| Cutting Notches and Stacking Logs |
| Logs are peeled and notched. |
From "Trade School"
episode DTRS-306 |
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Apprentice Matt Rohrer joins master log home builder Ron Miller at his building yard where he learns about peeling logs and handcrafting notches while constructing an 18' x 20' cabin shell from the ground up.
Materials:safety glasses
drawknife
chainsaw
portable sawmill
crane
log frog
peavey tool
scribers
hammer
chisel
power drill
Safety Note: Always wear safety glasses and ear protection when working with power tools.1. Using a lot of elbow grease and a 12 inch drawknife, Matt scrapes the bark and cambium (the outer-most layers of wood) off of each log (figure A). In addition to minimizing insect infestation, stripping these outer layers makes for a more attractive and uniform-looking cabin. 2. With the logs peeled, Matt jumps to forming and assembling the cabin shell. He starts at ground level with the all-important base course. With Ron at the controls of a portable sawmill, a special band saw set upon 55 feet of track, he cuts one log into halves to create two flat-bottomed base members (figure B). Based on the dimensions, Matt cuts these to length with a chainsaw. 3. With Ron at the controls of a crane, Matt guides the base logs into position over squared and level platforms called piers (figure C).
4. He cuts and positions a two 3/4-sized logs perpendicular across the ends of the base logs. He keeps each heavy log from rolling off by inserting a wedge-like tool called a frog, between it and the log below (figure D). To precisely maneuver the log, he uses a peavey tool to roll it into position (figure E).
5. Ron instructs Matt to cut the first of many notches that form the corner joints of the cabin (figure F). For the base course, he learns to cut a blind notch into the 3/4-sized log (figure G). Note: This type of notch is cut only partway through the width of a log, which helps disguise the joint.
6. To ensure that the notch fits precisely, Matt traces the contour of the lower log onto the upper log using a scribe. Keeping a close eye on the scribe's two bubble levels, Matt keeps a steady hand as he transfers the contour (figure H). He then flips the log over onto two crib blocks that steady the log. 7. Matt further defines the edges of the notch marks by hammering a chisel around the outline (figure I). Now he's ready to cut.
8. Using a chainsaw, Matt makes a depth cut in the center of the notch. He follows this with several angled cuts that meet the first (figure J). This alone removes a good portion of the wood in wedges. To hollow out and create the round shape of the notch, he uses the curved tip of the saw for several delicate, shallow, swooping passes (figure K). Matt proceeds to cut three more blind notches for the base course.
9. Matt now fits the notched logs over the half logs. Before moving on, he ensures this base course is square by taking a cross measurement (figure L). 10. With the base course leveled and squared, each log is hoisted into position. Matt scribes and crafts saddle notches for each intersection. Although crafted almost identically, a saddle notch differs from a blind notch in that it spans completely through the width of the log (figure M).
In the next segment, Matt continues crafting notches as he tackles the roof supports.
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