Log Gazebo

Lil setting up our mobile shop

My father put up a flat platform for visitors to pitch tents on.  I am building a log frame and decorative roof around and on top of it to my Mother's specifications.

Lil and I moved a large amount of our shop to the tent platform to begin this work including a chain saw, gas, oil, reciprocating saw, water hose, drill, many drill bits, impact wrench, sawhorses, ladders, levels, wheelbarrow, and hammers and nails.  We also had a couple "death machines".  Death machines are my nephew Kian's word for tape measures after the end of one coiled in and severely bruised his finger.  My brother Patrick and I also moved 4 cinder blocks, 100 pounds of peat gravel, and 600 pounds of concrete mix.  All this was under TomTom's silent gaze.  We lost a day of labor at least moving 1000s of pounds of materials to this site by hand.

Lil and I then drilled the posts and bolted the steel strapping on each post to help secure the posts to the concrete footers.  She did a good job remembering how to assemble them as: "bolt, washer, strap, log, strap, washer, nut."  We started standing up the posts in the footer holes on cinder blocks with peat gravel for drainage.  Then Kian and Patrick came back from fishing.

Kian signing his bench

Kian's bench is really nice, but we thought it might need some more work, like the pergola always seems to.  We found my Father's magnifying glass and I showed Kian how to focus the sun's rays to burn wood.  He instantly took to this technique and promptly burnt his name, a smiley face, a very nice sail boat, and the year onto his new bench.  This did not take him very long, so Patrick helped him build a bow out of a willow branch.  Building an industrial stockpile of arrows occupied Kian for awhile longer.  Then he did some practicing to hone his aim.

Kian getting ready to hunt some antelope for dinner.



Gazebo post and antelope

Setting posts

Meanwhile, on the construction site, we mixed the concrete and covered it with plastic.  We will be keeping the cement damp a couple times a day for the next few days to cure properly.  There was a herd of antelope in the field behind the tent platform hanging out all day.  Several of the females look close to having kids.

After we got all the posts set, I cut them all to the level of the lowest post with my chain saw which was 8 feet and 6 inches off the tent platform.  The tent platform is exactly level and square 15 years or so after Dad built it.  This makes it a pleasure to build around and upon.  After cutting the posts to length, I v-notched them to receive the "beams".  Patrick and I were able to place the first one, pre-drill, and run giant 1/2 inch diameter, 10 inch long lag screws down from the top to affix them in place.

Gazebo with a singe rail up and some peaks in the background