Log cabin

[Professor Marvel]

Video wouldn't play. I got a warning bar at the top with "Exception!"
RCJ

Greetings John -
the "exce[tion" is from firefox blocking the "unsafe Adobe player"
Adobe is very .... easily hacked....  and is well known to carry the "virus of the week". Adobe updates are incredibly frequent,

rather than mess with it I allow adobe to run by clicking a button that comes up, or just copy th link and open the link in IE or Chrome.

hope this helps
pf mvl

[Oregon Bill]

Wow, what a handsome rifle!
Stripping the bark has to be satisfying, if a bit tedious. Using a draw knife?

[dusty texian]

Sitting on the porch sippin spirit's , and playing with a drone. What'LL they think of next . Life is good aint it Pard! ,,DT

[Kent Shootwell]

Thanks Bill, I'm fairly satisfied with it. Using the draw knife is just work for me but has to be done. Makes for a cleaner brighter cabin and less places for bugs.
Dusty, if I knew that retirement would turn out this way I would of done it sooner!
Pr. Marvel, Thanks for being our computer geek here. I sure don't understand much about these things even with my 12 years of education, graduated the 6th grade don't you know.

[Professor Marvel]

My Dear Kent  -
Your Cabin is a treasure, those logs are what, 1 foot diameter? and what kind of wood, ponderosa pine?

Your Rifle is apiece of art, and a suitable caliber for Whistle Pigs or to take down any offending drone not previously approved by the Porch Commander!

as a freshly "retired from the computer developer/hacker/nerd/geek business "  guy I am happy to offer what little assistance my little grey cells can offer, whilst I continue to enjoy YOUR cabin and rifle vicariously!

yhs
prof marvel

[Kent Shootwell]

The logs are mostly lodge pole and are from 14" to16" except for the sill logs that are about 20" thick.
I now have 14 more logs striped and at the site ready to begin notching soon. Decided to put boards on the porch to make it easier to move around and it has to be done anyways. They are saw mill cut at a full 2" thick from lodge pole pine.
While working on it we saw deer, antelope, elk and moose. Also birds from blue birds to a bald eagle. The moose walked up to about 30 yards of the cabin so he must be the building inspector of the area.
IMG_0068 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

[dusty texian]

Hope you pass his inspection! ,,DT

[River City John]

Kent,
what do you plan to chink the cracks with?
And what are your plans for finishing the interior walls?

RCJ

[Kent Shootwell]

Dusty, we must of passed as he just grunted and walked by!
RCJ, I only have heard to not use cement and the old cabins around here are chinked with local clay mud. I'm open to suggestions. The most knowledgeable fellow in these parts has several original cabins on his ranch. He told me that the best way to make a cabin last is to not put any thing on the wood. Seems if the wood gets wet it will dry unless the water is trapped in by some thing. A good roof and being off the ground has kept his old log building working for over a hundred years so I figure that's long enough for my needs. I will put my bear skin up on one wall.

[Tascosa Joe]

You might contact the Barnwood Builders guys in W. Virginia, they use some kind of modern formula chinking that last for a very long time.  They are on DIY TV if you get that channel.

[River City John]

I've also read that good old clay mixed with straw, like adobe bricks, is the best. Using local clays sounds right to me.

In asking about the interior, I was wondering if after it's properly chinked, inside and out, whether you would whitewash the interior. I wouldn't think true whitewash would harm the wood, as a matter of fact it was commonly used on the interior of barns, chicken coops and the like. Non-toxic to animals, I would think that if the wood was left natural on the exterior then whitewashing the interior wouldn't harm, and would greatly lighten the interior.

But I know you'll do your own research.

RCJ

[Kent Shootwell]

John, I don't believe I will white wash the inside as that would be much to refined for the likes of me. But I do like to hear ideas and suggestions. I had a buddy observe my struggles with cutting the notches as the walls get higher and he thought why not cut them on the ground. Seems that would be a good idea so I measured the top logs and put them down in the same order and leveled then squared them. Now I can work from the ground much easier and safer. Two more courses and I can put them on top and cut the door! A view from the west.
IMG_0077 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

[Capt Quirk]

I used red clay for our little cabin, and it doesn't hold well alone. Chop up some straw or pine needles into 2-3 inch pieces, and mix it in with your clay. I'm not sure where you are, but if bugs are a problem, you might want to mix up a solution of borax and water, and soak the logs down with it. It helps protect it from termites and boring beetles. One more thing, make sure you have plenty of overhang with your roof.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

In the old days, semi-firm road apples were used.

A common feature of old cabins I have encountered was nailing strips of wood split from saplings over the chinking.

[Kent Shootwell]

Captain, this cabin is located on ground that may be best discribed as small rock with traces of dirt. There is a trail a few miles away that turns into what we call grease when it rains and I hope to use that for the dobbing with grass mixed in. Bugs aren't a problem as long as the wood is off the ground. It's plenty dry and an average days humity can be 10- 15%
Sir Charles, road apples would add a certain air to the place but I'm hoping rancid bacon grease and sweaty boots will cover the whiskey and cigar smells enough. I've seen the wood splits used too and need to see if that's needed.
IMG_0094 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

[Reverend P. Babcock Chase]

Howdy K. Shootwell,

Don't forget to cut in the rifle ports.

Reverend Chase

[Reverend P. Babcock Chase]

Howdy K. Shootwell,

Don't forget to cut in the rifle ports.

Reverend Chase

[Reverend P. Babcock Chase]

Oops,

My devise seems to have gone full auto

Reverend Chase

[dusty texian]

That fitting the logs on the ground , worked out good. They look tight .  How heavy are the logs ? Do you roll them up there on a couple of poles? When you get that door cut , should make getting around the place to work on it a bit easier . Looking Good Kent!!! ,,DT

[Ben Beam]

I am so impressed by this, and really appreciate you taking the time to post pictures and share it with everyone.