Log Cabin Building

As you may have noticed from some of my pictures, I have a log cabin on my property.  Back in 2004, my son and I built a 16'X 20' cabin to use for my work shop.  I'll get some pictures and put them up.

We had a dozen or so large yellow pines I wanted to take down to clean up some garden space and we figured to use those for the wall logs.  I managed to find a couple broad axe heads that we put handles on, grabbed the chainsaw and started cutting.

We cut and trimmed the trees and cleaned up the site, poured footers for six piers and built the piers from cinder blocks.  We cut the largest logs to length (16' and 22' respectively).  Using a rip chain on our chainsaw we cut the larger logs in half lengthwise and then hewed them 6" x 12" when width allowed though  some we had to settle of 6"x 8".  We found we could each hew two logs a day what with having to wrestle them into place and turn them over, etc.  So in effect we could hew a complete course of logs and erect them in one day's workload (four logs to a course).

We put up 9 courses of logs, using a ramp made from 4" x 4" timbers and a come-along,  We dovetail notched the corners and pinned them with  spikes. 9 courses was as far as the two of us could go.  We wanted to reenact the raising of a cabin on our site as would have been done in the wilderness, except they probably would have had a mule or horse to help.  If I did it over we would have gotten the neighbors front end loader and gone higher but maybe next time.

All in all we erected the cabin walls, installed the floor joists, roof joists and rafters in about six weeks including cutting out the door and a large window.  Adding 1" x 6" oak from the sawmill for the floor and a galvanized steel roof we had it dried in.  I figured the hard part was over.

Chinking really sucks.  I couldn't afford a modern chinking solution so I cut strips of hardware cloth and nailed these between the logs to give the chinking something to hold on to.  Then mixed plain old mortar mix and puttied up the gaps.  It took 28 bags of mortar mix and a couple years off my back but in a week I had it done.

I might mention I treated all the logs with bora-care to prevent insect damage.  Fourteen years later the logs look great, the chinking is holding without any cracks.

In the end, I got tendinitis in my left elbow, eventually had to have surgery for a hernia and hemorrhoids,  and had to buy a new chainsaw, although I am not sure anything but the chainsaw had something to do with the task.

It's in my plans to build another, smaller building with a concrete pad for a floor as I want to bring my forge inside.  I will use the old cabin to store completed projects and our reenacting camp gear. When I start that project I will document it here.