I recently discovered your channel and I absolutely love it. Subscribed after watching just two or three of your videos. For the time being, I am stuck inside a generic townhouse. But you've got me thinking. :)
Well thank you! It's tough for this old boy who has been working up in the woods for several decades to get in front of a camera and try to share what I've learned. I'm glad you are getting something out of all of my ramblings! Noah
When I sell this place and get a big acreage place, this is what I am going to build. Two reasons, they look great, I have lived in some old homes where they used kerosene tins opened out to fill in the gaps, Australian idea, but like a lot of people want something I build, love this channel👍👍
I've been thinking Noah, this is a great little cabin and how can I make it useful too. My friend Frank and I are going to try to build one as a smoke house. The size is perfect and the practice will be valuable in the home build. The series has been awesome so far. Thank you for all the wonderful information and videos. As soon as I am able I intend to sign up for the Academy. Thanks again. P.S. I'll keep a photo documentary of our project and if you like we can forward it to you when done.
Noah love your videos! I'm wondering if you've done an episode on windows? You can't run a log from one end to the other because of the window. Since it's a shorter log how do you prop up the log so it remain parallel to the log below? Love your information. Its refreshing to see there's still people with an eye for real beauty!
Thanks for the kind words John. While I go intor more detail in the Log Cabin Academy, the episode on Jambing is the one you will want to watch. You can find it here: th-cam.com/video/qvFlTG0T0kE/w-d-xo.html
@@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley Thankyou for that. Even though I've seen quite a few of your videos, I dont recall seeing that one. I will definitely watch!
In the next few videos about this small shed could you please show a bit of how you do the foundations on small structures such as this? Thanks for the great videos! -Garrett
Garrett...thank you!... on most of the outbuildings that I build I tend to do it the way the old timers did it... a stone in each corner (or a stack of stones if I'm building on a sloped site). And if the outbuilding is large then I add one or more stones between each corner. I don't worry about footers or going down below the frost line like I would would a house. IF any settling were to ever occur in one corner it would be easy for me to lift a corner of a shed and add another course of rock... but I've been doing it this way for decades and have never had any issues whatsoever. I hope this helps. Noah
Noah mate, can you show us how to cut the dovetail and the marking out of the next log going on top, thanks, i also think your way of building log cabins is the only way to do it. all best
Thanks John! I wish I could say that I invented this method of log construction, or that I had a patent on it like so many of the log cabin kit companies have with their special notches... but this method has been around for hundreds of years... has proven itself to last for centuries as well... is fun to make... looks great... and is free for us all to use! Can't beat that can we? :) I go into all of the details of building a cabin, show it all, from forest to trimwork, in the Log Cabin Academy... over twelve hours of great material. And I offer a 100% money back guarantee if not completely satisfied. think about it. But, I do think I can answer your question here and now...half-dovetail notches look complicated when viewed on a cabin, but they are really quite simple... take it one log at a time and think about the top or each log first... each log has an angle on top that if rain were to find itself there that the slope would carry water to the outside. Make that happen... as seen in this video... th-cam.com/video/Xb3G8nGgqno/w-d-xo.html Next take a look at the Handmade House video #24 where I have the next course of logs sitting on top of those angled cuts... ready to be marked. All that is needed is for me to transfer that angle up to the bottoms of that temporarily placed logs, with framing square or even a piece of lumber, and then cut it out as you see on my recent Handmade House TV episode in creating a log cabin in only a few minutes time. Piece all this together... and you got it! Hope this helps!
thanks mate for that, we are in england so we have no land to buy cheap and so many rules what we can build, so i just build small cabins in our back gardens and you are a big inspiration, to me and i thank you for that.
I do love building little places... and figuring out how to get around the rules! I've got a son now in London... things are bit pricey over there too.
it may sound nit picky but a wooden mallet would have been easier for the chisel. lol. I'm really enjoying this series. I'm building boats as of now and this is definitely something i want to do. (Bucket List)
My dream is to build my own cabin. I am in the process of finding good land in the North Carolina/Tennessee/Virginia area. What are your top tips for what to look for when trying to find land?
Hey, that's great about looking for land and getting ready to build! One of the best phases in life... one that I've enjoyed so much that I've done it over and over again. And your picking a tremendous area in which to build... my home territory! Finding land tips... that would be a good video to create... hmmm. There are a few books out there on the topic that cover all the basics... having water... land that will perk for a septic system... a view... simply put there are a LOT of considerations... I'll have to give this one some thought and get back to you!
Building a home in the more modern stick-built method is easier... and less expensive. But, for those who crave to have a log cabin... it's a wonderful home (or part of a home) to have. The last two homes that I have built for myself have been part log cabin... and those log rooms have been among my favorite places within the home... and have done so much to make my homes more attractive.
why arent the top plates notched as well, I get that they will be secured with a steel rebar, still curious why no notch that would prevent them sliding all over the place
A great question. I do generally notch the bottom of the top plate a bit... and I also often add another course of logs on the ends of the cabin above this top plate, which locks the top plate in place even further. On most of the vintage cabins that I have worked on these top plates have just been setting there... or perhaps were pegged. Of course we can certainly notch the top plates if we'd like but I tend not to... I seem to focus more on maintaining their strength and integrity and hate to cut into them. There seems to be an exception to every rule in creating a log home... it's great to question and reason things out... and decide for ourselves as we built our own cabin. It's one of the joys in building a log cabin... see how other do it... discover the "why"... and then proceed to build our own home.
Any reason whey you didn't just use a hand saw to put that level spot in place for the top plates? It just seems like it would be so much faster and more accurate that using a chisel...
Hi Carole... that's a great question! We all have our different techniques and methods so I encourage everyone to do what best works for them. I like to make all my cross grain cuts with a saw... but I find cutting with the grain (ripping) miserable and slow. Whereas I get a real kick out of knocking blocks out the way and then working wood with a chisel... I can do this faster than I could have done it with hand saw... but it took longer than a chainsaw would have done it. I do admit that sometimes when the grain is contrary I tend to come in with a chainsaw, after chiseling for a while, and rake it back and forth to quickly and easily level out a notch.. but here in this video the wood was a joy to work.
Got it. In thinking about it, I have also had my saw blade migrate off track when cutting something with the grain that isn't exactly in line with where I want to cut. Hand tool work is an art that takes practice and skill, and most don't bother to develop that now days since they can use power tools that will just muscle through jobs requiring far less skill and finesse from them. Anyway, I'm just trying to understand and learn. Thanks! PS ~ I'm drooling over that wood! I confess I shuttered when I first saw that pile of logs at the thought of all that gorgeous black walnut being turned into a log cabin instead of furniture, a butcher block counter or a floor; though I have to admit it's absolutely gorgeous... I'm jealous you have so much of it on your land that you can afford to use it to build a log cabin TO SAVE MONEY!!! God I would LOVE to get my hands on some black walnut to make a dining room table for us with it. But it aint cheap when you gotta buy it! The house I grew up in was build by a local lumber baron in an attempt to save his marriage so he spared no expense. (I hear it didn't work...lucky for us I guess, Dad bought it for a steal back in the early 60's.) It was built at the turn of the century and had butternut paneled walls and walnut floors throughout the main floor with fir floors upstairs. There was a beautiful little study with a fireplace that had built in book shelves with glass doors on either side of it and two beautiful stained glass windows above them. The room had a massive 8' butternut pocket door with the same design as the paneling, and he put in a black walnut parquet floor in there. Other than the screened sleeping porch it was my favorite room in the house! Such stunning wood...
It is crazy isn't it? building a cabin out of walnut... but I've been loving it! (but I have to admit I'm surprised how mean the sap wood is... it reminds me of working with gum). A lot of folks when building a cabin tend to use logs with wood that is not good enough for anything else... whereas I have found that if I build a cabin of wood that causes wood enthusiasts to squirm a bit, I'll likely end up with something sweet in the end. lol I'm in Virginia, and I've got some nice walnut here that's been aging for a few years... and, I enjoy bartering.
Well I'm in Oregon...a little far for a walnut barter! So sad... I do love Vermont. It was my favorite state on the AT. The woods were full of giant mushrooms, and the scent of balsam fir was so intense it felt as though I was walking through a cloud of incense without the smoke! Amazing part of the Earth...
There are a lot of amazing spots on this planet... I lived near the top of a mountain in Tennessee that was covered in ancient hemlock trees... the air there was amazing.
Hey Noah, Are you doing this all by yourself? If I sign up for the academy now what about what I have missed? HoW much is it? ( gotta check with the BOSS)!
Hi Randy, I am building this little cabin all by myself (I have had a bit of help from a couple of friends who stopped by one afternoon and they helped me lift two or three of the logs. The Log Cabin Academy is a an online ten-hour long course where I show how to build a tiny cabin like this and as I go along I take folks in these videos to some cabins that I've built and explain how those same steps are made in a full-size home. Basically everyone who signs up with the course has lifetime access to me teaching how to build a log cabin, step-by-step, start to finish... a lifetime of secrets and tips that I've learned and practiced. Noah
To actually see you working it- is great! So satisfying to watch. You`re not all talk.
Thanks Dave. Most of the how-to, hands-on is revealed in my courses.
I recently discovered your channel and I absolutely love it. Subscribed after watching just two or three of your videos. For the time being, I am stuck inside a generic townhouse. But you've got me thinking. :)
The brain Loves Results!
sweet job there!!
A true labor of love. Good stuff. Definitely takes some patience. God bless ya
Thank you!
You're welcome
I want to thank you for all the knowledge that you have shared in your videos. Wonderfully done! I look forward to more.
Well thank you!
It's tough for this old boy who has been working up in the woods for several decades to get in front of a camera and try to share what I've learned. I'm glad you are getting something out of all of my ramblings! Noah
Awesome show!!!!!
So small yet such a huge impact in beauty.
Wonderful series of videos. Very inspirational stuff. Your work and outlook are to be admired. Thank you.
Regards
Sarah
Thank you Sarah!
Thanks for another great video with tips
You are quite welcome! And, thank you for the support!
When I sell this place and get a big acreage place, this is what I am going to build. Two reasons, they look great, I have lived in some old homes where they used kerosene tins opened out to fill in the gaps, Australian idea, but like a lot of people want something I build, love this channel👍👍
I love your idea
I've been thinking Noah, this is a great little cabin and how can I make it useful too. My friend Frank and I are going to try to build one as a smoke house. The size is perfect and the practice will be valuable in the home build. The series has been awesome so far. Thank you for all the wonderful information and videos. As soon as I am able I intend to sign up for the Academy. Thanks again.
P.S. I'll keep a photo documentary of our project and if you like we can forward it to you when done.
Thank you! I look forward to seeing those photos!!!!
Noah I like these log homes videos your producing and your technique is awesome
Another great video! I'm looking forward to seeing the next steps.
Noah love your videos! I'm wondering if you've done an episode on windows? You can't run a log from one end to the other because of the window. Since it's a shorter log how do you prop up the log so it remain parallel to the log below? Love your information. Its refreshing to see there's still people with an eye for real beauty!
Thanks for the kind words John. While I go intor more detail in the Log Cabin Academy, the episode on Jambing is the one you will want to watch. You can find it here: th-cam.com/video/qvFlTG0T0kE/w-d-xo.html
@@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley Thankyou for that. Even though I've seen quite a few of your videos, I dont recall seeing that one. I will definitely watch!
@@jdp0359 You are most welcome! Wishing you the best with your building plans!
Man i love all of your video's,its been a dream of mine to build a hand hewn log cabin sence i was a teen.
love it. would love to come to the academy workshop
❤ thank you
In the next few videos about this small shed could you please show a bit of how you do the foundations on small structures such as this? Thanks for the great videos!
-Garrett
Garrett...thank you!... on most of the outbuildings that I build I tend to do it the way the old timers did it... a stone in each corner (or a stack of stones if I'm building on a sloped site). And if the outbuilding is large then I add one or more stones between each corner. I don't worry about footers or going down below the frost line like I would would a house. IF any settling were to ever occur in one corner it would be easy for me to lift a corner of a shed and add another course of rock... but I've been doing it this way for decades and have never had any issues whatsoever. I hope this helps. Noah
Thanks Noah, this will give me a great place to start!
:)
i love your videos, very informative and inspiring
Thank you!
Inch by inch... I think I'm slowly getting better at them... like learning to build it takes time.
I love you man!!
Thank you!
Why do you not use the half dovetail notch on that top course in order to help insure no water leakage?
Hi Noah, can you comment on any wild life concerns (or any other concerns such as theft) when constructing a log cabin alone in the forest? Thank you.
I like your way using those boards than using round logs. It looks more rustic like 1700's
Noah mate, can you show us how to cut the dovetail and the marking out of the next log going on top, thanks, i also think your way of building log cabins is the only way to do it. all best
Thanks John!
I wish I could say that I invented this method of log construction, or that I had a patent on it like so many of the log cabin kit companies have with their special notches... but this method has been around for hundreds of years... has proven itself to last for centuries as well... is fun to make... looks great... and is free for us all to use! Can't beat that can we? :)
I go into all of the details of building a cabin, show it all, from forest to trimwork, in the Log Cabin Academy... over twelve hours of great material. And I offer a 100% money back guarantee if not completely satisfied. think about it.
But, I do think I can answer your question here and now...half-dovetail notches look complicated when viewed on a cabin, but they are really quite simple... take it one log at a time and think about the top or each log first... each log has an angle on top that if rain were to find itself there that the slope would carry water to the outside. Make that happen... as seen in this video... th-cam.com/video/Xb3G8nGgqno/w-d-xo.html
Next take a look at the Handmade House video #24 where I have the next course of logs sitting on top of those angled cuts... ready to be marked. All that is needed is for me to transfer that angle up to the bottoms of that temporarily placed logs, with framing square or even a piece of lumber, and then cut it out as you see on my recent Handmade House TV episode in creating a log cabin in only a few minutes time.
Piece all this together... and you got it! Hope this helps!
thanks mate for that, we are in england so we have no land to buy cheap and so many rules what we can build, so i just build small cabins in our back gardens and you are a big inspiration, to me and i thank you for that.
I do love building little places... and figuring out how to get around the rules!
I've got a son now in London... things are bit pricey over there too.
Very nice :)
it may sound nit picky but a wooden mallet would have been easier for the chisel. lol. I'm really enjoying this series. I'm building boats as of now and this is definitely something i want to do. (Bucket List)
My dream is to build my own cabin. I am in the process of finding good land in the North Carolina/Tennessee/Virginia area. What are your top tips for what to look for when trying to find land?
Hey, that's great about looking for land and getting ready to build!
One of the best phases in life... one that I've enjoyed so much that I've done it over and over again.
And your picking a tremendous area in which to build... my home territory!
Finding land tips... that would be a good video to create... hmmm.
There are a few books out there on the topic that cover all the basics... having water... land that will perk for a septic system... a view... simply put there are a LOT of considerations...
I'll have to give this one some thought and get back to you!
would it be easier to use simple boards like houses are made?
Building a home in the more modern stick-built method is easier... and less expensive.
But, for those who crave to have a log cabin... it's a wonderful home (or part of a home) to have. The last two homes that I have built for myself have been part log cabin... and those log rooms have been among my favorite places within the home... and have done so much to make my homes more attractive.
why arent the top plates notched as well, I get that they will be secured with a steel rebar, still curious why no notch that would prevent them sliding all over the place
A great question.
I do generally notch the bottom of the top plate a bit... and I also often add another course of logs on the ends of the cabin above this top plate, which locks the top plate in place even further. On most of the vintage cabins that I have worked on these top plates have just been setting there... or perhaps were pegged.
Of course we can certainly notch the top plates if we'd like but I tend not to... I seem to focus more on maintaining their strength and integrity and hate to cut into them.
There seems to be an exception to every rule in creating a log home... it's great to question and reason things out... and decide for ourselves as we built our own cabin. It's one of the joys in building a log cabin... see how other do it... discover the "why"... and then proceed to build our own home.
thank you for the great answer, I will put some though into it when I build a log cabin one day myself :)
Is every dovetail notch pattern the exact same????
Any reason whey you didn't just use a hand saw to put that level spot in place for the top plates? It just seems like it would be so much faster and more accurate that using a chisel...
Hi Carole... that's a great question!
We all have our different techniques and methods so I encourage everyone to do what best works for them.
I like to make all my cross grain cuts with a saw... but I find cutting with the grain (ripping) miserable and slow.
Whereas I get a real kick out of knocking blocks out the way and then working wood with a chisel... I can do this faster than I could have done it with hand saw... but it took longer than a chainsaw would have done it.
I do admit that sometimes when the grain is contrary I tend to come in with a chainsaw, after chiseling for a while, and rake it back and forth to quickly and easily level out a notch.. but here in this video the wood was a joy to work.
Got it. In thinking about it, I have also had my saw blade migrate off track when cutting something with the grain that isn't exactly in line with where I want to cut. Hand tool work is an art that takes practice and skill, and most don't bother to develop that now days since they can use power tools that will just muscle through jobs requiring far less skill and finesse from them.
Anyway, I'm just trying to understand and learn. Thanks!
PS ~ I'm drooling over that wood! I confess I shuttered when I first saw that pile of logs at the thought of all that gorgeous black walnut being turned into a log cabin instead of furniture, a butcher block counter or a floor; though I have to admit it's absolutely gorgeous... I'm jealous you have so much of it on your land that you can afford to use it to build a log cabin TO SAVE MONEY!!! God I would LOVE to get my hands on some black walnut to make a dining room table for us with it. But it aint cheap when you gotta buy it!
The house I grew up in was build by a local lumber baron in an attempt to save his marriage so he spared no expense. (I hear it didn't work...lucky for us I guess, Dad bought it for a steal back in the early 60's.) It was built at the turn of the century and had butternut paneled walls and walnut floors throughout the main floor with fir floors upstairs. There was a beautiful little study with a fireplace that had built in book shelves with glass doors on either side of it and two beautiful stained glass windows above them. The room had a massive 8' butternut pocket door with the same design as the paneling, and he put in a black walnut parquet floor in there. Other than the screened sleeping porch it was my favorite room in the house! Such stunning wood...
It is crazy isn't it? building a cabin out of walnut... but I've been loving it! (but I have to admit I'm surprised how mean the sap wood is... it reminds me of working with gum).
A lot of folks when building a cabin tend to use logs with wood that is not good enough for anything else... whereas I have found that if I build a cabin of wood that causes wood enthusiasts to squirm a bit, I'll likely end up with something sweet in the end. lol
I'm in Virginia, and I've got some nice walnut here that's been aging for a few years... and, I enjoy bartering.
Well I'm in Oregon...a little far for a walnut barter! So sad... I do love Vermont. It was my favorite state on the AT. The woods were full of giant mushrooms, and the scent of balsam fir was so intense it felt as though I was walking through a cloud of incense without the smoke! Amazing part of the Earth...
There are a lot of amazing spots on this planet... I lived near the top of a mountain in Tennessee that was covered in ancient hemlock trees... the air there was amazing.
Hey Noah, Are you doing this all by yourself?
If I sign up for the academy now what about what I have missed?
HoW much is it? ( gotta check with the BOSS)!
Hi Randy,
I am building this little cabin all by myself (I have had a bit of help from a couple of friends who stopped by one afternoon and they helped me lift two or three of the logs. The Log Cabin Academy is a an online ten-hour long course where I show how to build a tiny cabin like this and as I go along I take folks in these videos to some cabins that I've built and explain how those same steps are made in a full-size home. Basically everyone who signs up with the course has lifetime access to me teaching how to build a log cabin, step-by-step, start to finish... a lifetime of secrets and tips that I've learned and practiced. Noah
How thick are those boards, 2 1/2" , 3" ?