The perfect size crew to build a large log cabin is seven. That will give you two stonemasons, four carpenters (one for each corner of the cabin) and one lead man… who oversees the entire project and fills in for any man out that day.
A large crew like this comes in handy whenever it’s time to lift a heavy log into place.
An adze is a very handy tool to have when assembling a log cabin.
An adze is a tool that is centuries old, a tool that most people have never heard of, and a tool that really has no practical use other than for folks who work with logs and timbers, and yet in this modern era it’s still often the best tool for certain aspects of woodworking.
Even with the aid of a crane to lift the logs up to us on the second floor, there is still a lot of lifting needed to get the log into place.
Almost there… Almost there!
I don’t know, maybe we’ll have to use the “log-stretcher” on this beast to get it to reach. 😉
Originally posted 2015-07-24 14:08:39.
I bought my antique adze off of ebay for around $10 , and got a handle for it from House handle co. I can’t tell you how many miles I put on it. Sometimes I would go to Liberty Tool and get bits and pieces of old transitional planes, and chisels with no handles (they were cheaper)…all of them very very old, but some of the best tools.
Chuck, you are a source of information!
I have bought a lot of old tools off of eBay over the years, bu hadn’t heard of the other two firms. A tip of the hat to you on your skill with replacing handles, I’ve got to admit that that skill has always been a struggle for me personally and so I’ve just taken the lazy path and either sought out tools with good handles or delegated the handle replacement out to one of my talented crewmen.
LOL…..I am good for something I guess. Peavey Manufacturing makes a lot of handles and log tools, but they didn’t have any adze or offset hewing axe handles, thats when I found House handle company (I think they are still in business / family run). Chisel handles I usually make myself (I have made a couple axe handles, but they didnt last).
You ought to think about putting together a website, or doing some videos on your work… count me in if you do!
No way….you guys are such good craftsman, and do great work. My wife and I are just a low tech couple, who decided to build a small hewn log home (bucket list thing).. We used white cedar (which tapers a lot)., for the walls, red and white pine, and some spruce for timbers. Thats how I got aquainted with the adze. I wish you started this site eariler for pointers, (I have seen your work on your older site).
Hey that’s great Chuck. A tip of the hat to you. May I ask what part of the country you live in? that’s a unique set of wood species you picked out.
I live in Maine. There are traditional hewn log homes up this way too. Every once in awhile you will hear about someone discovering their house was a log home after ripping the siding off.
My wife was born in Maine… Kittery. I’ve never been there myself but I’ve always imagined it as wonderful, other than the winter and the black flies… it’s not that we in Virginia have it any easier with bugs… stinkbugs, ticks, and the occasional chigger. I imagine there are some wonderful old places up there… I’ve seen photographs of some of the timber frame joinery and it was amazing.
We don’t really have any black flies or others where we are living right now (towards the Bangor area). The other place we built was loaded with them. Really unusual Come around February it can get old.
I forgot to mention that in the little barn addition we just put on, I also used some hackmatack ships knees for corner bracing. Left them natural in their free form. But of course they are sanded and finished out a bit (wife does not like rough beams because of dust collecting).
I’d love to see a photo if you ever care to share!
Wives sure do keep us civilized don’t they?
I have two brothers in VA. Family in DE, PA, MT, I have Sons in LA and TX. Last winter we stopped in Roanoke and made a visit to Salvage Dawgs. Pretty country down there too.
Yeah, Virginia has a lot to offer, like Maine we have mountains and an ocean.
Here is one ships knee. I used threaded rod and square head nuts. On the trusses I used some steel/ iron hardware I got at the salvage yard. Made a and cut them out with an angle grinder, bored holes with a carbide boring bit (poor mans way). I used steel pipe welded heavy duty steel nuts on end, made my own drilling jigs and used these as internal connectors in some beams with large ogee washers (sort of lke old trestle/bridge and mine construction). These connect kingpost to ridge, tie beam to bottim of king post. We assembled them on the deck, and then my wife and I lifted them with a tree pole and a harbor freight boat winch. Assembled them on the plates and loft deck, and winched them up (we are scary people).
https://www.dropbox.com/s/vd1y1fka83v7tz6/11350100_943580872370972_2011831075_n.jpg?dl=0
I meant to say I made a template out of 1/4′ plywood as a pattern and made all the flat plates relatively the same. We assembled them down on the floor, then took them apart and hoisted each section up to the plates (about 12′). Assembled them up top, and used the hand winch to raise the assembled trusse upright.
Well that’s pretty dang impressive Chuck!!!
Where there is a will there is a way. I not only like what you did… but how you did it… and that clearly you’ve had enough challenges in your work that realize you can accomplish anything, one step at a time. A tip of the hat to you!
Thanks.
We basically used the 18′ log pole to lift all the walls and the truss pieces.
I think it was a small fir tree, about 6″ at the base. I squared the base up and used a door butt hinge to secure the bottom to the deck. On the larger walls we set the top plate before sheathing on beam blocks so I could get a fulcrum under it. After sheathing, I would use the fulcrum to lift the wall a couple feet higher, and slide H/D saw horse under the wall I lagged a harbor freight boat trailer hand winch about 4′ or so up the fir pole. We then wrapped the cable around the top of the pre sheathed walls (12′ x 28′), and hoisted them up.
The red pine can be heavy, and I had a hard time with twisting, but its what I had to work with.
Chuck, I think they call your gifting down here in Virginia… “yankiee engineering”… 🙂
It might all be common sense to you, but your abilities, are seldom found these days.
I struggle with twisting issues in working with new wood, in particular oak and yellow pine… I swear those species dream at night of becoming a pretzel.
I guess you can call me a stone and wooden home fanatic. I love log timber, stone, brick and even steel in proper proportions.
Agreed!