Dreams of a cabin

[beenthere]

Here is a video of building one.
http://vimeo.com/4399176

[Jeff]

Jeff,
you might want to read about Dorthy Ainsworth building her vertical timber home on the Backwoods Home Magazine website.

I'd been aware of Dorthy's story for many years. Amazing.

[chevytaHOE5674]

Beenthere funny you should post that video, they are my neighbors from about 4 miles UP the road. Real nice folks with some very interesting ideas. haha

[SwampDonkey]

Be aware to, that end grain will break down (rot) quicker than side grain. Simply because there is a whicking affect. So design stuff to protect the ends as much as possible.

Vinyl siding on white pine, must be a sacrilege isn't it? :D The darn stuff fades terrible, dad had to paint the once green vinyl around the windows. Faded bad, in less than 10 years.

[Corley5]

Vinyl siding on white pine, must be a sacrilege isn't it? :D The darn stuff fades terrible, dad had to paint the once green vinyl around the windows. Faded bad, in less than 10 years.

  It's an Alcoa product with a lifetime warranty.  I've got much more fun things to do than maintain a wooden exterior on the place I live  ;D :D   I almost put pole barn steel on.  The price was comparable   
  Be sure to put extra long eaves on to keep the rain splash away from the wood 

[SwampDonkey]

If that warranty is like asphalt 25 year shingles, I wouldn't hold my breath. ;) In my experience warranty on building material ain't worth much. Building maintenance is part of life. Unless like some of dad's uncles who let stuff fall down around them. :D ;)

I'm just poking at ya. Everyone has their own ways. ;D

[Jeff]

Donk, that is why I would use Northern white cedar, using a treated plate and a horizontal beam as starters. The bottoms of the vertical lots would be beveled off and it would all be well above grade on a foundation. I would also use large roof overhangs.   The wood can only wick water if it is standing in water, other wise, it would actually drain off anything.

I hear ya on the warranty. Our home here has a wood foundation that is guaranteed for 100 years. "They" will replace the material if it rots.  That's not installing it, just replacing it. If one ever has to make a claim and succeed,  You'd have a rotten foundation and a new pile of treated wood sitting beside it.

[Rockn H]

Not trying to hyjack the thread, but I've got a question about the roof in beenthere's video.  Can anyone tell me why they left an air gap under the tin around the perimeter of the roof?   Just wondering what the reason would be.

Jeff, it's been a while since I've been on much, but it seems like you've been thinking vertical log for a few years now so I want talk about stick building or R42 walls.    

[Holmes]

Here is a video of building one.

Wow   That is a lot of work.  I like the look better than horizontal logs.

[chevytaHOE5674]

Here is a video of building one.

Wow   That is a lot of work.  I like the look better than horizontal logs.

I forgot to mention, that the family that built that cabin has like 10 kids that took a long while to build the cabin.

[beenthere]

Can anyone tell me why they left an air gap under the tin around the perimeter of the roof? 

I figured that was for venting and taking care of the condensation that occurs on the lower side of metal roofing.

[Dave Shepard]

What is the title of that movie? It won't load on my computer.

[beenthere]

What is the title of that movie? It won't load on my computer.

The video I posted?
Building a vertical log cabin Andrew Lund

[Jeff]

Here is a site that shows some vertical log.
http://www.stockadestyleloghomes.ca/winter-2002-spring-2003-log-home-build-bungalow.html

[D L Bahler]

Do a google image search for Greensted Church in Essex, vertical log construction dating possibly to the mid 9th century -the oldest wooden church in the world.

[Gary_C]

I do agree with Corley 5 on the stick built. It takes less wood and is faster. Use your logs for the roof and cut your own framing wood.

The other thing I hope you are aware of is log sided cabins are not well suited for occasional use in cold climates. The logs are the insulation. They are called a thermal mass and resist changes in temperature. However that works against you in the winter if your visit is 2, 3 or 4 days when you will spend much of that time pouring the heat into the log walls of the cabin just to get the temperature up to livable levels. And during that time the walls will be cold and clammy because of the cold and moisture in the cabin.

Not trying to talk you out of a log sided cabin, just making you aware of some of the disadvantages. The log cabins work good if they are heated all the time.

Gary

[Jeff]

Perhaps this is the origin of my want to build a vertical log cabin?  This picture was taken when I was ten years old. I built it as a cup scout project. I still have it. 



 

[Satamax]

Here is a site that shows some vertical log.
http://www.stockadestyleloghomes.ca/winter-2002-spring-2003-log-home-build-bungalow.html

Jeff, carefull, Beenthere will pop around, and tell you off for posting offsite pictures  ;D :D ;D

[Jeff]

I posted a link to a webpage, I did not link to photos. I did not have any permission to simply post the photos. We very much appreciate it when Beenthere or other members help alert us to things.

[Jeff]

I'd like to see what you come up with for a grooving jig

I'm thinking this is actually going to be quite easy. Since I am planning on flattening two sides of the log on the wood-mizer, I'm thinking I can make the groove on there as well.  I just need to come up with something to mount on the bandmill head that will do the cutting, then run it down one side of the log, flip it, and run it down the other, then use a chainsaw to connect the two lines when I groove the ends of the logs. I may not have mentioned that. I plan on grooving and splining the ends as well.

[Satamax]

Jeff, check the NFU32 from mafell.

I'm prety sure you can cobble something like this for a circular saw.

Another idea, somehing like few lancelot blade from king arthur carving supplies, or something like an arbortech tuff cut. On some motor or arbor. Prety sure there's plenty of ways. Shaper extendable tenon or grooving cutters can do the job too. Dado blades. So many solutions.

[Jeff]

Or just an electric chainsaw on a mount.

[Holmes]

  Could your, a, debark-er do it if you took the blade off?  Maybe do them a batch at a time.

[Satamax]

Or just an electric chainsaw on a mount.

I thought you wanted to groove wide, something to fit a 13/16th to 1 inch thick plank. Mind you, even if going thin grove, i think carbide inserts will last longer. With the chainsaw, you might end up spending your time sharpening. I don't know for sure. But seeing the pace i'm going at through my chains, if it was for me, i'd avoid it at all costs.

[Jeff]

A chainsaw will cut a very longtime in clean wood. It would not be an issue. We use to double end trim whole bundles of lumber with a chainsaw with a 4' bar and do truckloads between sharpening. There is absolutely zero need for carbide in clean wood. 3/8" kerf is all it would need. The spline is not for structure.