Log Cabin

For a long time. A friend I work with and I have talked and bull messed around about building a cabin on his property. Well winter is coming and I think it's too late to actually put it in motion but this spring we really wanna try it. We want to build the cabin from only what's in the woods. Nothing fancy or expensive just two room. Main living room with all amenities and a small bathroom. It's going to be our hunting cabin during the season and somewhat of a fun project. The lumber we can find but asking how we can cure the wood and what type of installation we should use. In MS the winters can get cold and wet. Usually stays right at or just below freezing but with our wood stove and good structure we will do fine. I just know there are some cabin builders here and looking for some actual knowledge and not just what some link on google showing some slideshows

Check this out.....
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ld-a-log-cabin

Check out Randyt's cabin

Takes a lot of logs,... long logs, and big enough around logs........peeled logs....

After doing years of research ended up have the Amish build ours.....Less money.

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...sh-built-cabin

It is a simple process, it's stacking sticks.

winter time is ok, I've peeled logs at 20 below. No slipping bark at that temperature, it get peeled off a strip at a time with a drawknife.

Thanks for the links.

There aren't any Amish communities around here although that is a brilliant idea.

I'm all for using my chainsaw and power tool, my buddy wants to do it the pioneer way with only an axe and shovel. That's admirable and cool but I'd like to spare my back and not be in the process all summer. Hoping that 2 months we could easily have it done.

I come from a long line of general contractors and have a Bachelors Degree in one of the building disciplines. I have been working on plan to build a log cabin down in Louisiana with one of my hunting buddies, and have already turned these ideas over in my head a number of times.

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In MS the winters can get cold and wet. Usually stays right at or just below freezing but with our wood stove and good structure we will do fine. I just know there are some cabin builders here and looking for some actual knowledge and not just what some link on google showing some slideshows

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The average temperature in that area isn't even below freezing during the winter. The average low isn't even below 35 degrees. That's why I go hang out down there in late fall and early winter and return to North Carolina come spring. The average rain fall in the winter is less then six inches. That's not cold and wet, that's mild and dry.

That will greatly affect how you have to build a cabin, or any structure. The phrase "cold and wet" should only be used to describe areas that hover well below freezing and have at greater precipitation, like the Great Lakes area up yonder.

The differences are vast. Up North, were there's a much higher precipitation rate, you'd have to use a roof that can bear more weight due to snow and ice. You'd have to make adjustments for water drainage because slow melting snow runs off differently then a rain storm. Northern cabins in cold and wet areas are completely different beasts.

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We want to build the cabin from only what's in the woods.

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If you cut down your own wood from the forest, you'll have to let it set and dry out for a few months or use a kiln to dry the wood. If you try to construct a cabin with green wood, the wood will shrink up as it dries out over time. Green wood is going to twist and bow. That could be disastrous for your structure depending on how you build it, or at least throw off your tolerances and mess up your joints. The long term outcome of building with green wood is not in your favor.

For caulking, sealing and chinking, they make special products catered to the needs of log buildings. One of the big companies that create special products, that I know of, is Schroeder. - I am not affiliated with that company and I am not advertising.

As for putting it together, some people would say to use saddle notches. From experience, I can tell you that it takes training and experience to proficiently build with saddle notches. It's also more time consuming. I would recommend using a Butt and Pass method detailed here: http://longhairedcountryboy.wordpres...butt-and-pass/

I have often wondered about the dry log recommendations. I think where things blur is comparing building methods for a woods cabin to those of a house. They are to different things. Comparing rough logs to milled logs, two different beasts.

I have no experience for the deep south but I'm originally from Kentucky.

here is a cabin I built 30 years ago in Kentucky from green peeled yellow pine, straight from the woods and then laid up. None of these logs were allowed to dry. The cabin is built on flat stone piers and rough cut lumber. It's still holding up well. I have built several cabins and have helped on several more, all from green logs. I also like to look at history. Take the pioneers for instance. When they settled did they cut the trees and wait several months before building? In regards to the hewn log cabin, did they hew the logs flat after the log was dry? Green wood is heavier but it works easier if green and to hew two sides flat on a dry log by hand is a task.

On the other hand look at Dick Proennoke. He cut his logs and peeled them and then left them to dry. Then returned and built his cabin. A few things come to mind, Dick was n his fifties and not a young bull so light logs was very important. Also he didn't have equipment to move the logs from the woods to the cabin sight so light was good.


http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h...cabin002-1.jpg

Our cabin was built with milled "D" shaped logs.......that were cut and hauled to the barn the Amish used for building cabins inside.
The other style is built with sawn logs....flat sides.

Both are types are pretty green, as well as the rough cut lumber cut.
Some dimensional lumber is used....there is actually a code spec'ing a percentage........for those that follow codes.

Now some allowances are made for the green lumber and logs.....the cabins are opened and allowed to dry for a month or so after construction....green/blackish mold does occur and need to be "bleached".

Doors and windows have a shrink area, and plumbing is done with extra room to allowed for the settling.

The problem I see is "only using available material"....is simply amount needed.

DD/SIL deer lease in Louisiana is in a yellow pine plantation.....that would have enough "big" logs if it was mature enough.

Winters seem damp cold, and rainy to me.......and seems I-20 is the rain/snow line.

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