Hand hewn log siding?

LoneDuck · November 21, 2013, 05:48:24 AM

Has anyone ever cut any lumber that was made into hand hewn log siding? I would like to put it on my home and have an idea of how it should be but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Nomad · November 21, 2013, 07:10:11 AM

I've resawed hand hewed timbers, but never tried to make a sawn board look hand hewn. I'm not sure how you'd go about that. I think what I'd do is hand hew a timber into a cant and slice the outside of it for boards.

Rockn H · November 21, 2013, 09:09:19 AM

The closest I've come is letting the bark slip on some pine logs. Then level the log each time I turned it and took off a slab. I was trying for a slab that was even and about 6"wide. I wound up with a cant that was more octagonal then square. I then edged the slabs to 4" wide. This gave me a "D" shaped log siding. I've only used this for small projects, nothing real big. You could use the same procedure with hand hewn logs too. You'd just have to adjust the width and thickness of the slab depending on the size of the logs and the look you wanted. With the finished slab/siding being three sided boards basically, you could even ship lap it.

Magicman · November 21, 2013, 10:08:50 AM

My thoughts would be to saw the cant, hew the side, and then slice it off. I sliced the outside off of these hand hewed timbers to make boards for my Cabin Addition.

I leveled the tops so that the boards would be a uniform thickness.

Those boards then bridged the gap in the ceiling ridge between the actual timbers.

beenthere · November 21, 2013, 10:15:13 AM

Quote from: Lone Duck on November 21, 2013, 05:48:24 AM
Has anyone ever cut any lumber that was made into hand hewn log siding? I would like to put it on my home and have an idea of how it should be but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

What is your "idea" how it should be.... ?? That will give us a better idea what you have in mind what you want in the end. ;)

LoneDuck · November 21, 2013, 01:01:26 PM

Here are a few pictures off a web site and I really like the look. Like I siad, It really dosent seem real hard. Alot of hand work to get the texture look. Do you guys see a reason why I couldn't just cut 5/4 boards and do something like this? I'm looking at using cedar electrical poles as the wood. I can get tons of them. It would not be a true hand hewn but finished it looks goog.

Carpenter · November 21, 2013, 02:39:26 PM

Sure, that's do-able! Probably if you made some ax marks in the cant each time you took a board off most people wouldn't know the difference. However, there are several of us who would know the difference. To get the true hand hewn log look, you would have to make sure there are no saw marks showing in the finished board. So, essentially, you would have to hand hew the surface of the cant, mill a board off and repeat. It sounds like a lot of work, because it is a lot of work. If you're very sloppy with a handheld planer and made a few score marks in the cant with an ax that might do the trick. I think you'll have to do a little trial and error and see what works to get the effect that you're going for. You have to make a judgement call here. If you're going for the authentic hand hewn log look, then the best way to get that is to hand hew logs. If you want the finished product to look like somebody was (trying to make the hand hewn log look with siding) instead of going to all of the trouble to hew logs. Then, you have to ask yourself, how close to the original is close enough?

m wood · November 21, 2013, 03:49:10 PM

Carpenter makes a lot of fine points. Since its siding, are you thinking of stacking the boards tight? Something of a T&G or ship-lap? considering any chinking? Plywood (or something) behind? My personal preference would be the chinking to achieve the "feel" of the hand hewn square log home look. Then on to the corners, planning to just box them in like the 3rd picture? IMO that could certainly work. Sounds like a chore, but theres probably a shortcut or 2 to get that rustic exterior. Personally, I wouldnt mind a saw mark here or there and bunch of ruffing up to dress it up, uhhh, i mean dress it down! :D. I am about all things rustic. ;D
mark

Magicman · November 21, 2013, 04:17:38 PM

Be sure and seal the board edges so that no moisture can get behind them.

Axe Handle Hound · November 21, 2013, 06:48:12 PM

I've used a right angle grinder with a coarse grit sanding disc to give a rustic, circlesawn look to a piece. I was trying to match it to the trusses in a house that had been dressed with the sloppy handheld jointer technique that Carpenter mentioned. Neither the piece I made or the trusses were authentic and anyone that had ever used a hewing axe or a circle mill would instantly know the difference, but I would think that with some practice pieces you could probably come up with a pattern/technique that you liked.

red oaks lumber · November 21, 2013, 06:54:16 PM

i would cut 2 1/4x10, let them dry then plane the face you want to use, then take an electric hand plane and just start scalloping the face, do the same thing on the edges. take a small axe and put some chops to give it more looks.
stain and seal it, put in on the walls that are already sheated with osb, start installing leaving a 1" gap between the layers.chink after complete

LoneDuck · November 21, 2013, 07:57:35 PM

Red Oaks, I to was thinking of the electric hand planer. The site that I got the picture sells the stuff but its expensive because they do everything by hand. They use draw knives and axes but I think that there are ways to use power tools sort of like Axe Handle did. I've watched some being made using chain saws but that end up looking like, well, someone went wild with a chain saw. I was hoping someone may have made some before and what they used. Thanks everyone for input. I am going to start some experimenting this weekend. I will keep you informed.

jackpine · November 21, 2013, 09:34:06 PM

I had a customer have me saw 2 x 8 which he then ran thru a moulder to get fake log siding. To get the more hand hewn look he then took a handheld power planer and randomly took cuts along the face. Upon close inspection it was not too close to hand hewn but from a distance did not look too bad

Bill

Bigbo1234 · November 21, 2013, 10:12:28 PM

Your best bet is to get a good crosscut saw, fell a tree. Than use a pit saw and hand saw a bunch of boards. Done. And it only requires two tools and two steps. So simple.

beenthere · November 21, 2013, 10:22:06 PM

Bigbo

QuoteYour best bet is to get a good crosscut saw, fell a tree. Than use a pit saw and hand saw a bunch of boards. Done. And it only requires two tools and two steps. So simple.

Then you would call that "hand hewn" ??

Or need to call it hand sawn?

5quarter · November 21, 2013, 10:59:20 PM

I would do it as Carpenter suggests. It is not that hard as long as you have the right tools and your tools are sharp and your hewn face is clear... 10-15 min per board. a heckuva lot cheaper than trying to buy it.

Bigbo...You can't hew with a saw. ;)

Bigbo1234 · November 21, 2013, 11:03:28 PM

You can't hew with a hand planer either. Just a joke guys

5quarter · November 22, 2013, 12:38:39 PM

Although you can hack with a saw...hand hacked timbers. ;) :D

Magicman · November 22, 2013, 02:42:56 PM

Some of the "factory hewed" logs that I see look like someone got to them with a hand power planer. There are no actual axe marks. I guess that there is a machine that irregularly gouges them with different power cutters.

They look pretty good.

Dad2FourWI · November 23, 2013, 09:34:44 PM

I agree with Magicman.... I was at a "cabin and lake" show and there was a vendor who sold both external/internal siding... it was very thick (~2" or more) and it looked "hand hewn"!!! It was AWESOME looking!!! A bit too $$$ for us but their product was really very nice.

I have their info filed away and could probably find it if it would be of any benefit to anyone.... let me know... just a bit of digging.

-Dad2FourWI