Shiloh

Preparing your logs so that they are ready to be stacked is probably the single-most labor intensive part of the log home building process. If you are alone it can take hundreds of hours of work for a typical house. This is definitely one area where it helps to have (very good!) friends.

The initial part of the process is getting the logs arranged in a single “layer” so that you can work on each log individually. Ideally this is done by your logger when he or she drops off the logs. In our case we didn’t have enough room for the log trucks, the crane and the logs all arranged nicely so they had to be stacked into six stacks that were about five or six logs high. Pulling apart those stacks was not easy and I detailed it in this previous post.

You should start peeling as soon as possible as it will almost always be easier to remove the bark when it has been fresh cut. I have joked that you should start peeling as the tree is falling in the woods. In our case due to poor planning we didn’t begin peeling for two weeks and it was consequently much more difficult.

There are many methods of peeling logs. Most commercial log home builders use giant lathes to debark and shape the logs into uniform sizes. While some people like it, to me they come out looking like giant dowels. I don’t know if you have ever walked in the woods and looked up at trees, but they aren’t uniform. Some tend to curve, some are straight(er). On all trees the butt end is going to be larger in diameter than the top. While you certainly strive to get the best looking wood, having a little crook in the log makes it look natural. Homes built the way ours is built have what is called the “rustic” look.

Some home builders who are striving for the rustic look will use what are called drawknives to peel the bark. We use what are called spuds. Spuds, in this context, are not potatoes! Spuds can come with a variety of head shapes and a variety of handle lengths. We have four different types of spuds with handles ranges in length from two to four and a half feet. The handles are made from a hardwood (typically hickory or ash). The heads of spud tend to be flat, or almost flat, but I have one that has a curve to it with a 6″ radius. The edge of the head will be sharpen and is intended to slide between the bark and inner wood, separating the bark off the log in strips. I find that if it is too sharp the spud will want to cut into the wood and if it is too dull it will be harder to work with and slower to peel.

When Rachel and I first started peeling it was taking both of working for four hours on the same log. After some practice, experimentation with the tools and toughening of muscles, one of use can now peel a log in about an hour and a half to two hours.

Nothing like a nice bunch of debarked logs:

Rolling a log:

The following pictures shows a tool we use to move/roll the logs. It is called a cant hook:

With a cant hook, and a little determination, most people can roll a log on their own. Our largest logs are the six 45 foot logs that are between 15 and 21 inches at the butt end of the log and I can roll them by myself if necessary. Even so, it is very helpful to have a partner on the other end helping out!

At this point we hope to finish up next weekend with the peeling. Out of 100 logs we currently have about 70 peeled.

Next comes the foundation!!!