Ranch Cabin Build

[wlee15]

Hey William,

I've been watching your cabin build thread. Awesome stuff. I recently purchased some property in Rocksprings as well and had a few questions for you about the septic you're doing.

Obviously, below-ground septic seems almost impossible out there because of all the rock. Is below ground just really hard or is it also just not possible as the ground isn't' permeable enough?
I can't find any resources for how to setup an above-ground septic like you're doing.

Do you have some sort of drain lateral off the tank or will it just fill up and then you'll eventually service it?
Did you have to get it apporved by the county or are you doing an off the books sort of thing?

Really been enjoying your build and you've inspired me to one day to the same thing. I'm sort of just stuck on how the septic part of a cabin would work out there.

Thanks!
Joel

I do not have any lateral lines. It is a closed system. I have a 600 gal tank, with weekend use it should last about a year between servicing. I will have to keep any eye on it. I think I have had it 6 months out there now and it is less than 1/3 full.

[joel1618]

I do not have any lateral lines. It is a closed system. I have a 600 gal tank, with weekend use it should last about a year between servicing. I will have to keep any eye on it. I think I have had it 6 months out there now and it is less than 1/3 full.

I gotcha, thanks for the tip! Makes sense to do out there.

[Tjacks84]

Man that is awesome.

[joel1618]

wlee,

It seems you used 14 gauge square steel for most of the structure?

Where in San Antonio did you source it?
Wood prices as they are i'm thinking of doing the same thing you did with steel.

Are you using Mig welding?

How did you come up with your span calculations for the rafters and studs? I'm imagining steel doesn't need to be 16" on center and can span way more than wood can?

Thanks for the tips and insight!

[wlee15]

wlee,

It seems you used 14 gauge square steel for most of the structure?

Where in San Antonio did you source it?
Wood prices as they are i'm thinking of doing the same thing you did with steel.

Are you using Mig welding?

How did you come up with your span calculations for the rafters and studs? I'm imagining steel doesn't need to be 16" on center and can span way more than wood can?

Thanks for the tips and insight!

I called around every time I needed something to find the best price. Most of the steel was from PMI. R Panels came from Metal Mart or Ashley Salvage.

I went with 2' centers on the rafters. Rafters and a lot of the load bearing steel was 11ga.

internal framing on floors and in walls was all 14ga.

We used a flux core wire welder for 99% of the welds. The rafters we used a stick welder only because it had longer leads.

Make sure you plan for plenty of gussets. They really help keep the framing solid. And paint the metal as soon as you get it welded in place. I spent more time than i needed to prepping for paint because I left hem out in the elements a few weeks or months.

I agree wood prices are ridiculous right now.

Good luck and create post for your project when you get going.

I haven't done much work the last few months. My whole family caught the Rona during the Christmas break. Luckily we all had little issues with it.

This weekend I will be out there doing some work and meeting with a water well company to drill me a well!

[IkemanTX]

An idea I saw in case you need future furniture





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Those are cool as can be...

[chaseh]

Thanks for sharing. Neat place you have there.

[joel1618]

I called around every time I needed something to find the best price. Most of the steel was from PMI. R Panels came from Metal Mart or Ashley Salvage.

I went with 2' centers on the rafters. Rafters and a lot of the load bearing steel was 11ga.

internal framing on floors and in walls was all 14ga.

We used a flux core wire welder for 99% of the welds. The rafters we used a stick welder only because it had longer leads.

Make sure you plan for plenty of gussets. They really help keep the framing solid. And paint the metal as soon as you get it welded in place. I spent more time than i needed to prepping for paint because I left hem out in the elements a few weeks or months.

I agree wood prices are ridiculous right now.

Good luck and create post for your project when you get going.

I haven't done much work the last few months. My whole family caught the Rona during the Christmas break. Luckily we all had little issues with it.

This weekend I will be out there doing some work and meeting with a water well company to drill me a well!

Thanks for the info!

I just called Ashley Salvage 5 minutes ago funny enough. Their 14 gauge 2"x2"x8' is almost the same price as a 2x6x8 piece of wood crazily enough.

Sorry to hear about the slowdown but glad no one got too sick.

I realized my place is right off the same road you're on. I'm in Comanche Hills area right off 450 as well. Just bought the place last month and already was able to get 2 whitetail and 1 axis this season. Tons of deer out there.

Interested to see how your well project goes. I got a preliminary quote just before i bought the place for around $15k. No idea the details just wanted to get a rough idea.

[wlee15]

Thanks for the info!

I just called Ashley Salvage 5 minutes ago funny enough. Their 14 gauge 2"x2"x8' is almost the same price as a 2x6x8 piece of wood crazily enough.

Sorry to hear about the slowdown but glad no one got too sick.

I realized my place is right off the same road you're on. I'm in Comanche Hills area right off 450 as well. Just bought the place last month and already was able to get 2 whitetail and 1 axis this season. Tons of deer out there.

Interested to see how your well project goes. I got a preliminary quote just before i bought the place for around $15k. No idea the details just wanted to get a rough idea.

It sounds like I built just in time. I think your in the first subdivision on the left off 450 correct? I met a great couple in there about a year ago. Names are Steve and Karen, really nice people. It is a great area.

Here is what I was paying 2 years ago for my steel & wood:

3x3x24 14ga - $42.09 each
2x2x24 14ga - $27.80 each

Wood for deck was:
2x6x8 treated - $5.98 each
2x6x10 treated - $7.67 each
2x6x16 treated - 12.67 each

R Panel for roof was a total of $800.97 that was 27 aprox 9'3" panels.

current prices are crazy high right now.

[jer_james]

Love seeing the updates - Yall take care!

[joel1618]

It sounds like I built just in time. I think your in the first subdivision on the left off 450 correct? I met a great couple in there about a year ago. Names are Steve and Karen, really nice people. It is a great area.

Here is what I was paying 2 years ago for my steel & wood:

3x3x24 14ga - $42.09 each
2x2x24 14ga - $27.80 each

Wood for deck was:
2x6x8 treated - $5.98 each
2x6x10 treated - $7.67 each
2x6x16 treated - 12.67 each

R Panel for roof was a total of $800.97 that was 27 aprox 9'3" panels.

current prices are crazy high right now.

Yep that's correct!
I bought the place from a Steven, Lynn, and their son Matt. I wonder if Lynn sometimes goes by Karen? Maybe the same people. I'll keep a lookout for Steve and Karen.

Those material prices seem like a dream.
I think 2x2x8 14ga is like $23 at the moment.
2x6x8 is $13.
You're cabin just tripled in value just based on material prices haha

[wlee15]

It has been a while since I last posted any progress. I have spent more time hunting and enjoying the property. I am all of a sudden covered up in Axis.
There is a pretty good buck coming to the feeders and I have spent the time just hunting that one buck. I passed on many other axis deer just trying the get him. Every time I was there he didn't show up, but right after I leave the ranch to head home he would show up. It was frustrating but there is a reason he is still alive... Pic 1 is a picture of the buck. I have so many trail cam pictures of him, but still have not seen him in person. Since the ice/snow storm I haven't seen him (the last 2 weeks) I just hope he is still around and didn't die from the freeze or from someone else's bullet.

Over the last 2 months some things we have accomplished:

1) Added 3 sides to the future Saloon (right now it is being used as a garage for the Can-Am. (pic 2)
2) Added a TV to the inside and outside of the cabin (pics 3-5)
3) Added barn doors for the bedrooms (Pics 6-7)
4) Built a custom ships ladder for the loft. (pics 8-10)
5) installed the ships ladder and added the loft railing to inside (pics 11-15)


After the ice storm and deep freeze I had some plumping issues. All of them were inside the bath-house. The toilet valve froze and broke, the shower water heater broke and one PVC pipe fitting broke. I am going to have to repair the toilet and install a new shower water heater. The last pictures are some freezing rain pictures.

[Stolle]

Looking great! Good luck on the axis buck.


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[Quackerbox]

The ladder is exactly what I need. Did you just make it up or see it somewhere

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[wlee15]

The ladder is exactly what I need. Did you just make it up or see it somewhere

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We made it with 2X6X16 white Pine lumber. it is only 11' long but had to use 16' because all the 12's that Lowes had were crap. It was pretty simple to make. I bought bunk bed hooks off amazon ( https://www.amazon.com/Eforlike-Insi...4777916&sr=8-8 ) to secure it to the wall when it is both upright and extended.