my dirt bag cabin

[Porkbrick]

moar! fall is fast approaching and rain is now my nemesis. im pushing hard to get all the straw up and covered on the exterior before it gets wet. nice thing about bales is they are big and they fill space quick. unfortunately it is a little awkward fitting the first row around the beams and odd angles of the corners.it seems as though im going to end up using just about every alternative building style can think of in this build.i driiled and epoxied rebar into the bond beam, two per bale. found out they are a real bitch to shove bales onto if they are not sharpened. watch where you sit!

starting to pile up...

the back side of the cabin. two vertical bales will fit into the gap between the windows.

 

[MasterBlaster]

That just blows my mind.

You owe me a brain!!!

 

[woodworkingboy]

Come a long ways!

 

[Porkbrick]

that was last week. this is today...

working alone today, so i set up a 3 to 1 progress capture system with the hybrid OAR to hoist the bales.



to the roof!



the hedger does a really fantastic job of trimming up the wall...



cheers!

 

[woodworkingboy]

I was in a house in BC that used hay bales in a similar way. Apparently it worked very well.

 

[Burnham]

Jaime, you are doing a beautiful piece of work there, without a doubt. I hope to be fortunate enough to one day see it personally. Total kudos.

 

[squisher]

Crazy progress man. Way to go!

 

[Jed]

Looking just amazing Jaime. We saw a straw bail house in El Dorado, NM that ended-up selling for about $400,000.00. Wasn't too much bigger than your cabin either. Plus, yours looks cooler.

 

[flushcut]

Super cool! Starting to look like home.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Do the hay bales last indefinitely? Here with thatched roof structures, they smoke the inside to give the grass longevity, or for residences, it happens over time from inside cooking and heat fires. Older places that get smoked, bugs and snakes and mouskateers will fall out.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Wow!

 

[Porkbrick]

the bales do last a very long time, provided they are protected properly. they will be sealed inside and out with a fairly thick plaster, and the roof overhangs are good and wide. that is the crux of my rush to get them in place before rain. if the bales get wet, they will mold and begin to decompose.

 

[pete mctree]

I love this thread. You have my admiration for embarking on & working through such an innovative build.

 

[Burnham]

I'm with Pete, it's great fun to watch your project move forward!

 

[Porkbrick]

if there is another west coast get together, i would be thrilled to host. it is remote though...

 

[Burnham]

I'm in!

 

[CurSedVoyce]

 

[Treepreacher51]

I'd be there in a heart beat!

 

[woodworkingboy]

it is remote though...

That is cool, but you mean there are some big trees around.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I'd be there in a heart beat!

Jesse!!!

 

[Porkbrick]

there are indeed some big trees! a few redwoods close to 200', not monsters, but respectable. oh, and the trees are mine, so, permission granted to climb!

 

[stig]

Redwoods on your property.
Maaaaan, I am so envious!!!!
Did you ever tell us the location of your cabin. I don't mean precise, just whereabouts in general.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Guess I should take the new truck and go scope this paradise out

 

[Steve Mack]

Can I come?

 

[Porkbrick]

Redwoods on your property.
Maaaaan, I am so envious!!!!
Did you ever tell us the location of your cabin. I don't mean precise, just whereabouts in general.

In the hills of northern santa cruz county. Steep country that was too difficult to log out completely. Seriously, if there is interest, im down to host spring 2015 west coast get together, or any treehouser rolling through on a random weekend.