip to the cabin site. I forgot the camera again. We did get it all insulated and all the lower walls paneled with knotty pine, as well as the loft ceiling. We hauled home some tools for today's job close to home a 12' x 12' sun room, along with a huge load of garbage. I think I still have three or four days left on the Arrowhead cabin. I will remember the camera next time.

norseman
Member
# Posted: 7 Aug 2013 08:35
Reply 


Owen

Do you work from engineered plans? The County in VA I have property in wants engineered plans to be able to build anything.

Thanks
Vern

LakeSuperior5
Member
# Posted: 7 Aug 2013 10:15
Reply 


Looks great. Very nice that you are able to work in such beautiful areas!

Quick question, we are/will be working on the porch roof that will be metal but have not purchased yet. Where is the best place to purchase in the great north woods?

OwenChristensen
Member
# Posted: 7 Aug 2013 10:59
Reply 


Norseman, Love thy handle by the way, I do not use someone else's plans.

Lake Superior5, I buy roof metal and windows from Menards. There are three around Duluth, one in Virginia.

norseman
Member
# Posted: 7 Aug 2013 14:53
Reply 


Owne
Raised in Barnesville MN, Grandfather had homesteaded ioutside Solway. Ended up in VA after the service.

OwenChristensen
Member
# Posted: 7 Aug 2013 18:56
Reply 


Well it's good to be a Norseman. I just went to see the Kensington runestone. I'm sure it's real and the Norseman were here first.

JHall
Member
# Posted: 8 Aug 2013 12:06
Reply 


How much do you have into cabin to get it under roof? How many working hours do you have into the build? Foundation structure?

OwenChristensen
Member
# Posted: 9 Aug 2013 18:13
Reply 


I have five days into the job now. Windows, door, 1/2 the paneling and all the insulation. The devil is in the details. I figure it will take three days to get it all done. If your asking how much materials cost to get a weather tight shell done of this size, it's about $4,000. Of course I charged about twice that with labor. Including the treated skids and cross bracing.

OwenChristensen
Member
# Posted: 22 Aug 2013 06:57
Reply 


Finally going back to finish the interior. I've had almost two weeks off. I was hoping to have the rough sawn lumber for the siding by now, but no. With all the little sawmills around none had lumber ready to buy. At least we can go up and finish up everything else. That won't take long and we can fish and camp over the next few days. We will stay in the new cabin. Today I'm taking two grandsons and my carpenter and on Fri. my oldest daughter and my youngest,22 will come up with the two little kids, four and six, for some camping and fishing in paradise. This time I'll bring a camera.

O

OwenChristensen
Member
# Posted: 22 Aug 2013 07:01
Reply 


In case you think, I'm taking to long, I built a little 12 x 12 screenhouse cabin last week for my neighbor. But yes I have dragged this one out too long, 156 miles to the job site is hard.

O

ShabinNo5
Member
# Posted: 22 Aug 2013 09:04
Reply 


Owen,

Enjoy and you work much faster than we do

Another tip for exploring... When driving north on the arrowhead trail, turn right onto the Otter Lake forest service road.. Continue to the bridge that crosses the Swamp river. There should be a trail on the west side heading north. Follow the trail to a fantastic overlook (not more then one mile)

Steve

OwenChristensen
Member
# Posted: 23 Aug 2013 17:54 - Edited by: OwenChristensen
Reply 


Live from the job site. Pictures from yesterday and today. No fish though.
under loft
under loft
door
door
child labor
child labor
tyvek
tyvek


OwenChristensen
Member
# Posted: 23 Aug 2013 18:02
Reply 


And the beauty.
west
west
east
east
south
south
north
north


ShabinNo5
Member
# Posted: 24 Aug 2013 19:44
Reply 


Love McFarland! Nice build. We may have to talk about a sauna this is on the to do list.

OwenChristensen
Member
# Posted: 25 Aug 2013 09:01
Reply 


Thanks. It's such a joy to build with my kids and grandkids. Fishing and swimming help make it less like work.
gable
gable
temp bedroom
temp bedroom


OwenChristensen
Member
# Posted: 26 Aug 2013 08:46
Reply 


Ok. I just got in last night. Interior is done. Rough sawn siding will take another trip, maybe in a day or two.
stairs
stairs
in loft
in loft
interior
interior
inside home made door
inside home made door


trollbridge
Member
# Posted: 26 Aug 2013 09:31
Reply 


That lake is so beautiful!

Nice work on the cabin

Rebel300r
Member
# Posted: 26 Aug 2013 22:19
Reply 


Thanks for sharing. Can you let me know how much headroom there is in the loft and how much on the 1st floor? Also, what pitch if you don't mind. I was thinking of the same idea and yours looks like plenty of headroom.

Scott

OwenChristensen
Member
# Posted: 27 Aug 2013 07:53
Reply 


It's a 12/12 pitch or 45 degree, so it's a 16' wide building, 8' to the middle and 8' to the peak on the outside. The loft is 8' minus floor joist and diagonal rafter, so about 6'-9''. The height of the lower headroom is 7'-3-1/4''. The reason I don't use 8' is that I want the sheathing on the outside to reach from bottom of floor to top of plate. Then I use 7' studs cut from 14' 2x4s, because they are better wood than stud grade. 7' plus the three plates make 7'--4-1/2''. Then with the 3/4'' ceiling paneling brings it to that. Of course you can do it different, but this is reasonable and very little waste.

O

ShabinNo5
Member
# Posted: 27 Aug 2013 09:03
Reply 


Owen,

Is the T&G from Menards or a local mill near Duluth?

Looking to begin interior work this fall.

Steve

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