How to build log cabin

[tawa]

I saw a show yesterday on PBS that was real interesting. It was about 1 guy who went to Alaska to build his own log cabin and live up there. First he only took with him the metal parts of tools. As soon as he got up there he made a wooden mallet, then made handles for his chisels. They showed how he cut notches in a log to fit them close together. Then how he made hinges from a spruce stump. My question is, are there any sites which show these old-fashioned ways of making things? Like he also made wood furniture from surrounding logs and rip sawed his own boards using a hand saw.

Questions I would have is, what type of wood is good for furniture? Should you use a different wood for the legs? Like I never would have thought of using spruce stumps for hinges. Perhaps it makes stronger hinges. He also showed how to make a wooden spoon.

[bob g]

i personally thought that was the most fascinating program pbs has ever had on, i only saw the last half of it and can't wait for it to reair to see it in its entirety.

as for the use of spruce, i think that is the predominant species in that area, there may be some soft broad leaf maple in the low lands but probably just used what was available to him in his area

havent seen the part about using the stump to make the hinges, but i suspect it has to do with the twisted (burled) nature of the stump wood being stronger for the hinge pieces, better and more continuous grain structure perhaps.

the libraries are full of books on old ways, tool building, shed and cabin building etc.

also lindsey publications reprints many useful books on the old ways.

i collect books from used book stores that are old and on myriad topics pertaining to how things were done before our disposable existance took over.

hope this helps

bob g

[tawa]

Hi,

I'd like to get a few of those books. Where can you buy them? Most of the books I have seen at the library pertain to mostly farm implements with few tools for general home or garden use. By farm implements, I mean hay forks, pig troughs, hen house, etc.

I'll do a search for Lindsey Publications.

[picmacmillan]

we can build log homes from whatever is available although some are better than others......for furniture legs tables etc...we use ash, very easy to find,...they call it poor mans oak...looks just like oak and very durable...they make baseball bats from it....pickster

[bob g]

check out lindsey publication at

http://www.lindsaybks.com/

they have all sorts of books that are republished, and newly written on all manner of do it yourself projects.

also check out homepower magazine, they have books on all sorts of stuff

http://homepower.com/

also you might look into what the sponser of this board have to offer,

i don't know where you live but here in the seattle area there are tons of old book, used book, half price book stores. i hunt these regularly to find old books on everything from motor rewinding, refridgeration, electrical, electronics, wood/metal working etc.

alot of the books written before, during and after the first world war, are written by folks that did the work, so are more practical and easier to understand.

also books written around the great depression where alot of folks were heading from the cities and back to the land are pretty well written, with alot of useful idea's on building and all kinds of other stuff.

my wife refer's to me, as the keeper of odd knowlege, i hope before i die to amass as large a collection of these old books as i can.

i once passed up and autographed set of electrical books, (the set was 6 volumes, one was missing) by nikola tesla. i am still kicking myself in the ass over that one! not that anything withing them was terribly useful to me know, but just to have them would have been very cool.

other books that might be of interest are from the mid 70's when the arab oil embargo really woke folks up in this country, alot was published then on all manner of AE, and alternative building techniques, they run the gamit from very useful, to at least entertaining.

i usually stop at every garage sale i see that has books, have found a few gems there over the years.

btw, having gone thru a horrible divorce, a couple of years back, i lost my library of alexandra so to speak, i suspect she trash canned all of them just to spite me.

but i have found many replacements the last couple of years.

books i like that have some usefull info that are old

"five acres and independence" by M.G. Kains, originally from the late 30's or 40's butis still being reprinted

"Walden" by Henry David Throreau , from around 1848 or so, still be reprinted and is a classic. personally i think it should be a class in high school myself!

"back to basic's" by Reader Digest Press, not sure but i think from the mid 70's

good overview on all facets of going it on your own., alot of good basic information, and points to ponder.

start digging, whatever your politics re: saving tree's and all that, for godsakes save the old books where ever you can

bob g

[tawa]

I used to go to garage sales but the return on my time wasn't worth it. I would have to go to 10 garage sales before I would find 1 useful thing worth buying. And they almost never have tools at garage sales.

We have used book stores here too but the mostly contain romance novels, or other fiction.

I guess I just like to make stuff out of other stuff. Perhaps it was my mom who taught me to make my own entertainment and toys. "Ok. Save enough of that dryer lint and you can make a pillow! Woohoo!"

[skravlinge]

Old good books use to have no copyright due to the authors pass away long time ago, I found some  which were ( in Swedish) dealt with old styles of  farming, useful still today if you want to beout of  chemical farming. Its easy to just scan the book and share cheap with everyone who needs it.

[Big All]

Some cool old books online here

http://www.thelitterbox.org/librum/

[Muffloj]

 I believe the man you are talking about was Dick Proenneke,. He lived and documented the construction of his homestead and much of his time traveling the Alaskan wilderness. He lived in that cabin for 35 or so yrs he moved in the mid 1990's over the age of 80.

 One of my heroes an awesome man.