"ABBy" The Log Building Robot & the Eliptical Spiral Log Stairs

Dusko Ballmer and ABBy with John; Weekend Brain-Storming

We are excited!  - We have just finished and shipped our first completed project using Dusko's (Ballmer Systems Inc) patented robot technology.

The project is a set of eliptical spiral log stairs which John designed for Carolina Timberworks.
 
The video below showcases what "ABBy" is cabable of, with Dusko callibrating and programming the software and John defining the joinery.

With ABBy doing the heavy lifting and grunt-work, The Nicola LogWorks crew can focus their talents on the more complex hand-work.

"Dear Abby"

So... A couple of guys walk into the bar. One of them is a Software Engineer and the other is a Log Builder. They pass a bit of small talk back and forth and discover they have quite a few interests in common. 

A couple of beers later the software guy says to the log builder... “I’d like you to meet "Abby".

The log builder looks around expecting to see the guy's girlfriend - instead he sees a big orange robot...

The Ultimate New Tool?

Dusko Ballmer with "Abby" at Nicola LogWorks

All of us at Nicola LogWorks have been riding a wave of anticipation as John and Dusko (the software guy), teach "Abby" (a big orange ABB robot how to log build).

Expanding Our Capabilities

We've dubbed this endeavour "TeknowLogia" (Log Homes Re-Imagined), and this venture will add a new product line to our custom handcrafted log and timber homes. 

Revolutionary Technology

This new and more affordable product line is made possible by incorporating the brain-child of Dusko Ballmer (Ballmer Systems Inc) who has single-mindedly spent the last decade developing a robot assisted system of log building that maintains the natural shape of the logs, and with John's input, faithfully replicates handcrafted joinery.

Thinking out of the Box: Cut by a Machine; Not Machine Cut 

Dusko has invented a process that can accommodate the unique characteristics of each log in every building - just like log builders do. This is the opposite approach to that of machine cut "log home" producers who must force natural logs to conform to their machines, thereby sacrificing the aesthetic value of natural logs, not to mention generating an enormous amount of wood waste.

A Patented Process

We Love Abby

When John met Dusko about 9 years ago, Dusko already had patented his scanning technology (the key part of the process), and was making significant progress towards proving a robotic production technique that would feature the organic, natural character of the logs. John thought that Dusko's concept was well suited to Piece en Piece log home construction, and was intrigued by the possibilities.

As he worked towards his final iteration, Dusko would, from time to time confer with John for a log builder's input on joinery technique and best practices before going back to the "drawing board".

A Collaboration is Born...

About 8 months ago, John sought Dusko's expertise on an upgrade that John was planning for our

Piece-en-Piece Log Work; Nicola LogWorks

own production equipment. As it happened, Dusko was ready to move from development to production. All he needed was log building know-how to implement it...and  the idea of a collaboration was born.

Five weeks ago, while John poured concrete and upgraded the electrical, Dusko with his two dogs and Brandon (his very talented apprentice), as well as "Abby" and the various parts and pieces that comprise The Ballmer System, crossed the country to Merritt, where Nicola LogWorks is now the proud owner of "Abby" and all of her accessories. 

Currently Dusko is setting up his system and implementing his robotic technology while John and team implement the building procedures and establish the quality levels that "Abby" must live up to. 

Teaching a Machine to think like a Log Builder

Since we have made this investment our team has grown by 3 and this revolutionary new tool will actually be assisting our team of talented builders. Incorporating the new technology is pretty disruptive, but it is also very stimulating. John says it is forcing all of us to look at everything we do and ask; "Does this add value to the customer? Does it make sense? Does it achieve or can it surpass the quality levels that we aim for?

Transferable Skills  

Can Abby meet our Standards?

Our log building team has a wealth of accumulated knowledge and practical skills, and now instead of spending all day running a chainsaw, they can apply their know-how towards further developing and improving the new system while leaving the heavy repetitive work to "Abby".

And that's not a bad thing!

What's Next?

Now on the Canada Day Long Weekend - we are about a week away from cutting our first contract; a piece-en-piece home and garage destined for the UK

There is lots more to tell you - particularly the joint and separate plans that Dusko and John have for Teknowlogia.

Thanks for reading - I'll keep you posted very soon, hopefully with a video showing Abby in action!

 The Log Builder's Wife

 

Choosing House Logs is a Serious Business

Many considerations go into choosing the right wood for a log home....or choosing the right home plan for the wood that is available to you...

Kanga-Doodle picks house logs: click for video

Choosing house logs is a serious business; it goes without saying that the wood must be sound and of a suitable size for both the plan and the geographic location of the building (insulative value of the wood species and compliance with the new energy code as well as local building code.)
People often wonder which species of wood is preferable for timber and log homes - the answer to that varies;  locally available wood is often the best choice - for example - if building in North Carolina or Ontario using a local log builder, the home will likely be built using Eastern White Pine.
Lodge pole pine is also an option for many Northern log builders accross the continent.

Here in south central British Columbia we have a wider range of log species to work with including Engelman spruce, Western red cedar, Douglas fir and Alaska yellow cedar.

My personal preference for house logs are Western red cedar, Doug fir and Alaska yellow cedar, so a customer (local or from far afield) who has chosen a BC log builder to work with has quite a few more options.

Early on we favoured Engleman spruce - primarily because our Japanese market had a preference for it's pale sap wood. Spruce was also easy to access and easy to peel, but on the down-side, we struggled with how spruce checks (or cracks) as it dries (typically one LARGE check running the length of the log) and spiral grain twist is also more pronounced in spruce, thus narrowing the selection of wood that met our specifications.

Douglas fir, while a brute to peel, is a more stable wood. Checks tend to occur frequently around the circumference of the log, but barring radical spiral checks are quite regular and narrow. Douglas fir is stronger than spruce and is a better log for load bearing.

The insulative values of Western red cedar surpasses both fir and spruce, so is an ideal wall log. Cedar tends to be less mobile as it dries and also shrinks less. (One drawback with Western red cedar are it's load bearing qualities - in roof systems the required size of a cedar log would often be out of scale with the wall structure, which is why we generally use Doug fir for the roof system. The warm reddish tones of both are very similar, so the variation of species is vitually unnoticeable.

Alaska yellow cedar (also known as Cypress) can be difficult to source, given that the calibre of wood we require is highly prized by the Japansese temple market,  however we have been fortunate to secure a source of Alaska yellow cedar and offer it as an option to our customers.

Douglas fir is the most economical of the species that we build with, but some styles of structures - such as dovetail log homes -  I prefer to build using cedar. Round post and beam log homes require very large diameter wood - averaging 18 to inches in diameter for the posts. Any of the species that we build with are suitable for post and beam as long as the diameter is met. Square post and beam requires that we start with wood of at least 20 inches in average diameter, and our scribed log homes are built with a minimum diameter of  14 inches at the top of the log. Timber frame homes offer more latitude in wood size, as they are typically wrapped from the outside using either SIP's (Structural Insualted Panels) or conventional framing and insulation.

Wood shrinks as it dries and while log homes can be successfully built using green wood, we prefer to use drier material.  Regardless of the species we are building with, we insist or wood that is either air-dried (under 19% moisture content) or kiln dried.

So which species of wood should you choose for your log home? The above really just scratches the surface of house log selection - so please feel free to contact me for more in depth information on this topic - or watch our video featuring the Nicola LogWorks mascott: Kanga-Doodle as she demonsrates her log selection style...

A Small Dovetail Log Cabin - built with Massive Ponderosa Pine

A Homage to the Ponderosa

As the pine trees of British Columbia fell victim to the Mountain Pine Beetle we had the opportunity to pay tribute to the Ponderosa Pine - that iconic tree of the dry belt region.

Back in 2009 I wrote:

3 courses of logs bring the walls to plate height of 9'4" 

 "We are working on a very unusual little building using very large beetle killed Ponderosa.

These majestic trees - so iconic of the inter-mountain desert, are fast disappearing and we will never see their like again.

I hope to build one or two local structures that will remind generations to come of these beautiful giants."


 We hope you enjoy this video story of a Dovetail Log Home built with "Denim Pine"

They Could have Dropped off the Face of the Earth...

By "The Log-Builder's Wife"

With John and half our fantastic team of Heavy Timber Specialists working on a CLT and Glu-Lam build in the Gulag and with Andreas Fricke with the rest of the crew on a Glu-Lam install in Saskatoon, I thought I should undertake a blog post while they are away.

The Gulag – you ask? That’s just what I am calling it since communications are extremely difficult and for a period of time they were cut off completely. They could have dropped off the face of the earth – or have been banished to Siberia.
In any case they may as well be east of the sun and west of the moon, or to be slightly more accurate: South of Fort MacMurray and North of Lac La Biche.

By the way – any opinions put forth in this post are entirely my own and I plan not to rant as it’s becoming extremely boring and predictable. Most of my rants are set off by paper-work anyway and I hate to admit it –some of the paper-work and compliance docs that I rail against are inspired by sincere concern and motivation to keep workers alive, in good health and coming home to their families. As an employer and spouse I can relate to that! (That is actually a point that John made from favourable observation of the Owners on the project that he is currently working on).

Circa '94. Not a practice we'd do today. Even if had our own TV Show!

Where compliance and procedure get legitimately frustrating is when those who are “in charge” seem to have lost sight of the intent of the rules and guidelines and use their authority more as an opportunity to throw their weight and will around. Personal ego impeding progress or even supporting un-safe practices while hiding being the rock-solid skirts of “just going by the book”.
Unfortunately “the book” does not always apply to what is expedient and safe in heavy timber. Ideally strategies should be developed in cooperation – but in the situation I am thinking about it appears that control and adversity are the motivators. This could be crazy-making – but sometimes you just gotta laugh because it is all so patently obvious and absurd as to what is really going down.

I’ve often wondered about the type of people that different jobs attract. Border guards for example… and I know one cannot (should not) generalize – but I have at times been very grateful knowing when crossing the US/Canadian border, that if that big dame packin’ and swaggering about like John Wane actually used her weapons rather than just verbally intimidating me, there would be some layer of accountability. (Not like some places in the world where people of that propensity are not reigned in).

Or how about those guys who work for collections? It’s been decades since we (through relying on a poorly informed bookkeeper – not me!) fell on the wrong side of WCB (OSHA) as regards remittance. “Mr Smith” was an extremely scary man and I did not want to get hurt. I wonder – did the “hector-the-collector” job suit his personality? A natural bully? Or maybe he just put on his “bully suit” when he got to the office in the morning and took it off before going home with a stop for yoga and a vegan take-out.

"Show me your tools...and I'll tell you if you are a log-builder".

Or the PST (that is provincial sales tax) auditor who examined our books a couple of years ago to see if we had been remitting. (We had). I’m happy to say that I stopped him short in his tracks – when in the course of backing up the legitimacy of our non-pst-able transactions I came across one where we should have remitted and that he had missed.
“Why are you telling me this”, he asked after a long silence. “We try to operate with integrity”, I responded, “and expect others to do the same”. 
I really felt bad for this fellow – working in a hair-splitting job like that could really injure the soul. But hey – just because I hate paper-work does not mean its evil….right? Maybe that was his happy-place.

I could go on…and I bet you have stories you could add. But much better shared around a camp fire where complaints become jokes to laugh at rather than the long loud wail of the self-employed!

Actually what got me thinking about the careers and jobs and the type of people who choose them was a run in with an acquaintance yesterday. She introduced me to her companion as the wife of a local log builder – “you know like in the reality TV show “The Timber Kings”. Hmmmm. “Don’t worry”, she added, “John will get his turn one day”. HMMMMM. I don’t think she believed me when I said that it was not our goal to ‘go and do likewise’.

I am so very grateful for our log-building colleagues, many of whom credit our roots to Allan Mackie and his School of Log Building. Particularly I am grateful to those who I have come to know as family through our mutual membership and involvement within the ILBA (International Log Builder’s Association). I look forward to our AGM’s where we get caught up on the latest tool, jig, and procedure. Where we share, show, and show off our innovations and discoveries with each other.

85-86? The B.Alan Mackie School of Log Building in Prince George BC, where many of the well-known names of today's log building industry began an adventure and learning curve that contributed to the "popularizing" of log homes. B. Allan Mackie Photo

It feels like a family gathering every time. And so it is. And here is what we really share; the common ground that transcends us from being merely industry colleagues or competitors. The log builders that I am thinking of are all innovators, problem-solvers and are fascinated and engaged by procedure. Those traits supersede our common craft and trade. I believe it is unusual that so many like-minded, inquisitive and enthusiastic people were drawn to this method of construction. I wonder about that.

As one of our colleagues said about our group…”it doesn’t matter who you vote for – or what flavour your religion. What ties us together is that we agree on which tool is the best”.

That concludes my somewhat aimless ramble and blog post. Thanks for reading!

“The Log-Builder’s Wife” 

(Oh – credit where credit is due: The Gulag Team: John Boys, Frederic Provost, Christian Bur, Dexter Devorkin and Graig Goodman. The Saskatoon Team: Andreas Fricke leading (thank you so much!) – Jay McKimm, Daryle Shackelly and on the crane (drum roll) Jochen Wagenblast and Owen Gregory!

Air Tight Log Homes

The intent of the New Energy Code is all about building green, healthy homes and reducing carbon foot-print and yet one of the oldest and time tested green building systems is struggling to survive in North America.
Log building is the original green building system requiring very little energy required to transform materials into a finished home while producing very little waste and boasting huge carbon sequestration.
It's hard to get more "Green" than that!
  
So why are log builders and their customers having a hard time pulling permits for log homes these days?

 

In BC, the new energy codes go into effect December 17th 2014. You can find out when and to what extent the jurisdiction(s) that you are building in will be affected by cruising the site of your local, state or provincial building authority.

To learn more about gasketing scribed log homes - go to www.loghomegasket.com (You can also see the original cartoons of Gasket Girl by Joe Ratushniak - or better still visit his web pages (www.joecarver.com) to enjoy his primary talent of wood carving and sculpture.

A well sealed log home will have no problem passing the blower door test. We highly recommend the FP Publications book: The Illustrated Guide to Log Home Construction by Dalibor Houdek. 

And finally, to find some of the best log home builders on the planet (yes the planet)....visit the International Log Builder's Association (ILBA), and learn about Best Practices in Log Construction.

Happy Building!