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- Mar 10, 2011
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In 1954 my dad and uncle built a 20' x 20' log cabin. I was eight at the time and we lived in the city. Up untill then, being outside meant playing on the sidewalk or on an asphalt playground a half a block from my house. My parents purchased 36 acres of mostly wooded land about 10 miles or so out of the city. We always called the property "The Woods". We went out to The Woods on weedends to build the cabin. I had free run of the property, a pocket knife, BB gun, and use of dad's hatchet if he didn't need it. Spent a lot of time by myself exploring The Woods.
They started out by clearing a driveway and the site for the cabin. We gathered stones from a field next door. These were for the foundation piers. Felling and bucking of the logs was done with a borrowed chaing saw. It was an older McCulloch and starting it was never easy. Dad and uncle often used words when starting up the saw that I wasn't allowed to say.
Altough I spent time exploring The Woods, I also wanted to help out. One job I could handle was debarking the logs. Here I am with dad's trusty drawknife with my mom holding the peeled bark and her dad with a cant hook.
Unfortunately, I have no pictures of axe work. This included notching the logs for the walls as well as fitting the rafters and beams for the roof. Any holes that had to be bored was done with a brace and bit. Window framing, floor boards, and roof decking was all cut with hand saws. Weeds/grass that they wanted trimmed was cut was with a sycthe. After the cabin was built we spent many weekends at The Woods.
Here's the cabin
We never got around to putting in a well so we always hauled water from home when we went there. Also never had electricity. And for whatever reason never had an outhouse. For heat dad made a stove out of a 50 gal drum. He had a one man crosscut for bucking firewood and of course an axe for splitting.
Thanks for looking.
They started out by clearing a driveway and the site for the cabin. We gathered stones from a field next door. These were for the foundation piers. Felling and bucking of the logs was done with a borrowed chaing saw. It was an older McCulloch and starting it was never easy. Dad and uncle often used words when starting up the saw that I wasn't allowed to say.
Altough I spent time exploring The Woods, I also wanted to help out. One job I could handle was debarking the logs. Here I am with dad's trusty drawknife with my mom holding the peeled bark and her dad with a cant hook.
Unfortunately, I have no pictures of axe work. This included notching the logs for the walls as well as fitting the rafters and beams for the roof. Any holes that had to be bored was done with a brace and bit. Window framing, floor boards, and roof decking was all cut with hand saws. Weeds/grass that they wanted trimmed was cut was with a sycthe. After the cabin was built we spent many weekends at The Woods.
Here's the cabin
We never got around to putting in a well so we always hauled water from home when we went there. Also never had electricity. And for whatever reason never had an outhouse. For heat dad made a stove out of a 50 gal drum. He had a one man crosscut for bucking firewood and of course an axe for splitting.
Thanks for looking.
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