My New Timber Frame Sugar Shack

[Bigschuss]

I spent this summer cutting the joinery for my 12x16 sugar shack. Half of the timbers are spruce from my land that I felled and had milled by a local sawyer. The other half is white pine I bought. Gathered a bunch of friends last Saturday and put it up in just over 4 hours. It was just a perfect day...followed by some good food and some cold beverages.

I'm going to build a lean-to on each side...one for a deck and entrance and wood storage, and on the other side for my '58 Fast Hitch.

Hope you enjoy,
Blair

[Rudi]

Blair:

Now that is what I call timber construction.... Love it. Nice to see folks still using the old ways, mortise and tenon, dowel pins even a homemade wooden maul I assume that this section will hold the evaporator and firebox? Did you build an ashpit or are you going to use a different heat source? More pics please.... this is such an interesting project.

You have some real nice stock on your land... Wish I could harvest stock like that on my land. Unfortunately I only have maybe a half dozen white pines of suitable size and maybe a dozen eastern white spruce that would qualify as well.. and they are still younguns so they are staying up.

[John(videodoc)]

that is sweet, made to last!

[OliverFarmall]

That's fantastic ! ... makes me think I need to do this in the next 10 years myself. Congrats !

[LonghornRancher]

This is so cool. Please keep us updated with the progression.

[Tezell]

Nice! Thanks for posting the pictures. Looks really nice.

[Bigdog]

I love it! The old technology is still appropriate today!

[poppy-1948]

Very nice. It looks a lot like one I saw on countryplans.com. I'm "poppy" on that site and have started my own timber frame cabin.

[Bill Hudson]

Blair,

Now that is some industrial strength framing. Keeping sending pics of your progress.

Bill

[LonghornRancher]

Where did the timber come from? I ain't never seen that kind of wood for sale at Home Dumpo.

[Gary Dotson]

Looks like an old fashion barn raising! Great Job!

[1541]

That is cool It is great to see craftsmanship still alive and well. Your sugar shack will still be standing many years from now One of the farms we used to go coon hunting on had an old sugar camp. I spent many a rainy night sitting under the porch at the camp listening to the dogs run

[Bigschuss]

Thanks for the kind words gentlemen. It's nice to see that this kind of old-school craftsmanship is still appreciated.

It really was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. And to know that this will last 200 plus years is what makes timber-framing so special.

Also forgot to mention that the frame sits on top of a root cellar that I put in last summer. It's made of cement block and has 2 rooms. Should be a good place to store raw sap and all of our fall root crops and some apples.

Thanks again.
Blair

[Joe Malinowski]

That looks great Blair, nice to see what that pile of timbers has turned into, great project. I really enjoyed my trip up to Savoy to meet you and hope to get time to visit again to see your project when it is finished. I like the valley you live in, but I would have to say your house is set right in the middle of some of the most scenic land in this state. Is route 2 open again?

[Bigschuss]

That looks great Blair, nice to see what that pile of timbers has turned into, great project. I really enjoyed my trip up to Savoy to meet you and hope to get time to visit again to see your project when it is finished. I like the valley you live in, but I would have to say your house is set right in the middle of some of the most scenic land in this state. Is route 2 open again?

Hi Joe,

You'll have to swing through sometime when the sap is flowing.

Rte 2 is closed....in fact, all Rte 2 traffic is being detoured right through Savoy and into Adams.

I was in your neck of the woods yesterday. My girls soccer team played Frontier. That is nice country as well. Love the farms and tractors around every corner.

Take care,
Blair