Last Week's Projects at Pellow's Camp

[Frank Pellow]

Note: This is a thread about some work that I did in 2004. I have added a update about what I did in 2005 to compensate for a goof that we talked about in 2004.

A recently revived tradition is to go up to Pellow's camp with my brother John the week before Labour Day and spend the week fishing, playing cards, cooking and eating gourmet meals, and undertaking various maintenance tasks. We are usually joined by from 2 to 6 other people.

By the way, if any members would like to join us next year, please contact me.

This year, the four main tasks (from a potential list in excess of ten) were:

1) Cut down about 15 dead trees, mostly black spruce and two of them in dangerous positions).

2) Dramatically increase the reserves of firewood (to be partly accomplished as a byproduct of task 1)

3) Replace the landing and front steps on the main cabin

4) Advance the deck construction on the Sauna / Guest Room building (and, if really lucky finish the project).

Before describing this year's projects, here is a bit of context: Pellow's Camp is an island of about 1 hectare (a little more than 2 acres) that my father bought in the late 1920s. It is located about 15 kilometres by car and 3 by boat north of Hearst Ontario. My father and several friends built a large log cabin on the island in the 1930's and, when I was a boy, we lived on the island about 5 months of the year (living in an apartment over our hardware store in Hearst the rest of the time). In 1959, the original cabin burnt down. I built a smaller replacement (from a Pan Abode Kit) in 1975. Since then, I have added other two buildings of my own design -one a storage shed / workshop / bunkhouse and the other a sauna / guest bedroom as well as installing a water tank for gravity fed water. There is no electricity other than a generator used for tools.

Here are some photos intended to show the context:

(1) My brother John and Scott Lewis the son of our friend Chris with a pike that Scott landed two years ago.

(2) A lot of the island and the main cabin

(3) The shed

(4) The water tower

(5) Sunset looking north from Pellow's Camp

[Frank Pellow]

We cut all down all the dead spruce trees on the island and divided the results in two piles. The first pile we used as firewood. This yielded a little over a face cord with the average length being about 50 centimetres. The other pile was used to fuel a medium size bonfire. The bonfire burned for 98 hours. Each night we burned it down to coals then each morning we piled wood on the coals again and in about an hour the pile ignited into flame.

Most of the property in the vicinity of our island is Crown Land (which is the Canadian term for public land). Strictly speaking we are not supposed to cut wood there but, ever since I can remember, we have "harvested" large poplar that have less than 5 years of life. I average about one of these trees every four years and each of these trees yields about a real cord of firewood. I cut one this year then turned two 19 year old boys loose to cut it up, bring it back to the island, and chop it up. My only role was to locate the tree, cut it down and to pile the wood. The boys did the job in less than an elapsed day.

We also found two recently downed dead white cedar on Crown land and they yielded about half a cord of firewood. This is great wood for a rapid hot sauna as well as for kindling.

Two photos are attached:

(1) Me and the stump of the poplar that I just cut down. By the way, the diameter of the stump was 23 inches and I have a 20 inch blade on my chain saw.

(2) My guests in front of one of the wood piles. That's my brother John to the left of the others as you look at the picture (to the right of the others in real life).

[Frank Pellow]

I built the landing and steps at the same time as the cabin (28 years ago). They were built out of non-treated spruce and sporadically painted and they were starting to rot. Furthermore, both of the supporting concrete piers had broken. I did not know as much about anchoring piers when I built the cabin as I do now. I did know enough to dig down to bedrock but I did not know that one should drill into the bedrock and insert rebar in order to stop the frost from moving the piers.

Thank fully most of the cabin is on the foundation of the original cabin built by my Dad so there are not many piers to worry about. But, seven years ago, one of the cabin corner piers broke and I had to jack up the cabin remove the pier, drill into the bedrock, insert rebar, and our a new pier.

Four photos are attached:

(1) Me starting to remove the old steps.

(2) The centre pier holding up the enclosed porch is leaning.

(3) The new piers and should handle the load should the old centre pier fail

(4) Me having a well deserved beer while sitting on the new steps. Unfortunately I goofed and the vertical gap up from step that my feet are on is 5 cm more than all the other gaps. It does not sound like much but it does throw people off. Next year, when I am finishing up the job, I will move the step up vertically 2.5 cm in order to lessen the problem.

[Frank Pellow]

The sauna deck is a "background" project and I did not really expect to complete it this year. The deck requires 6 piers. Earlier this summer, I constructed the bases for all the piers and poured 6 of them. This time, I poured the remaining two piers topped them with beams and installed about two thirds of the joists.

Three photos are attached:

(1) The deck and sauna building from lower down on the rock.

(2) Looking north across the deck.

(3) A pier whose location I screwed up. It projects beyond the deck. The only thing that I can think of do to cover up my mistake is the make corner steps that wrap around and hide the pier. Other suggestions would be appreciated.

[Cecil Arnold]

Frank, it looks like a really nice place to get away from it all. Unfortunately, all that metric stuff confuses me, what is it in feet and inches (LOL)? Seriously, it looks great.

[Greg Heppeard]

So when's the Creeker's Bar-B-Q at your place? Just kidding. It looks like you're doing a great job there, what a great view.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Frank, I am speechless. What a beautiful island! I love the woods and hope to have a place like that someday to visit (or maybe even retire to). You are truly blessed to have such a place to visit (and maintain). looks like you got a good jump on those projects, the work you do is outstanding.

I have an idea about that pier. Fan the framing out to cover it (make one side angled and further out from the house). That way you won't have to build wrapped stairs and it will create an interesting corner.

Thanks for the wonderful pics!

[Frank Pellow]

...
I have an idea about that pier. Fan the framing out to cover it (make one side angled and further out from the house). That way you won't have to build wrapped stairs and it will create an interesting corner.

...

Frank,

...

You could "sister" an extension onto the front corner and let it overhang for that small length. Attach a small length of the header to the end with a long piece bolted behind it. (It could also be done with a metal plate.) I'd also put a couple of crossties to the next joist along the overhang.

Bob

Thanks Kelly and Bob. I see know how I could extend the joists and decking to cover my mistake.

I would much rather do this than make complicated wrap-around steps. (Seeing how I screwed up the steps on the made cabin , I wonder how I might botch ones that wrap around a corner )

[Kelly C. Hanna]

You know what makes a good carpenter Frank? Being able to cover up the small mistakes we make...and it's always better to get a second opinion!

At least you made brackets for the stringer (a method I prefer for strength)...think how bad it would be if you had cut them that way!

[Frank Pellow]

Cecil, Greg, Brad, Jerry, Kelly, Gary, Bob, Christian, and Chad -thanks for expressing your appreciation of the place.

Rich you asked: "How you could ever come back from there?". Yes, it is very hard to leave. Lake Pivabiska and Pellow's Camp are home. I have lived in many places in several countries in my life and having this solid anchor has helped to make that relatively easy.

Also, I do not believe in any religion, but I feel something that might be akin to religion when I am alone with nature. My father's mother's mother was Cree from the area near Lake Pivabiska and many people from the Cree Nation still inhabit the region. These roots also help to make Pellow's Camp home and make it doubly difficult to leave.

[Frank Pellow]

Thanks Kelly and Bob. I see know how I could extend the joists and decking to cover my mistake.

I would much rather do this than make complicated wrap-around steps. (Seeing how I screwed up the steps on the made cabin , I wonder how I might botch ones that wrap around a corner )

This year, I did do as Kelly and Bob advised last year, and I thought that some folks might be interested in the results.

Photo 1: shows the problem pier

Photo 2: shows how I grafted on a joist

Photo 3: shows the end result (well not quite the end because the railing still needs to be completed and there is still some staining to do)

The effect of the "fanned out" deck looks quite natural. My friend Terry West who helped me drill the holes in the bedrock for the rebar to hold the piers, even bragged to his wife about our "design".

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Excellent recovery Frank.....It looks like it was planned!

[Richard Wolf]

Beautiful Frank, that splay in the deck is for easier access, right!

Richard

[Jim Becker]

Elegant solution, Frank!! Nice view, too...

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Fine work Frank!! As I would say on the job..."looks like we intended it to be that way!!!"