After seeing the cover article a few months back ,my dear wife thought we should have one to shade our South facing glass from Summer solar gain as well as a place for vines to grow.
My good friend is a highly skilled timber framer who agreed to construct this unit from Douglas fir Alfred Bourgoin DBA Dovetails Plus.
Work is in progress some pictures to show his workmanship.
You don't have to sacrifice historical elements of a house in the name of energy efficiency.
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Replies
Looks like it's going to be really nice - make sure to post those finished shots when you get them.
Justin Fink - FHB Editorial
Your Friendly Neighborhood Moderator
Justin,
You won't believe how gorgeous this unit will be!
You'll be sick of seeing all the pics I put on.
How will you protect it from the weather?
Mike,
It's being constructed of Douglas fir which has pretty good resistance to weather. We won't be using any preservative except for the bottoms of the six columns.
Hopefully, it will weather nicely and last 20-30 years.
I want to build an arbor and I've been choking on the price of red cedar. Now I'm thinking I might be ok using Doug fir.
"With every mistake we must surely be learning"
yeah ...
leaving the mag around can be dangerous.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
You're right to some degree-money being spent.
We built a Victorian inspired house so this unit,once completed ,will really fit in nicely.It will give our South side some respite from passive solar gain.
I'll be posting more pics as he gets further along.
Looks nice, keep the pics coming.
Whats that machine the guys using?
Doug
It's a chain mortiser.
I knew it was a morticer but what brand/kind?
Price would be nice to.
Doug
Edited 6/15/2006 10:03 pm ET by DougU
slate.. your friend looks like he could be stan foster's twin... separated at birth ?
View ImageMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Doug,
I'll look today to find the brand-I think it might be Makita but not sure.
It works like a charm for him though.
Mike,
Is that the gyro copter man? I'm relatively new and don't know all the regulars yet.
I'm heading back to Vinalhaven to finish that thru flash job I started a while back.I'll post the photos of the wrapped tiles.Did you get the Shutterfly album I sent along?
More pics of the beam work in progress.
Pic 75 shows the mock up for the cross beam ends which will extend a foot beyond the main beams.
Pic 82 shows the scarf joint used to join the long top beams.
The whole structure will be 10' x 24'. The 5/4 laying off to the side innnn the stacked beam shot will be used on top of the ogee end cross beams.
Edited 6/16/2006 7:45 am ET by theslateman
Doug,
It's made by Makita-but it's not blue!
The cost is around $1500 -Our local Makita rep,who I saw today at an open house for tools and such, said there seems to be a lot of sales of these lately. I'm near Bangor,Me. and he probably covers the whole State.
Thanks Slate
Looks like a cool tool, wonder if I could justify one!
Keep the pix coming, looks to be a neat piece when its done.
Doug
Say hi to Alf for me. Haven't seen him in years. I was the drummer in his brother Rusty's band, through high school. I hope all is well with the family.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Alfred and Rusty are both doing real well.
Where are you located now? It is a small virtual world isn't it!
I'm glad to hear that the Bourgoin boys are doing well. Although I haven't seen Alfred, I know that he is a respected craftsman. You will have a marvelous structure. I'm in Gorham, been here about 30 yrs. I still get together with some of the old H2Oville crowd. One of the guys gave me a newspaper clipping with a picture of the band. Hope that doesn't go public again! I'm also a builder and sometimes finish off timberframes. I'll look forward to future pictures.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Here are some more shots of the pergola that my friend is building for my wife and I.
His friends(also contractors and timber framers helped with the raising)
I'm thrilled with the quality of his workmanship-I think you'll agree!
Slate
Bout damn time! :)
Besides Mike Smiths and Stans threads yours is one that I egerly wait for.
Thanks, its looking good.
Doug
Doug,
Thanks for the kind words.Alfred will be completed in a few days time and I'll post the finished pics then.
More pictures of work in progress.
Check out the router set up for the ogee profile on the cross beams.
Today the ogee end cross beams went up.
The frame and braces are complete.
Tomorrow the 5/4" x 4" is screwed down to the croos beams with 2 1/2" stainless screws -staging taken down and start growing some vines on it.
How do you source DF beams?
We have a local mill that brings rail cars of huge beams here from the West Coast-then they resaw the lengths and beam sizes that are needed.
They sell a lot of it on the Coast of Maine.
Justin,
Alfred has completed the douglas fir pergola as a stunning addition to our home.
You asked to see pics of the finished unit-so here they are!
The man wearing the pink hat is the slateman.
Edited 6/28/2006 2:00 pm ET by theslateman
Newburgh looked in my NatGeographic Atlas and couldn't find you after 45 seconds - you near the 45th parallel?
beautiful addition to your smashin house and aspect
what you going to grow on that to help take the squint outa your eyes lookin over that meadow?
I built a screen/storm door muy similar to that a few yrs ago /close to as fine as yoursthat fir in the ground treated w/ some of your roof tar or something I hope
John,
Newburgh is just South of Bangor-home of horror writer Stephen King,yes near the 45th parallel.
Thanks for the positive feedback.Planting the vines and such will be my wifes chore.We'll also add some hooks for bird feeders and hanging potted plants at strategic locations I think.
The post bottoms are just above ground level,sitting on poured sonotubes.
That pergola looks great.
Is it going to get some stone feet at the bottom of those posts?zak
"so it goes"
Zak,
You probably noticed all the granite paving blocks,retaining wall slabs,and large set of granite steps.
I'll be filling in the paving blocks to just come up next to the posts-but they will remain an inch above the walkway on the inside and garden soil on the outside.
Aren't you the fellow who does a lot of stonework? I've still got a large retaing wall to build with granite 30' to the left of the pergola.It's probably 80' long and it will be 4' to 5' high.Luckily I've got most of the product on hand-all recycled stone.
Hey slateman, did you ever tell us how the posts are attached at the bottom?Plan to put a sealer/finish on that beautiful structure?
Each 6" sonotube has a 3/4" stainless rod projecting up 4" to accept the hole bored into the bottom of each post.
Hadn't planned on a finish but I'm open to suggestions.What would you use for this?
Yeah, I've done some stonework. That sounds like quite a bit of wall to build. I hope the granite over there is lighter than the granite around here. I've spent very little time back east, but I was impressed by all the granite curbstones, pavers, and foundations. There's just not much of a tradition of stonework out here in the west.
If I'm ever up in Maine I'll come stack a few stones with you.zak
"so it goes"
slateman, absolutely beautiful! Not sure if I'm more impressed w/ the pergola or what looks like endless land w/ no neighbors... i'd like to have both.
bww
Having those 15 acres out back and no close neighbors on any side make for a wonderful retreat after work.
Lots of birds and wildlife too. Thanks for the kind words.
I don't think it's any lighter here,but most of the pieces are large enough to require a machine to move around.
That will probably be a project for next year-porch and garage to finish up this season.
Slateman
Very nice, very nice addition to your house.
Doug
Thank you very much Doug.
great !.. i like this pic... can you back away for a 3/4 view ?
View ImageMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I wouldn't put finish on it. Let it turn silver. I built a deck for my inlaws last summer (all cedar, with the railing system timberframed with free tenons, etc) and already sincerely regret putting a finish on it. Damn I am a moron. Never again.
But his pergola is out of fir or spruce so I would,even if is somethingthat is a clear finish or close facsillimeIt would be a big shame to see this start rotting within a coupleyears.
Nice complement to your house. Albert does purdy work...it sure would blend in nicely all silvered.Did you build your place, or is it old? What is on the 1st couple feet of the eaves? And, those 2nd story window heads are very tasteful.Thanks for the show<G> I need a dump truck, baby, to unload my head
We started building in 1990 and hope to be finished in a few more years.
I used Boston pattern wooden gutters lined with 26 gauge galv. metal-a 3' sheet,so the metal acts as an ice barrier.That technique is used on numerous old homes in our region.
Thanks for the compliments. Walter
very nice. I like the cobble stones, where did you get those? are they salvage. I would also like to know where you picked up those beams. I'm in readfield, maine.
Thanks. Yes the cobbles are all salvage from the streets or Railroad yard in Bangor,Me.
The beams are Dougb fir that come East in boxcars to Viking Lumber in Belfast, Me.-and are then resawn to size and length you need.