THE TRUTH about Log Cabins and Log Homes 

You had a wonderful childhood! I can't say that I ever did anything quite that industrious... but I am thankful to have had a childhood before the advent of video games, computers, and the internet. (all of these wonderful distractions are amazing to have, but they have robbed the current generation of abundant free time in the great outdoors.)

all we had was the great outdoors.....back then there was none of the things kids have today...and i agree, it has really robbed so many....and worse they do not teach skills anymore...if it is not something electronic, most will not touch it....sad really....

My grandfather built one house... his own. My dad helped... saw that it was doable... and then one day built one house... his own. I helped my dad... saw what I thought was normal... and built my own home. The same goes for changing the oil in the car, or fixing the washing machine, or entertaining oneself with a stick and a creek for hours. The tragedy is that all it takes is for the generation to pass on being the last to experience these things and they are gone... and that is my mission with all of these videos... to let folks know that building their own home is enjoyable, smart, doable, and rewarding in so many ways.

We been making them in Bulgaria for over 5,000 years

Thank you! I spent my entire 20's figuring myself out... the whole decade. So, take your time. Enjoy your days. And never, compare your life to anyone else s. It seemed back then that everyone else in that decade of my life knew exactly what they wanted out of life... a nice paycheck and a cubicle all their own. One day in college, in a class on "Organization and Management" the professor asked the class... "how many of you want to work for a large corporation?" When I saw that everyone in the class raised their hand but me I realized that I clearly didn't fit in with mainstream thinking. lol Me? I wanted freedom to live my days the way I wanted to... I wanted a piece of land... and to live in a home that I built of my own hands. And after I had gone through this process a couple of times I realized I had finally found my calling... at the age of 30. You see, at the end of each day, dirty and tired, I realized that there was a subtle, but wonderful, satisfaction that came from creating something useful and attractive. It has not been a path to wealth with regard to dollars... but I've had a very satisfying life and have spent more hours with my wife and children than any other man I know. And that is a wonderful legacy... a lot of great memories... and all three of my children have turned out to be better individuals than I am. You do have a challenge in your life that I did not (and a blessing).... I was a child before the advent of all of this amazing, alluring, and addicting technology... (well, there was tv... but no video games, computers and internet) It takes a lot strength to pull oneself away from the screen and actually create something physically. And unfortunately, the act of setting an example of how-to-do-it is rapidly being lost. On the other hand I so wish I had had RU-vid "how-to" videos to learn what needed to be done next. And if I had had the ability to earn an income online back then?... wow... that would made life a whole lot easier! I wish I could have shared all of my projects online as they were built... but heck, I'm not dead yet! lol... I still have projects ahead of me! So follow your interests... whatever they are... and it will all turn out well. Noah

You have a real treasure there! Your great grandfather left quite the legacy!

That's fantastic!

Now THAT home sounds amazing. Tight fitting logs. Video ?

Was he scandinavian by any chance? Nearly all our log buildings are like that. Moss or wool in a groove carved out under the log

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HNTfLGt59qo.html

I appreciate the comment Paul!

Thank you for sharing jimmy!

:) Well, I'm glad that you were pleasantly surprised. There is nothing about building a log cabin that is beyond the ability of anyone who puts out the effort to make it happen! (just try to make it as nice as you can)

Lol me too. Great comment!

@@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley I loved your video...but I have a question,how do you cut the wood straight if we don't own an electric saw,those are very expensive...or do you just keep them round,does it rot...do you have to do something so it won't rot,I'm clueless about all of that...

@@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley I loved your video...but I have a question,how do you cut the wood straight if we don't own an electric saw,those are very expensive...or do you just keep them round,does it rot...do you have to do something so it won't rot,I'm clueless about all of that...

@@adrianamorales818 Adriana , :) paint it with stain or sealer. All wood. Before. Or at same time right as you assemble. Untreated wood will get termites and rot quite likely over time. Stain sealer and plenty of it. Anyone can do it. You need at least 3 people im thinking as a small team to build a cabin !

Thank you for the compliment on the chimney... she is sweet isn't she?

Yes very sweet

That is a nice one isnt it.

There is a tool that has been around hundreds of years. It is called a level.

He is so talented. We want to build our own but sure wish we could afford to hire him to help us - amazingly detailed.

Same! Now I've gotta go hunt for how-to videos about making stuff out of rocks.

You can thank the generosity of trial juries that reach into the pockets of every airplane manufacturer and extract millions to distribute to grieving families and lawyers every time some lunkhead digs a furrow with his plane. Someone has to pay the bills and it won't be the manufacturers.

Rock n Roll Brother...The Corporate clowns and the fiction state are always there to throw shit in the game...

Infandous Ktenology

Thank you! I have found also that my crew and I prefer to build small cabins like this as well... they just feel right, and are a joy to build.

I call those logs "drinking straws" because they are like dowel rods and have no character at all. Factory automation.

@@LiveMusicOntario yeah because they're toys

I haven't seen anyone beat that toy design yet. Lol

I bet no thinks of nails, glue or glass when they talk about factory automation. If everything was still made by handcrafted experts. You wouldn't have time for RU-vid videos or watching the next big show

@Al Morrison I had Lee logs

Thank you Doug! Welcome!

ME TOO!

Doug Harker enjoyed your information

Doug Harker same here.

As did i,

Lol me too

I ended up here looking for coalcracker buschcraft videos.

Thank you!!! Sometimes I do wonder if any one really cares to hear what I have to say... your words encourage me to keep going. Here in Virginia we have more than our share of round log kit homes and as hard as folks try they really don't look like they belong.... any more than an adobe home would. Whereas when I build a traditional cabin I find that artists will sometimes stop by and ask if they can paint the home. You can't go wrong copying the designs and techniques that have proven to be attractive and durable for centuries.

I agree, and say "MANY THANKS", to you sir for all your expert information and videos regarding log cabins. My husband and I have purchased land where we plan to build our retirement home, a log cabin. After what I thought to be as "detailed log cabin home kit research", we placed a non-refundable deposit on a log home kit, from a company that does not provide, nor outsource, engineering for our state building code. Not only have we lost thousands of dollars, but, it has been difficult to find an architect, or, builder who will assist us, I believe, largely because the size of our home does not meet their minimum sq. ft./build requirements. Nevertheless, I continued to research, and was blessed to find your website and videos! After his retirement, my husband is planning to enroll in your log cabin academy and we are planning to build are own log cabin!

Hi Cynthia... thank you for your kind words. I'm sorry to hear of your struggles with the kit home industry... I wish I could say it was the first bad experience I've heard of... but the truth is I've heard so many of them over the years. I've always been able to find and work with engineers on my cabin projects that required one. I have always first sought detailed concerns from building officials and then hired engineers to address those specific concerns, rather than going after a blanket covering of the entire project.

Thanks for sharing... log cabins are timeless. They continue to bless us for generations.

Thank you!!!

Thank you Shawn SWC!

Hey that's great! It sounds like you have a great dad. And what an example he has set! It doesn't take a lot of tools to build a cabin for sure... extra tools are nice to have... for sure... but the lack of tools shouldn't ever hold us back!

Hey that's great! thanks for sharing! I do tend to go "by eye" often... I can't say I've had your kind of accuracy to the fraction of an inch, lol... but I am often more pleased with the result.

Thank you much for the kind words! (my wife might argue on the idea of me being smart though... lol) I'm just glad you find some value in what I have to say... you made my day. Building a home, or a log cabin, is easily within the ability of anyone... especially someone that has the interest in doing it. It's a matter of getting started... figuring out what needs to be done next and how to do it... and never quitting. If you follow that path I guarantee you can do it.

Glad to hear it Archie! Don't give up that dream!

So true!

I'd hire a company. Only because I'm lazy!

I can understand and appreciate that... old houses offer so much. I've done my share of restoration where I learned to appreciate so many of their secrets and joys. But I love to build... start with a blank canvas of sorts... a raw piece of land... and create a home that fits who I am... one that one day will offer someone else a home "with some experience".

Professional carpenters have existed for thousands of years mate.

Yes they have! And as a carpenter, I think that's a pretty cool thing. :) Throughout history (until recently) they were highly respected. As much as any doctor. Here in the States... almost every timber-frame home that I find, over a hundred years old, was clearly built by a professional carpenter. But, whenever I look over log cabins of the same vintage it's clear that the vast majority were built by the home-owner. Yes, there were professional log builders back then... but they were rare in number in comparison. Log construction is that park where anyone can play.

You are welcome!

Thank you Speon!

Thank you! That is my goal... to help as many as I can.

Thank you! I found out long ago that no matter how good I tried to be at something that there would always be plenty of people that could do it better. It was actually a freeing thought.. that I didn't need to be the best. It allowed me to focus on doing my best, without worrying about it being perfect. If I'm pleased with the finished result... cool! And if someone else enjoys it... even better!

Thank you Monalisa!

I started out with Lincoln logs myself!

Welcome aboard!

So would I

Well thank you!!!

If one were to build a log home with any of the modern methods such as found in many kit homes... where logs are laid one upon the other and spiked together... yes, indeed these homes need regular coats of expensive toxic poisons and carcinogens applied to them. Whereas if a log home is built in the traditional manner none is needed... ever. The oldest traditionally built cabin in the US is now 400 years old and has never been "treated".

:) There is nothing better in this life than building a home and living in the woods! At least that has been true for me. If you've got the itch, you HAVE to go for it! (it's a lot of fun... well worth the struggle to get there)

Welcome aboard!

Thank you Tom! I've had a talked to a couple of folks in recent years who were retired salesmen for various log cabin kit companies. They needed a job and there was an opening to sell them, they learned the sales pitch on why this product was better, and sold many of them until the company folded, and then would move on to the next manufacturer and pitch the virtues of a different company. Very few of these salesman have ever built a log cabin. And few of them really even like log cabins... it's a job. I do believe there are good companies to buy logs, or assembled logs from them. (at this point I make no recommendations) They key is to be an informed future homeowner... to know cabins well before starting and that is my goal with the upcoming Log Cabin Academy... to share all that I know about them. Both notches are great. But the half dovetail is without a doubt the best. It looks more impressive. It's easier to make. And, all of the notch sheds water to the outside of the cabin, whereas half of the v-notch sheds water to the inside (we are only talking about a few drops of water... so it's not a big deal... but during a huge torrential blowing rain you might see a bit of water find it's way onto the interior face of the logs in the corner.)

I can believe it!

Thank you! One of my recent Handmade House TV episodes goes "INSIDE this small log cabin"

I built my first log cabin over 30 years ago. When I finished I realized that I couldn't stop... I enjoyed it so much!

a gang of Mexicans will do it in two weeks tops true story

Thank you!

Steeple Notch.. I like it! I bet I've heard a dozen different names for this notch... all of them good, and reflective of the area. Thank you for sharing!

That's very true.

Some had an adze and I believe it's even easier with one of them.

An adze doesn't change much in terms of the overall difficulty, but it does change the angle so you don't have to build a stand to work the logs on.

Thanks for the feedback! I've never built a stand to work my logs with an axe. And I've never enjoyed using an adze... they scare me... I've had too many close calls with them... and I've seen very very few vintage logs that were worked with an adze. But I do have some dear friends who love this tool, choose to use it over an axe, and still have both of their legs... so it's all good! There are few absolutes in this world.. often it comes down to the preference of the individual. I respect and admire anyone who handcrafts a home.

They were less used in the US but log cabins in Scandinavia were often built with them.

Well, that's pretty cool! Thanks for sharing and welcome aboard!

Hmmm, great question. I recall an old episode on THIS OLD HOUSE and it had a center chimney. They removed it mainly due to the amount of square footage of floor space it took up. A 1700's home. I think at ground level it was about 9'x9' . Just a thought.

@Frank Bishop Central stone chimneys, fire pits, and hearths are used in many ancient structure designs for the reasons you note, but there's always a trade-off. Gable-sited chimneys are easier all around both in building, maintenance, and repair. They did what was needed in the more temperate climates and heavily forested areas they were commonly used in. And if you ended up with a creosote-caused chimney fire, just slap the ladder up next to the chimney and start tearing it down away from the cabin. That mattered a lot more in the days before you could call the fireman to put it out for you.

@@P_RO_ Thanks for the reply. A chimney fire is an issue that never dawned on me. That is a darned good reason for putting chimneys on the ends of cabins.

Thanks sir... I believe that is the first time hearing that.... ever. We need more people like this in the world. I would love to build a small cabin one day. First...land to build it on.

Cool

Thx

Thank you! The good news is that you have the ability! If I can do it, you can do it. It's just a matter of taking it one day at a time.

Most of it is just practice as he says in the vid. I bet if you practiced for a day you could do a 1/2 dovetail even if you have never used a chisel before. The trick is to take off less than you need to then go in more precisely with the next cut till you get the hang of it if you are going to use the very first log instead of practicing on say 10 or so.

lol... you win the award for the best comment of the day! Sorry about that... I was in the woods building cabins... never once imagining creating videos to be put on RU-vid.

It's not as fun... for sure... working with wood is what it's all about.

Yeah, there aren't many quick things that can be done in building a house... using care and taking the proper amount of time to get it done right is one of the joys in creating a home.

Yes indeed, the best pancakes are cooked over a cabin fireplace... with blueberries and maple syrup!

Best comment

Thank you for the kind words Jose and for following along!

I like it! (I wish I had said it!)

Wow.... what a nightmare! And so true... about new log cabins that are built using round logs, one on top of the other. Which is why I post here on RU-vid. I have been building and living in traditionally built log cabins for over 30 years now... I have never done any maintenance work on any log home that I've lived in or built during this period... none (well... except for giving the window sashes a fresh coat of paint) Owning a modern built cabin is a commitment to a lifetime of applying expensive and toxic materials to keep them from rotting away.. Thank you for sharing.

I don't know what kind of upkeep that would be. We have a log cabin built around the first world war. We stained it once in the '80s. Sweep the cobwebs off every couple of years. All good.

Thank you! Two years is a great timeframe!

Hi Erik, It's an American way of building a log home... this country is known as a melting pot... a blending of cultures... There were the Scandinavians who brought in their round log cabin techniques into this land of forests... and then there were the British who were fond of shaping wood with an axe and creating timber frames... and of course, the Germans who tend to perfect everything they touch. The result is the ideal and proven way to build a home in this environment... from Maine to Florida and most of the way to the Pacific Ocean. The oldest known log home here that built this way is now 400 years old. Whereas here log-on-log construction tends to rot without constant applications of toxic chemicals.

The original pioneer cabins had the logs touching with chinking added. Most modern cabins have a space because it's easier to fill the gap than to notch them correctly.

I like stone homes as well.

Handmade Houses Thank you.

You are welcome!

Well thank you for that! (I do enjoy potato salad)

Hahaha... I was eating potato chips.

losttribe3001 hope you enjoyed that 'it sounds absolutely delicious

5winder I had some crisps, as we call them in england' tasted crap' much rather had mustard potato salad

I'm eating chilli and I can imagine making it in this cabin :)

Thank you for the kind words and for following along!

lol... well, you're not the first! But having the name Noah and building large timbered structures on mountaintops is just inviting trouble. :) (most prominent on rainy days)

Lol. Well' I'm glad you still have a sense of humor about it. If any animals start showing up in pairs at a work site, please email me immediately.

Sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing!

You are so welcome

I hear that a LOT! lol And THAT will have to be a topic of video someday.... hmmmm

God yes, it was a mantra in my head during the whole vid. I was channeling my 7th grade shop teacher who said- "keep it sharp, keep it sharp, keep it sharp"