# My Log Cabin Barn Has to Be Torn Down



## Michael

Well I am starting the project from he!!, The pervious owner of my property was on on something and built a log cabin barn or so says the building permit. Well the dude never got finished and I bought the property 5 years ago and put my mobile home on the property opposite of the barn. Well this year I decided to get rid of the barn and have started to cut all the rebar he has holding this pile of logs together. The barn is about 20 by 20 foot squasre and about 30 feet high.
My question does anyone living in Washington state want at least 2 cords of firewood? All you got to remember to do is look for where the rebar is when you cut it up for firewood. 
I have a picture and I am have a bulldozer that I plan on renting in 2 weeks.


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## jodyand

It would make one heck of a bon fire But one question why didn't he notch the logs:question:


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## Live Oak

That looks like a right nice looking building. I think I would be inclinded to finish it up and use it.


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## Argee

I agree with Chief. That's a sturdy structure, you can even leave it ventilated an use it as a corn crib.


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## bigl22

holy cow!! don't tear it down-- if you just don't want to ***** it, roof it an finish it-- put an ad in the papers - ebay etc, and sell it -- folks will come get it and remove it for you! ---- what a waste to burn it !


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## Chris

I agree --- don't tear it down. Finish it off and use it for something. I cannot imagine that you would have alot $ into it left and you would have a really nifty looking 400sq foot workshop or storage shed --- even if you just toss some galvanized tin on the roof it is better than demo'ing it IMHO.

Think about it.

Andy


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## guest

20 *20 is a little small for a barn.. but too bad you are gonna tear it down.. seems a waste of the guys time & efffort...


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## Chipmaker

I would give the GW Spikes left nut for that building on my property just like it is. Sure would be a shame to tear it down. Just a bit more work and a roof and chinking it and it would make a super storage shed or small barn.......


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## Live Oak

I would LOVE to have a building like that on my property as well. Too bad you are so far away. I would come and get it. Would make a great place for my "stuff".


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## Michael

The problem is the cost and I would have to figure out how to put a floor in. The 2nd problem is he used fir and about half of it is rotting away and the logs have damage from carpenter ants. Literally on the north side of it, it has sunk into the clay based ground. I study long and hard on what to do for it but the only thing I can figure out for it is it has to come down and the county is on me to do something with it. I want to build my new house next year right where it is at and it is to small for what I have planned. I do not know why the druggy did not notch the logs but used the butt and pass method. What he did sure is a waste but I will be using the foundation blocks around the edge of my property and setting the good logs on top of them like at lot of the old state parks and the forest service does.


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## Chris

> _Originally posted by Chipmaker _
> *I would give the GW Spikes left nut for that building on my property just like it is. Sure would be a shame to tear it down. Just a bit more work and a roof and chinking it and it would make a super storage shed or small barn....... *


At least you didn't offer to give my left nut for this building...
I was getting worried. 

Andy
:furious: :furious: :furious:


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## Michael

> _Originally posted by bigl22 _
> *holy cow!! don't tear it down-- if you just don't want to ***** it, roof it an finish it-- put an ad in the papers - ebay etc, and sell it -- folks will come get it and remove it for you! ---- what a waste to burn it ! *


I already did that and there was lots of talking but no action, I had almost 25 folks look at it after the ad in the paper and it still is setting here. I would bet a dollar to a donut once it is on the ground the flys will be out of the wood work to come take parts of but it is to late as I have already promised parts of to the neighbor who is helping me to this thing down.


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## Chris

Too bad ------- It is a shame that it will never fully realize its potential as a nice log workshop as it was intended. I guess we 
all need to make hard decisions at times concerning projects and our "big picture" motives. Good luck with your project. Wish you could have salvaged this piece. Thanks for taking the time to share this with us. 

Andy
:friends:


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## Michael

If it was not rotting and not have the carpenter ants the thing would stay and I would finish it. The largest problem is it has sunk about 8-10 inches on the north wall and the ants have taken a liking to over there. The good part is that I will be able to have a permeter of the logs around the north end of my property where the brats with the ATV will not be able to tear up my yard anymore over there. They have already torn down my barb wire fence twice to ride over there and I have had the sheriff out numerous times. I betcha they will not be able to move these logs once they are set in place. So parts of the building will remain for years on here on the property.


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## Chris

Wow that really sucks about the brats and their ATVs...So they
just trespass and tear up everything just for kicks huh? I bet if you told their parents, they would side with their kids and deny the whole thing ever happened. I would be tempted to lay down a couple claymores ----- just for good measure, or perhaps a 
spike strip or two.

FYIW, good luck with the project and keep sending us the pics.


Andy


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## Michael

Well today I finally got some more destruction going and took off the rafters. Boy were those suckers rotten. And I started to disassembly the north and the west walls.


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## Michael

Sorry that the picture is so dark as the sun is setting. I'll get better pictures tomorrow as long as it does not rain. The weather man is predicting rain but we will see. 
Well off to dinner I go...


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## jodyand

Be careful with that you don't want one of those logs falling on you. Take it slow and be safe.


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## Michael

What I am doing is leaving 1 to 2 pieces of rebar uncut as I go then I put a tow strap aroung them and then strecthing out a 50 foot chain and 25 foot of chain on the back of my Dodge Ram and then I proceed to give a good yank with the Ram and the parts come flying down. I am well away from any logs and I am super cautious about it.


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## homergreg

*deja vu!*

Remember John in GA's PIC? 


Be sure and pull AWAY from the house!

:furious: :furious: :furious:


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## Michael

OH YEA!!!!  I remember the picture but I have 2 and half acres that give me plenty of room to stop and turn around for another stab at it........:homereat: I also will not pull in the direction of the house. just remembering it is sometimes hard.cruisin :devil:


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## Michael

Well now I have a rather large mess of logs on the ground and no accidents. I finally get to see the neighborhood on the north side and can see all the way to the valley from my dining room. What a difference it already makes. I had a bunch of folks worried about me climbing around the thing like a monkey but I did not make one mis step and the word is out that there is free firewood. Here's a picture of the piled up mess.


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## Michael

and another view


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## aegt5000

Michael,

Go on the GW site and post all the pictures in reverse
and tell everyone you are building a log cabin


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## Michael

I got kick off GW a while back for being a midnight tractorforum dot com raider.:devil: :devil: :devil: :spinsmile


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## aegt5000

Thank God you made THAT post.
It's how I learned about this forum
Thank's again for sacrifing yourself for the good of others
You are a real Tractor hero


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## Michael

Yep, I got you over here but I still enjoy your Picture of the GT 5000 that you used to have as a avatar. I know if I post over there I would get put down like Willie Nunoz does for posting pictures of the work he does with his Husq. because I used my V-10 Dodge Ram to pull this old barn down. I did not realize how rotten that the north side was, 90% of it was rotten.


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## johnray13

> _Originally posted by aegt5000 _
> *Michael,
> 
> Go on the GW site and post all the pictures in reverse
> and tell everyone you are building a log cabin *


 :furious: :furious: :furious:


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## Stewart

You are not keeping any of it yourself? That would keep me in wood for a while!


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## guest

wow I bet that thing came down a lot faster than it took the previous owner to put up...


if the wood is too rotted for any functional use.... maybe you can have a texas style bon-fire


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## Michael

About 90% of the north wall was rotted and 50% of the east wall was also rotted. The south and west sides were in really good shape. 
I also learned that the center supports were not anchor in anyway and they came down when I pulled down the north wall, talk about a good thud when it fell, I could feel it in the truck when the top beam fell abainst the north wall, In fact it speeded up the knocking down of the east wall as it fell in that direction.
A good bonfire is what I plan for the more rotted wood next week and I will be placing some of the logs on the north end of the property to slow down the kids in there ATVs.


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## Stewart

It is too bad you couldn't use it as a shop or something but maybe it will help keep folks off your property!


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## Michael

Well some of the things I learned with no anchoring of the center supports it would never of been safe. I know that some folks will be sept in firewood all next winter and they can come and cut themselves free for the taking. I wish it had been better but it will keep some folks warm and I plan on cutting up a cord myself for my wood stove so it will work for me also.


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## Stewart

The hardest part will be cleaning up now that you have it torn down!!!:dazed: :cheers:


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## Michael

Well yesterday (Wednesday) I had 2 guys with the meanest rip roaring chainsaws taking alot of the stuff I did not want. They were even cutting up a lot of the rotten stuff and taking that also, They had 2 full cords of wood when I left for work and were getting ready to leave. They said they would be back on Thursday afternoon for more. I marked the logs I wanted to keep and they were going to town on the rest. I put up signs yesterday and in less than a hour they were here. Well thats one way of getting the mess cleaned up.


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## Michael

Well today after a busy day, I had 5 people all at once cutting and loading up I would guess another 5-7 cords of wood from noon-8 P.M. 
The piles are all gone from in front of where the old barn stood and the house side is pretty much gone. Talk about a easy clean up, Everybody is so cooperative on getting the wood and they are cleaning and raking up all the kindling up as they go. I appreciate everything they are doing for me and Sunday I figure I will have more gone. 
One guy said he would be back today even though he said he had plenty for this winter, but enough is never enough and he could always have enough he could give some to his brother.


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## Michael

Here's the latest Picture of the rapidly disappearing barn


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## jodyand

Almost gone it looks like your ladder back there is a little bent


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## Argee

> _Originally posted by Michael _
> * I appreciate everything they are doing for me and Sunday I figure I will have more gone.
> One guy said he would be back today even though he said he had plenty for this winter, but enough is never enough and he could always have enough he could give some to his brother. *


They should appreciate what your doing for them!


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## Michael

The ladder was a old busted up ladder left inside when the druggy built the building, The problem was I had no way to get the ladder out so I just left it and it got bent up on the tearing down of the barn. The only really big problem is I still have a few logs left on the North side that I have to remove by next weekend because I will have the bulldozer on next Sunday.


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## Michael

Here's the Kubota at work carrying a piece away


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## jodyand

Looks like you are lining the property with them. Or just hauling them out to the road.


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## Michael

I'm lining the front of the property with the skinny logs and using the heavier peices to stand upright on both sides of the driveway kind of like at the piers. Sort of giving it the pier style.


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## Live Oak

That is a pretty good chunk of wood. It is a shame the barn had to be torn down. What are you doing with the left over pieces?


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## Michael

The rotted ones no one wants are going to burned and the rest I am lining the property with. I agree that if the building had been safe I would have finished and used it as a storage building. Since I can only do the safe thing and bring her down I will use them for landscaping.


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## Live Oak

Your Kubota looked very familiar. My last tractor was a Kubota L245. I had the L1200 FEL and L590 RFM. Is that a Koyker FEL?


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## Michael

No that Kubota is a L185 with a aftermarket FEL of unknown name that the pervious owner put on it. I got the whole setup including a Kubota 48" rototiller for $4300.00 The only problem I have with the tractor is the fact even the seat all way back is the fact it is a bit tight for me because I'm 6'6" tall.:spinsmile


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## Live Oak

I saw in your profile it was an L185 but all of those L series tractors had the same sheetmetal. Good little tractors. I had the same problem with space in the seat on my as well. Got plenty on the 4410.


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## Michael

The only problem I am having with it right now is the alternator is worn out and I will have to repair it later (rebuild) as the alternator light is on. Otherwise then that it has been a great tractor.


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## Live Oak

> _Originally posted by Michael _
> *The only problem I am having with it right now is the alternator is worn out and I will have to repair it later (rebuild) as the alternator light is on. Otherwise then that it has been a great tractor. *


Give Ronnie Bowman a call at TractorSmart.com he was VERY knowledgable and helpful to me with my L245. Here is there cost for an alternator: 

Kubota L185 Tractor Electrical Parts 

They had very reasonable prices too!


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## Michael

I tend to try and rebuild them before I go and get and get new ones. I am thinking the brushes are either worn or the regulator is going. The tractor only has 660 hours so I am thinking the regulator is bad. The prices are a lot less to do a rebuild then to buy a new one. Either way his prices are really reasonable on the new alternator.


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## Live Oak

I believe they carried the regulatory as well.


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## Michael

Yeah he has it for $25.00. I just to lazy to get my voltage tesing equipment out and test the system. Maybe ionce I'm done getting the barn project done and get a good mowing done I will find the time to get a look see at the problem.


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## Live Oak

Does the battery stay charged up or do you have to charge it?


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## Michael

Once in a while I have to jump start it but for the most part it stays up.


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## Michael

Someone Mentioned a Texas Bar-B-Q, see picture.


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