Caught in the act!

For some reason folks always give us a hard time when they see us working with a chainsaw. Somehow there is an expectation that since we work on old structures we must perform our craft as purists… using only hand tools of the period.

Certainly we have all the standard tools of that period and to be honest quite often they are the best tool for a particular job even to this day. But when it comes to cutting a log to length or quickly removing wood you just can’t beat a Stihl 026.

I did once have a fine young man join the crew who had been working as a housesmith at Colonial Williamsburg. I was so excited at the potential of what he could bring to the crew. But, he quit after the first day, much against my encouragement for him to not give up. He said that the pace of work was much more than he could endure, that he had grown used to swinging an axe and then pausing to explain the process to the tourists, and then onto swing the axe yet again, before pausing once more.

Originally posted 2015-05-25 18:41:33.

In the background the mason chips away on the next stone that he will use to build the foundation.

And, in the foreground, one of the carpenters also chips away, but he works on a log, refining it to fit just perfectly.

I had four carpenters working on this project, from the beginning with the barn salvage operation where we harvested the logs, to the installation of the last piece of trim on the final day.

It took us eight long, wonderful, months to complete this cabin.

In addition to the carpenters I also had a stone mason and his helper there most of that time building the foundation, the chimney, the fireplace, and, the stone exterior steps.

I’m not certain why, but masons make more money than carpenters… it’s the way it has always been. The men that “work the wood” are the lowest paid men on a construction site. The world is not fair.

And, let’s not forget that there was me and all my efforts… designing the home, supervising the jobsite, finding and acquiring all the materials needed, etc. The crew would always give me a hard time… they viewed me as the most expendable member of the team… but without me, none of this would have happened… I’m the guy with “the vision” and “the herder of cats”. And, they knew that… at least… I think they did.

So, in total there were seven men, each working very hard for eight months… that’s better than four-and-a-half man years for someone thinking of attempting something like this on their own. And that’s not counting the roofers, the electricians, the plumbers, the excavators, the well drillers, the painters, and the heating/air technicians.

Clearly a lot goes into building one of these cabins.

All the men who have ever worked for me have wanted to be paid more. All the subcontractors also have wanted to make as much as they could. And, of course, all the government agencies and insurance companies have demanded their cut as well.

On the other end of the equation was the client, the home owner, you know, the person who pays everyone. They want things as low cost as possible. Who can blame them?

It’s a constant balancing act trying to please everyone… in the end it is a rare event when anyone has been happy about the amount of money that was exchanged… those working feel somewhat slighted… and those paying the bills wonder if they paid too much… and the builder, who just wants to build, is stressed out, from hearing from all sides of their displeasure.

But in the end, and there always is an end, what really matters is the home that was built. Over time the money issues are forgotten and what stands for all to see is the work.

My friends, build as well as you can, and in the end there will be nothing but praise and thankfulness for what was created, for decades to come, perhaps centuries to come, by those who admire our work long after we are gone.

Originally posted 2015-05-25 16:01:12.

The Ruth cabin would have a copper roof…

The cabin’s owners planned on this home being a generational home, one which would be passed down to their children and then onto their children’s children. They wanted a roof that would not only be attractive and long lasting, but a wise investment as the years would go by and the roof never needing to be replaced.

I designed the home to easily adapt to the home expansion that would come five years later. The window on this end of the cabin would quickly be converted to a doorway with the aid of a chainsaw.

The porch posts and rafters on the front were framed out of old barn timbers… it’s floor was framed out of new pressure treated wood and covered in rough-sawn oak purchased from a local sawmill.

This porch, low in cost, virtually added another room to the cabin, an area greatly enjoyed by family and visitors alike.

I think the little lean-to addition off of the back, covered in cedar siding, adds to the aesthetics of the cabin… it creates visual “balance” and… functionality, by giving the cabin a small kitchen and bath.

Originally posted 2015-05-25 14:15:34.

The Ruth cabin started out like many of my projects, with a mess.

The logs we used to build this cabin were salvaged from an old barn that had seen her better days.

Originally posted 2015-05-25 13:51:25.

Here’s a peek into the cabin’s bath…. the shower (which is unseen) is off to the right of the old pine door.

We focus on every inch of a cabin when we build, trying to get every detail as perfect as we can. I think this photo reveals a lot of that effort… let me point out some of the special features we created in this small space.

First, you can see that the floors are old worn heartpine floors that were salvaged from an old home. On that floor you will see a cast iron floor grate which is part of the system that supplies heating and air conditioning. Yes, this is a rustic cabin, but she is very comfy. The “male inhabitant” of this cabin told me that his wife’s idea of roughing it was no HBO. lol

Originally posted 2015-05-25 13:03:31.

The cabin’s kitchen.

Originally posted 2015-05-24 23:24:35.

And here, we have the cabin’s bedroom.

Originally posted 2015-05-24 23:18:29.

Originally posted 2015-05-24 23:13:47.

There doesn’t need to be a conflict between having high quality and affordable price.

Anyone can have quality if they are willing to sacrifice quantity. A person can buy a wood chair for the price of eight of those plastic chairs from Walmart. Or, they can build a small cabin, for the price of a bit larger vinyl home or log cabin kit.

This family wanted quality, top and foremost, but they were like most of us, lean in the wallet. So they tasked me with designing the smallest cabin that I could that would meet their needs, and at the same time allow me to build something as nice as I could.

I admired their wisdom and loved every minute of the challenge.

I thought about the idea of creating a course.. putting together a bunch of instructional videos, and an instructional manual, and, a set of blue prints… all to help others build a cabin like this. Do you think there would be any interest in something like that?

Originally posted 2015-05-24 15:36:07.

This profile of the cabin turned out so well that the cabin’s owners would on occasion find an artist and his/her easel standing in their front yard.

They were once surprised to find that “Plow and Hearth” was selling prints of a painting made of their cabin… that image made the cover of one of their magazines.

From what I understand thousands of those prints were sold.

I like the idea that something I designed and built graces the walls of people I’ve never met. Maybe I didn’t invent the internet, nor did I get wealthy, but I did create something that is pleasing to the eye.

I encourage you to do the same, whether it’s a song, or a quilt, or a painting, or a chair… leave behind a legacy.

Or maybe you want to build a cabin? or other type of home or structure? how can I help you?

Originally posted 2015-05-24 15:17:47.