FYI: I have finished the basic structure of a 10' x 12' "Slab" Cabin. (Playhouse for the grandchildren) A year ago I remember you saying, "You do not need to be in a hurry. Take your time." I heard that as I was starting last summer. My goal was to make it without any hardware: No nails or bolts or rods. Also, I decided to see if I could made the corners a combination of 1/2 dove tail and Tapered Sliding DoveTail. And to make the window frames with Tapered Sliding Dove tail for the end of the log/slab to fit into. Therefore everything would be locked together. One of the first things I made was a 6"x8"x12" Oak mall. A big enough mall made fitting the tapper sliding Dove Tail corners easier. The wood was poplar and cottonwood.that I started chain sawing milling 15 months ago and they were tapered. I figured I needed 40 slabs. I am now finishing the roof. Thank you. It is amazing how much you can get done when you are not in a hurry.
Virgil, your grandchildren are lucky to have such an awesome grandfather, one that would build them a playhouse, built to last. Take plenty of photos of not only the playhouse, but of you and the grandchildren, so they can look back and talk to their children and grandchildren about the man who built a playhouse with love, and how they played, and played, and played in that little cabin. This is what enduring memories are made of, well done.
I'm going to go with common sense here, and say that the pioneers when building their cabins, did not kiln dry their timbers/logs beforehand. They needed to get a roof over their heads quickly before the snow/cold came. Thank you for what you do to keep these beautiful houses in the hearts and minds of those that appreciate them.
You use that background a lot, and I would love to see the larger cabin. You show a finished cabin briefly at the beginning of the video, so I'm wondering whether that is where you are standing. I don't think they match exactly, but I can't see all the sides. Also, I've always wondered how chinking reacts to the logs shrinking and settling. You've mentioned your chinking has held up well over the years, but have you been using green logs? I know you do a lot of work rescuing old timber frames. Thanks so much for all these videos! They're really helpful and inspiring.
Another issue with milling all 4 sides of a log with extreme taper would be the inevitable "grain runout". More of an issue with things such as tool handles and furniture but definitely a consideration for a log home.
I like your halflap idea. Would it do better if the top lap had an upsidedown v grove along the length and the bottem lap an upsidedown v (peak) so water runs out and away?
Q: is cement chinking resistant to earthquakes? Are houses with 2-4 inch chinking resistant to earthquakes? Detail: I live in Japan and might have access to free fresh timber. Want to build a log house one day for a holiday home. Nothing fancy. I am an ex-civil engineer and want to do the cabin by myself. Prefer a "heavy" build, so a log cabin fits the requirement ;) Log cabins are not common in Japan and considered more of a fashion trend. I am a westerner and there are log houses in some parts of my country. None of the log houses in Japan have chinking - they are more of the Finnish types.
Hi Waldemar! Thank you for following along. In short, I suppose it simply depends on the strength of the Earthquake and the way the cabin is affected by it.We don't have many in Virginia, so there is not much data that I could give you based on my experience.
FYI: I have finished the basic structure of a 10' x 12' "Slab" Cabin. (Playhouse for the grandchildren) A year ago I remember you saying, "You do not need to be in a hurry. Take your time." I heard that as I was starting last summer. My goal was to make it without any hardware: No nails or bolts or rods. Also, I decided to see if I could made the corners a combination of 1/2 dove tail and Tapered Sliding DoveTail. And to make the window frames with Tapered Sliding Dove tail for the end of the log/slab to fit into. Therefore everything would be locked together. One of the first things I made was a 6"x8"x12" Oak mall. A big enough mall made fitting the tapper sliding Dove Tail corners easier. The wood was poplar and cottonwood.that I started chain sawing milling 15 months ago and they were tapered. I figured I needed 40 slabs. I am now finishing the roof. Thank you. It is amazing how much you can get done when you are not in a hurry.
Virgil, your grandchildren are lucky to have such an awesome grandfather, one that would build them a playhouse, built to last. Take plenty of photos of not only the playhouse, but of you and the grandchildren, so they can look back and talk to their children and grandchildren about the man who built a playhouse with love, and how they played, and played, and played in that little cabin. This is what enduring memories are made of, well done.
I'm going to go with common sense here, and say that the pioneers when building their cabins, did not kiln dry their timbers/logs beforehand. They needed to get a roof over their heads quickly before the snow/cold came. Thank you for what you do to keep these beautiful houses in the hearts and minds of those that appreciate them.
You’re the BEST 😊
You use that background a lot, and I would love to see the larger cabin. You show a finished cabin briefly at the beginning of the video, so I'm wondering whether that is where you are standing. I don't think they match exactly, but I can't see all the sides.
Also, I've always wondered how chinking reacts to the logs shrinking and settling. You've mentioned your chinking has held up well over the years, but have you been using green logs? I know you do a lot of work rescuing old timber frames.
Thanks so much for all these videos! They're really helpful and inspiring.
I really like these Q&A format short videos. Keep them coming!
Another issue with milling all 4 sides of a log with extreme taper would be the inevitable "grain runout". More of an issue with things such as tool handles and furniture but definitely a consideration for a log home.
Great video!
Beautiful!
Thank you 🙏
I like your halflap idea. Would it do better if the top lap had an upsidedown v grove along the length and the bottem lap an upsidedown v (peak) so water runs out and away?
Case hardening, and color fading. Walnut blondes over time if kiln dried
Basically if it works then it works.... Don't get boxed in...
Want some crack?
Q: is cement chinking resistant to earthquakes? Are houses with 2-4 inch chinking resistant to earthquakes?
Detail: I live in Japan and might have access to free fresh timber. Want to build a log house one day for a holiday home. Nothing fancy. I am an ex-civil engineer and want to do the cabin by myself. Prefer a "heavy" build, so a log cabin fits the requirement ;)
Log cabins are not common in Japan and considered more of a fashion trend. I am a westerner and there are log houses in some parts of my country. None of the log houses in Japan have chinking - they are more of the Finnish types.
Hi Waldemar! Thank you for following along. In short, I suppose it simply depends on the strength of the Earthquake and the way the cabin is affected by it.We don't have many in Virginia, so there is not much data that I could give you based on my experience.