A recent picture of our cabin on August 1, 2009.
This was just after finishing the roof and chinking the walls with mud. We still
need to cover the gable ends, build a door, and furnish the cabin's interior.
It's almost done!
In January of 2002 we broke ground for a 10x17 log cabin. The cabin is being built on our Grandpa's 27 acres in Oregon City, Oregon. Our purpose is to have fun working together, learn how to use many of the tools that helped build our country, and to have a period log cabin when we're finished.
We are building the cabin with 19th century tools and methods, as much as possible. Our tools include an 8-foot, 2 man crosscut saw, axes, drawknives, chains, ropes, pulleys, skidding tongs, a peavey, a bucksaw, an adze, chisels, and a froe and maul (actually, quite a few mauls that are beginning to look rather "mauled" themselves).
Click on these links to see more pictures and learn about what we have done so far:
January - March, 2002 Ground breaking, Tree falling and bucking
May 9, 16, 2002 Bucked a cedar tree into 30" shingle bolts, and hauled them up to the road
May 30, 2002 Felled, bucked, and peeled one fir tree
June 27, July 11, 2002 Hauled the biggest logs out of the woods for foundation logs, peeled them, and put in place
May 15, 2003 Began notching and putting up the wall logs
June 26, 2003 Hauled the last logs out of the woods
July 31, 2003 Nearly all the wall logs have been raised!
June 18-25, 2004 Framing the windows and door
July 22, 2004 Building an ash ladder for building the loft and the roof.
July 13, 2005 After working on firewood for most of the winter, some of our friends came out and helped us put away all the wood we need for next winter. Now that we are ahead, we have been able to return to work on the cabin.
July 9, 2005 We put up the plate logs
August 11, 2005 We finished the loft boards
August 12, 2005 Raising the ridgepole and its supports
August 13, 2005 Putting up the first rafters
2005-2009 Roofing with cedar shakes
August 1, 2009 Chinking the walls with mud and moss
Watch this page as our work continues!
Last updated September 5, 2009 by Daniel Forster
