Glossary

Descriptions are from Wikipedia (w) or my own understanding (p) unless otherwise noted.

Cricket
A cricket is a ridge structure designed to divert water on a roof. It’s generally found on the high side of a chimney or the transition from one roof area to another. (w)

Rip
To rip a board is to cut a board down its length, with the grain. Chainsaws are best with cross cuts. The sawmill does only rip cuts. (p)

Eave
An eave is the edge of a roof. Eaves usually project beyond the side of the building generally to provide weather protection. (w)

Gabel
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof… When wind flows over a gable roof it behaves much like a wing. Lift is created on the leeward side of the roof. The flatter the roof the more likely this will happen. Steep roofs tend to cause the wind to "stall" as it goes over the roof and breaks up the effect. (w) A steep roof also allows snow to slide off, reducing the load on the roof. (p)

Bar
A big piece of metal used to do just about anything. We use it for logging, lifting, hitting (inanimate objects), shifting, and anchoring. (p)

Come-along

A come-along is a manual hoist used to move or lift things. (Sears)

Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as Maple. The word Acer is derived from a Latin word meaning "sharp", referring to the characteristic points on maple leaves. (w) Maple is a beautiful hardwood with nice grain. Used for the interior posts and beams, and for some of the planed paneling on the interior walls. (p)

Birch
Birch is the name of any tree of the genus Betula in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family. (w) White Birch has the characteristic white ‘peely’ bark seen often in Adirondack or camp furniture. It’s a hardwood, but decays readily if left on the ground. (p)

Cedar
Cedar (Cedrus) is a genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae. They are most closely related to the Firs (Abies), and share a very similar cone structure. They are native to the mountains of the western Himalaya and the Mediterranean region, occurring at altitudes of 1,500–3,200 m in the Himalaya and 1,000–2,200 m in the Mediterranean. (w) Cedar is often used for siding or decking due to its ability to resist rot. It is a soft wood. We are using it for exterior posts and beams, as well as siding. (p)

Spruce
A Spruce is a tree of the genus Picea a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal (taiga) regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from 20–60 (–95) m tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical form. (w) We’re using Spruce as the primary structural timber for the camps. (p)

Loon

Loons are found on Lower Wilson Pond. Probably many other areas in Maine too, but the ones we know live on the lake. Their haunting cries provide beautiful ambience. They dive for their food, and if you pass over one in a boat they get really pissed and rear up like the one on the left. I have yet to be forgiven for my negligence two years ago. I didn’t know he was there. (w,p)

Otter

Otters are semi-aquatic (or in one case aquatic) fish-eating mammals. Otters are very active, chasing prey in the water or searching the beds of rivers, lakes or the seas. Most species live beside water, entering it mainly to hunt or travel, otherwise spending much of their time on land to avoid their fur becoming waterlogged. Otters are playful animals and appear to engage in various behaviors for sheer enjoyment. (w)

Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a bird of prey found in North America that is most recognizable as the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. The Bald Eagle is a large bird, with a body length of 70–102 centimeters (28–40 in), a wingspan of up to 2.44 m (96 in), and a mass of 2.5–7 kilograms (5.5–15 lb); females are about 25 percent larger than males. (w)

Moose
The moose (North America) or common elk (Europe), Alces alces, is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a "twig-like" configuration. (w) They’re everywhere.

Hickory
The Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis) is a common hickory native to the eastern United States and southeast Canada…It is a large deciduous tree, growing up to 35 meters tall. (w) It’s incredibly heavy and strong and will be good for flooring. (p)

Stickering
Stickering refers to stacking wood to dry by putting 1” x 1” “sticks” between each layer so that air can circulate. Wood dried in such a manner (naturally) should be allowed to sit for 5 or more years depending upon the species. We’re not waiting that long. We’ll watch for the consequences. (p)

Mortise
Simple and strong, the mortise and tenon joint has been used for thousands of years by woodworkers around the world to join pieces of wood, usually when the pieces are at an angle close to 90°. Although there are many variations on the theme, the basic idea is that the end of one of the members is inserted into a hole cut in the other member. The end of the first member is called the tenon, and it is usually narrowed with respect to the rest of the piece. The hole in the second member is called the mortise. The joint may be glued, pinned, or wedged to lock it in place. (w)

Frame construction
Frame construction typically uses evenly spaced 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 as supporting walls. Weight is distributed evenly over the entire length of the wall. Rigidity is supplied by a skin such as plywood attached to the sill (bottom), plate (top) and all vertical members (studs).

Post and beam construction
Post and beam construction used timber posts and beams joined typically by mortise and tenon joints. Rigidity is provided by bracing between posts and beams. In theory, the walls provide no structural value.

Log house
Log houses are made by simply stacking logs atop one another to build a wall. Logs are typically notched at intersections to provide rigidity.