The Forestry Forum

Hello everyone,

My sons and I are going to build a 16x20 dovetail hunting cabin with 6x10 logs. It will also have a 12x12 offset room that has us wondering what would be the best way to join these logs to the main cabin since this will create inside corners?
This is our first cabin and this detail has us perplexed to say the least.

Thanks everyone!

There are several ways to do that.

If both structures are being raised at the same time,the addition walls can tenon into the main walls by using dovetail tenon(flush on the other side,the inside),or simply square tenons.

(often in photos of inside of older buildings one sees those tenons,a vertical row of them,where there must be an adjoining cross-wall on the other side).

If that second space will be added later,then a simple groove cut in the original wall will suffice to "house" the ends of adjoining logs.
For fastening,these may get screwed or pegged into the main wall on a diagonal,from their top down into that main wall. 

Thanks jake pogg!

Should the chinking joints be offset like they are when you're stacking the logs normally or does it matter?

If possible-unless done at latter date And likely to cause some structural difficulties-i'd definitely shoot for the Off-set seams,it does both work And look right.

In retrospect,regarding the first question,i can think of a number of other ways to do that also.
For example if the diagonal fastening system is cause for concern regarding even settlement of intersecting walls there are alternatives.

Similarly if other structural issues arise in regards to fastening,the two walls can be splined,or keyed to each other in other ways.