Fred King

In Colorado where I live I heard someone with big hair and a Texas accent ask how old do those dears have to be before they turned into elks? Not typical of many Texans but there is a percentage.

I don't think think I could recommend building on wooden blocks set on the surface if you plan doors and windows.  The level of the blocks will change, the walls set on them will change but windows and doors can't.  Problems opening and. closing and possible even breakage are almost certain.  Trees have many roots and seem to forgive burrowing animals the loss of a few. The probably would forgive the loss of few to make your home stable to. They will grow or enlarge other roots and no long-term damage will result if most of roots are undamaged.

I live in the foot hills of the southern Colorado Rockies.  A neighbor has a therie that it takes 26 cats to reproduce faster than local preditors can catch them. Seems to work for them,  but the sound of a can cat food opening makes me think of an earthquake, everything seems to start moving.  Luckily my dog is taking care of my varment problem for me. I don't like cats enough to have 26 but before I got her I had mice, packrats and chipmunks piloting to get me out so I would stop interrupting their plans for my house and yard.

Lovely pipe dream indeed. It would work well in one of my hand crafted log houses and be so much fun to build. I wonder if I could do it as stairs with half log risers (steps). Thanks for the dream.

I am off grid and have been for years.  My panels produce power unless they are snow covered and I am not home to remove it. Admittedly on cloudy days the output drops by 50% or more but sence I have more panel output than my batteries would normally require the batteries still get charged if don't use the power faster than the panels make it. I think given the low cost of panels now (unless Trump screws it up with import restrictions) it would be more cost effective to ad more panels than batteries to store months of power.  On sunny days the extra power can be diverted for heat for water or air.

If you are interested in charcoal and or biochar you might try the Drive on Wood site. It is mainly for wood gratification but many people run small engines (and some not so small) on charcoal and the charcoal section of the site shows several ways of making it. They often use larger pieces in a charcoal gasifier to run an engine and the fines as biochar.

One guestion, your post mentioned trusses but the picture seems to show rafters although its hard to tell only seeing them out side the wall. A truss has a horizontal tie at top of wall that keeps the angled beams from pushing out on the walls so truss would be easier to attach. The truss wouldn't try to slide out and down from the weight of the roof but I think Mr Redhauk is right about the use of a plate or beam well anchored to the top of the wall and if rafters rather than trusses are used a ridge pole or beam to support the peak might be a good idea.

Looks a great job. One possible problem could be gravel stones flipped up into front window. A shutter to protect on the road might be worth the trouble.  Enjoy!

I grew up on a farm as the only son with 3 sisters so never found time to develop sewing skills but learned many other skills. I have a friend and neighbor who is glad to trade my skills for her sewing skills if I have something worth saving (new zipper in a carhart jacket). If sew you might offer to trade mending for help with something you don't know how to do.

I build log houses and use a log wizard on every iog. When I first got one I mounted on the end of a 18" bar (shortest I had at the time) and found it very hard to control. But then my logs will become someone's wall paper and siding. For cordwood a smooth finish may not be important. I found that adjusting how far the blades stick out of the drum can make the cut much easier to control (I use a $10 harbor frate caliper to keep them even). To keep the unit as short as possible, I get 2 bars with bad tips from my saw dealer, cut the engine mount end of both and weld them together. One end on the saw and the log wizard on other with no drilling (not easy with a saw bar). I once hired someone to debark logs who thought the trigger was a light switch,  all the way on or all the way off. The problem is that if the log wizard isn't using all power saw has it stop sparking (fireing) ever other time and the unburned gas built up carbon under the piston rings forcing them out until they ate the cylinder on 3 new saws, about 6 weeks each before I figured out why. You should keep speed near max but not wide open. Good luck with your cordwood house. I once a cold northern Wisconsin winter in one and stayed warm inside with a small wood stove.