week three: stump to sticker

Stump to Sticker


That's our tree in the ground then on the ground. we triangulated where the tip would land- about 100 feet from the base!



The arch makes it easier to take logs ou of the forest in a lower impact way (lower than a machine but there is still a big flattened area where the tree landed) but with the bigger logs it takes more people


the arch centers the weight of the log an enables you to pull it around easily, but first you have to use leverage and force to get it off the ground.


I could almost pull it by myself!


On the ground you can use tools to move them- all the tools are designed like levers to roll or push big logs into place. the small 2x6 board is used as a pivot to turn the log- when it is balanced o the 2-by it only needs a nudged ti spin around


We used a saw mill called a Wood-Mizer to cut the logs into boards. The Wood-Mizer is basically a large bandsaw on it's side that moves along a track. It has only a 1/8" kerf whereas most traditional circular saws have a 1/4" kerf. This means you can get board board feet (a volume measurement of 1'x1'x1" or 144 cubic inches) per log.


Boards are then removed from the mill and piled in the lumber yard (or in this case- the parking lot)


This stack is from the last class. The small 1"x1"x4' sticks between the boards are called stickers (hence the name of the class). It is important for the stickers to all be lined up or else as the wood dries it can become warped and unusable. Layers of metal roofing are placed on top of the pile and weighted to help keep the pile dry.

Week three: deconstruction

Deconstruction

what we're taking down:
This shed is on the side of a building that the owners recently purchased and plan to renovate. The floor is caving in and the plaster has all but fallen off the lath walls












DECONSTRUCTION!
We began with removing the interior finish then moved to the exterior finish- leaving structural members and sheathing in place.











Then we removed the roof and rafters and began taking apart the exterior walls. The wall with the double doors didn't have much to salvage so it was sawn off and tossed into the dumpster while the long sheathing boards on the long face of the shed were carefully removed, denailed and put in the "save" pile.

When we finished all that's left is the original clapboard on the corner of the house and a dry stone foundation. We left a portion of the wall up next to the porch to support the roof.






Things salvaged from the building (the whole point of deconstruction):

denailing boards for reuse








windows and doors are generally salvageable but not always reuseable because of codes. most of this stuff will be reused for agricultural projects like barns and outbuildings









interesting pictures taken on site:
Abandoned toys and a large butterfly that was dead in this spot the next morning (see the missing chunk on it's right wing).