Installing Harman P43 in Log Cabin - Thimble Question

[TheGeneralLee]

Any log cabin owners out there? I installed my P43 in a stick house last year, love it, and am now helping a relative install another P43 in their log cabin (6x8 tongue & groove pine "D" logs). Big concern is how to cut the logs and plumb the thimble. Cabin is 2 stories tall and stove needs to go in the middle against the far wall of the 1st floor, I think it would be too long of a stretch to go up and through the roof with the pipe. Open to suggestions on installing the thimble without too much headache.

 

[Don2222]

It is not too long a stretch to go thru the roof if you use 4" diameter venting. Otherwise just be careful cutting the hole for the thimble.

 

[TheGeneralLee]

It is not too long a stretch to go thru the roof if you use 4" diameter venting. Otherwise just be careful cutting the hole for the thimble.

Thanks for the quick reply. If we go with the 4" pipe, do you know what a max length would be? Since the stove is in the middle of the house and we would have to run through two stories and the attic, I'm guessing it'll be close to 30'. That seems very long for a pellet stove.

Now that I think of it, what if we went up through the 2nd story floor, then immediately out the side of the house that way? The 2nd story has gable ends that are regular 2x6 construction with "fake" log siding, so we wouldn't have to worry about cutting through actual logs. Basically, it would be a 45 out of the stove, straight up about 10' - 12', then another 45 degree out the gable end. Getting too complex or have you ever heard of someone installing it this way?

 

[Watcher1]

Any log cabin owners out there? I installed my P43 in a stick house last year, love it, and am now helping a relative install another P43 in their log cabin (6x8 tongue & groove pine "D" logs). Big concern is how to cut the logs and plumb the thimble. Cabin is 2 stories tall and stove needs to go in the middle against the far wall of the 1st floor, I think it would be too long of a stretch to go up and through the roof with the pipe. Open to suggestions on installing the thimble without too much headache.

Gee, I just signed up and this is my 1st post! I have a log cabin, my magnum is in the basement. That being said you want to go thru log walls. I read you want the stove next to the wall right? And you want to know how and where to cut thru?
1st, is there a deck outside the wall you want to go thru. That's important because you don't want the fire and ash blowing all over that. So if there is the you need to go up inside the house and then you could go out the wall. Best place to cut on a D log is away from any joint. If you wind up on a joint then cut both sides of the joint and then screw the logs from inside the hole. As to best way to cut? I would use a 3/4 inch drill bit and a sawsall to connect the dots so to speak. Your going to have to assemble all your pipe and the stove etc. so you can find the right place to cut thru, you don't get second chances with logs. Hope this helps.

 

[Don2222]

Thanks for the quick reply. If we go with the 4" pipe, do you know what a max length would be? Since the stove is in the middle of the house and we would have to run through two stories and the attic, I'm guessing it'll be close to 30'. That seems very long for a pellet stove.

Now that I think of it, what if we went up through the 2nd story floor, then immediately out the side of the house that way? The 2nd story has gable ends that are regular 2x6 construction with "fake" log siding, so we wouldn't have to worry about cutting through actual logs. Basically, it would be a 45 out of the stove, straight up about 10' - 12', then another 45 degree out the gable end. Getting too complex or have you ever heard of someone installing it this way?

Up and out the second floor gable end is a great idea. You can always calculate the EVL = Equivilant Vertical Lenght to be sure.

 

[yrock87]

Any log cabin owners out there? I installed my P43 in a stick house last year, love it, and am now helping a relative install another P43 in their log cabin (6x8 tongue & groove pine "D" logs). Big concern is how to cut the logs and plumb the thimble. Cabin is 2 stories tall and stove needs to go in the middle against the far wall of the 1st floor, I think it would be too long of a stretch to go up and through the roof with the pipe. Open to suggestions on installing the thimble without too much headache.

The retailer of my p-43 showed me the big, 20 inch square thimbles used for log cabin installations. Provides lots of room for you to make a big sloppy hole if need be. The jokester offered to sell one to me if I couldn't make a good hole in my wall.

 

[hearthnleisure]

Any log cabin owners out there? I installed my P43 in a stick house last year, love it, and am now helping a relative install another P43 in their log cabin (6x8 tongue & groove pine "D" logs). Big concern is how to cut the logs and plumb the thimble. Cabin is 2 stories tall and stove needs to go in the middle against the far wall of the 1st floor, I think it would be too long of a stretch to go up and through the roof with the pipe. Open to suggestions on installing the thimble without too much headache.

Really not too big of a process cutting through that log wall, and you get the added benefit of a nice short vent run and much less $ in vent pipe:

• Get your mark on the wall inside, measure 3 times! Drill your four corners through using a long drill bit, we usually go with a 1/2". (Keep a torpedo level on the drill bit for as long as you can so you know it is going nice and straight)
• Mark your square outside (Add 1/4" to your overall RO to make sure you get it big enough)
  
• With a circular saw, set the blade as deep as it will go and plunge cut your 4 lines
• With a spotter inside, use a sawzall (preferably with a nice new blade) to cut the remainder of the log out. Have your spotter ready to knock on the wall with a hammer if you are going too far off of your line
• Have a metal cutting blade ready to put on your sawzall for the large screws/spikes that are holding the logs together. (If you don't hit a screw/spike...go buy a lottery ticket!)
• Knock out the chunk of log and install the thimble the same way you did in your stick built house

Make sure that whatever you have for a thimble is going to be deep enough to work with the wall. I like Harman's OA thimble for log home installations because of the added depth it allows for.

Good luck! And you can always get a nice big trim ring if you screw it up too bad!

 

[TheGeneralLee]

Thank you for all the feedback! This gives me plenty to think about. We only get one chance with the logs, it's not like we catch patch up the siding and sheetrock if it's wrong, so I'm going to think it over for a while. I appreciate all the ideas.

 

[hossthehermit]

Chainsaw ..............

 

[twodogs02]

From a log home owner. Mark the centeon the interior wall. Plunge a chain saw through to the outside, do same thing in opposite direction, making an X. Get long reciprocating wood blade and cut the X out. You can then get the blade of the chainsaw through the wall to the exterior and slowly enlarge the hole. Go slow, if you see sparks you've hit a spike and ruined your chainsaw blade so have a few extra handy. Use the reciprocating saw the cut the spike where it interferes with your hole clearance.

Put plastic up or the misses will be upset with wood chips/dust going everywhere.

Outside I agree with other poster, use circular saw for thimble as a chainsaw will splinter the logs leaving an unattractive appearance. Once you get the logs scored with the circular saw you can use the chainsaw to get the depth you need as long as you keep the chainsaw blade on the inside of the scored logs. You will be surprised how you can use a chainsaw tip as a chisel as long as you keep the rpms up.