So What would you say if someone asked you if you wanted 20+ pine trees?
If you are reading this you just might say yes! Also, if you are reading this, I am guessing that you are one of few individuals that can "see" the cabin in these logs. You can relate to and appreciate what pioneers did with these logs and what it took to transform them into shelter.
I said yes! Sure I'll take them. Come along for the next year or so, taking the path less traveled as I transform these fine logs into a log cabin just like the early pioneers did. One log at a time.
Sept. 26, 2019
After the logs were dropped off on my land they needed to be racked so they were up off the ground and could be looked over, selected and individually worked up. There are about 40 logs. I numbered them and did some rough calculations. Looks like about 600 linear feet of log. Building walls with no windows would make a 14 by 16 cabin ten logs high. Building walls with a door/s and windows cut in would allow for a larger cabin. Something to consider.
Although I have built 5 log cabins before I wanted to do a "proof of concept" to see if I was up to the task as the birthdays are piling up on me. So the first step was to peal a log (as seen in the top picture). This went well and only took one Alive and and about an hour.
Since I am going to make half dovetail notches for the cabin corners the logs will need to be hewn flat on two sides. Most logs will be hewn to a 6 inch thickness. To do this first lines need to be laid out and cuts made to depth so that the wood can be chipped off both sides using a broad ax.
Looking at log cabins that were built 150 years ago I am always in awe at the amount of work that goes into hewing logs like this.
The next step is to turn the log and work the sides down to the line with a smaller hand axe. Takes about an hour to an hour and a half to do a log like this.
Sure all this could be accomplished by taking the logs to a sawmill but, then I would not "see" what I am going to learn over the next year as I walk along, "the path less taken."
