How to Build a Tiny Log Cabin

Here's an update on my progress in building the "apprenticeship log cabin" (if you've never built a log cabin before, seriously consider building a tiny one first... to develop your skills and gain confidence). In this episode I want to share with you how easy it is to create a half-dovetail corner notch on your cabin... and, I point out one of the major flaws in building a log cabin where one log rests upon the other... mold, mildew, and rot. If you would like to learn step-by-step how you can build your own log cabin consider joining me online within the Log Cabin Academy! (the price for lifetime access to this course will soon double)
noahbradley.leadpages.co/logc...

[@lindahodgkins4197]

"Get started, never quit" love that philosophy!

[@SnowyOwlPrepper]

The Walnut's grain in the photos is very pleasing. The ground below walnut trees usually has very little growth of anything that cannot survive the juglone compounds. Mold in particular penicillin mold breaks down the husks. I am thinking the natural beauty and knowledge gained through construction of the log structures is well worth our time. The beautiful character of the design is only matched by the process that enriches our spirit. Than you for the wonderful insights you share with these videos.

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

If you aren't a writer you need to start soon! Well said!

[@CatherineSTodd]

What I wouldn't give to have my health and physical strength back; log cabins here I come!

[@jackofalltrapping6181]

63 yrs young and just finished mine on my 153 acres in the mountains. Everything from the land.

[@robertocorradi6318]

Another good one Noah .............. So true .That mould just loves a ' nice ' secluded , damp spot out of the view and gaze of prying eyes . Here it can take a hold , go forth & multiply & it does ....... Just love those modern Log Cabins ! . They have so much to offer ......... constant upkeep ; ghastly aesthetics and a very short , ignominious lifespan .

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

Well said!!!!!!

[@treylem3]

"Never quit". Thanks Noah, I'm prepping to build, mentally and by amassing materials and tools

[@bobpeterson4930]

You can do this! I so appreciate your outlook and belief in us. Like the idea of starting with something small as a confidence builder. Keep a good thought! Bob

[@laurasmith988]

can't wait to start watching the Log Cabins Academy!!! Love what you do and thanks for sharing your wealth of information with us.

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

Thank you Laura! I think you'll be pleased with Log Cabin Academy... so far the feedback has been tremendous!

[@mxdmsgs]

These are my favorite of your videos. I love seeing the inner workings.

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

Thank you! I'm really looking forward to the day when I have the land for my next home purchased and I can start showing each week my progress on building that home! (the progress on that path is slow... I just can't find the right spot... but I'm looking!)

[@mxdmsgs]

I'm having a problem with most of the land around me being mostly cleared. The timber that is left on it isn't that mature.

[@t.w.4462]

Your the man that keeps my dream alive! Tks

[@davidmicheletti6292]

I love this style of home construction

[@ldevo6750]

Thank you for the little tidbits of information :) , help and encouragement!

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

You are quite welcome! Thank you for your support!

[@jasonplant5432]

you rock man.thank you for the dovetail info.that's been bothering me for years.how to? now I know.thanks.

[@indiancreekspirit5102]

WHOA BEAUTIFUL thanks for sharing this information

[@jeremybates5207]

Thanks for sharing these episodes as it has opened my eyes to traditional log building as opposed to laying logs on top of logs with standard notching. No wonder why those old dove tailed, chinked cabins in parks and historic sites are still standing. I think together with spaced logs with dove tail notches and large overhanging eaves, a structure could last far beyond our expectations.

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

Well said Jeremy... and thank you for your comment.

[@dmkenosis8155]

Very cool episode

[@Tracks777]

I enjoyed the video! Keep it up!

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

Thank you!

[@rickydeez7251]

That made a whole lot of cense, i see it now, thank you very much.

[@bluegorillacookies]

I see where you notch a flat surface at the top of the cabin in episode #26. I love the action, and most of us learn by seeing it done. Do you have footage of notching the dovetail, including how to scribe? That would be awesome.

[@preferablystephen480]

I watched a number of your videos. Very well done - thank you for doing them. I am sorry. You may have covered this question a million times. My question is, after you drop the trees, cut them into the proper lengths, and remove the bark, do you then begin immediately using the logs and building the cabin (cutting the dove tail joints etc) or ... do the logs need to season (cure) first before you use them?

[@michaelmccauslin3676]

Awesome series!

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

Thank you!

[@robotjellyfish3209]

could mold form inside the notches if a gap is left. With no experience im sure my joins would have at least some small gaps for mold. I also wonder if this type of home would work in canada with the cold.

[@user-mv2ey6ti6l]

I have been told if I cut 6 inches wide, Not to exceed 12 inches tall. I noticed that some of your logs look about 6 inches wide but way more than 12 inches tall, Is that why you leave the natural contour of the logs height

[@cooper68ns]

About what degree is the sloped angle? Cheers

[@avg8or]

Forgive my ignorance, why does the bottom have the bird beak notch with a squared off end? (and the top notch does not have a squared off end?)

[@oldhamegg]

so the wood is not treated, just "raw". won't the wood then mold at the dove tails? Also, how are you treating the mold that is already there? won't the untreated wood "rot" (for sake of a better word) much quicker even if it is built like you say with the air moving through?

[@lehampton1]

IMHO and I’m no expert, and I realize I am dealing in semantics, but what you are doing I don’t call “logs” but call them “beam” since they are sawn. If they were “hand hewn” I would call them that. Your half dove tail is certainly the best corner notch for the later two types of construction. However for full or round “log” construction I think the butt and pass method is the most solid and has less settling than the other notches used like saddle notches. I’ve seen examples of beam homes that use the butt and pass and they look too contrived. Your half dovetails certainly give the look of historical log homes, especially those that had the advantage of using old growth heart pine or cedar beams.

[@treylem3]

Awesome

[@jerrypeevey]

I just love the joints but I keep wondering what requirements California would have as far as earthquake specs would go. Crazy state is going to require me to have solar ready electric when I have a 1/2 acre of trees over 50 ft tall. What sun ? I am also at 7500 ft elevation and snow levels reach 30 ft a year sometimes. hmmmmmmm

[@matmos9293]

Hi, Thank you for sharing your knowledge, may I ask how do you prevent termite attack on a log house, are the timbers treated?

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

Mat, I do not use treated logs when building a home.... I don't like the idea of my walls being poisonous... and... because pressure treated logs are much more likely to be sapwood than heartwood (sap wood is porous and allows the pressure treatment to penetrate the wood... heartwood is tough and much more naturally resistant to insect attack). I do use pressure treated wood on occasion when building a home (such as porch floor joists)... just not for my logs. With regard to termites... all houses in termite areas need the same treatment... termites always attack from the ground... they need a connection with the earth in order to do their dastardly deed. In my area (Virginia) everyone is required to spray their foundations for termites which takes care of any infestation of whatever is built above it... for years. noah

[@matmos9293]

Noha, Thank you so so much for taking the time to reply, I appreciate it. I am a journalist currently work and live in Qatar, I plan to return to Australia and it is there that I hope to build a home for my family, I am a handyman, previously worked in the building industry that was 15 years ago. I find your videos very helpful and inspirational. Thank you so much. one more thing i do not know if a log house in US is as expensive as in Australia, in Australia everything is super expensive.... Thank you... Mat.

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

Thank you Mat! I look forward to seeing photos of your future handmade home one day! Handcrafted homes here in the States are expensive as well... when we hire someone else to do the work. It's just the nature of the beast... it takes more time to build something well, and higher grades of materials are used. BUT... one can gain a truly remarkable home at a reasonable price if 1) they will undertake some of the work themselves and 2) start small and add on to it as funds become available

[@colinoleary7814]

Great videoWhy would the mild be so far out on the log I could see it could start where the 2 logs are together with no joint but way out on the side of the log is no different then the other logs

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

The mold would, first and foremost, be prone to growing in the sapwood part of the log (not the heartwood which is so brown in these walnut logs)... the area of the tree that is still alive, carrying nutrients, including sugars. The mold will soon die now that is exposed to the air... and the rest of the logs on the cabin will never mold or mildew... wood that gets wet and quickly dries out will last forever. But wood that gets wet and stays wet creates rot and a toxic environment for humans.

[@colinoleary7814]

Ok that's what I thought but was unclear of how you said it in the video Thanks and keep the great videos of your knowlage coming Thank you

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

Will do!

[@kevinfromheaven5324]

one day Noah, one day!

[@ispringle]

Curious, what is the purpose of that building at 5:40? It looks to be some sort of feed shed perhaps?

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

I believe this outbuilding is at Cades Cove... I'm not certain of what they claim it to have been used for... from my own experience farm buildings often changed in what they were used for as the years passed and the property changed ownership. Your guess is a good one... a corn crib, but I can't say with certainty.

[@outlandoutfitting]

why such big gaps? between logs

[@EventualReality]

Hi Mr. Bradley, how do I start the foundation? I am going to build me a log cabin.

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

A good foundation is extremely important... it's a major topic and one that takes up nearly an hour of the Log Cabin Academy... consider joining us while it's on sale!... noahbradley.leadpages.co/logcabinacademy/

[@RRYANWATT]

Any issues with those slabs warping? Nice work :)

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

No issues Ryan as of yet!

[@kevinfromheaven5324]

Noah, what size sawmill is that from Timber King? To build a home you need a sawmill.

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

That's a good question... one that I don't know the answer to... I hired a mill operator to cut my logs ($240) and I believe he said he could easily cut an 18 foot log. I've been a builder for a living and have found (for me) that it's best to hire out large expensive machines that are infrequently used. These sawmills are amazing.

[@biendizon2026]

What’s the recommended thickness of slabs in places with negative 40s temperature? Thanks

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

I would not be the one to ask Bien, as I build in the Mid-Atlantic.

[@biendizon2026]

@@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley I like the rustic style and craftsmanship of your log cabins. Thanks for the videos, very informative.

[@aubreyrodwell7081]

Would tulip poplar make good logs for a small cabin?

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

Yes indeed!

[@aubreyrodwell7081]

If logs are cut on a portable mill what width is better...and how long do they dry before starting to build?

[@kay486]

How long did the logs need to dry prior to the build? also do you cut them to size first or do the cutting once its dry?

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

Traditionally log cabins have always been built using freshly cut green logs (they work better when green and cure best when set into place)... and that's what I'm doing on this little cabin. I had them sawn with a portable bandsaw mill within a few days after the trees were felled... and started building this cabin a week or two later. Mostly I have been working with them full length and intend to cut my door opening out once complete... most of the time I create my windows and door openings as I build which allows me to work with shorter logs.... but this cabin is so small that I found full length to be easier.

[@kay486]

I see, thanks for the info!

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

You are quite welcome!

[@stiffyupperlip1851]

Old Axeman says that when log diameter is 10 inch or more, you could call it a log...

[@timtravasos2742]

When do you close in the gaps?

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

Hi Tim, The chinking is the last thing a person does on the exterior after everything else is done (window and doors installed and trimmed)... and then later on in the interior after all the wiring, trim, and insulation has been completed.

[@timtravasos2742]

Thanks. Does the chinking keep water away from the logs enough to prevent mold and mildew?

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

Yes it does. Wood can get wet an infinite amount of times if it quickly dries out... the trouble begins when logs set one upon the other creating a flat horizontal area where water becomes trapped and begins the rotting process. Proper chinking repels 99.9999% of any water finding its way between the logs and any that does will quickly dissipate when logs are not touching. I can't claim that I invented any of the traditional method... it just works amazingly well... and I've observed so many over the course of decades that stand witness it's virtues. Whereas I have also seen so many failures of "new and improved" methods.

[@gomertube]

It’s 14 months or so after Noah posted this video. I wonder how those walnut logs are holding up? Anybody seen the little cabin?

[@nonyobussiness3440]

Can I intern?

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

Maybe so! I'll likely post to my email group when that next happens... if you aren't already signed up make sure and do so!.... @ handmadehouses.com

[@nonyobussiness3440]

Will do! Awesome!

[@sanderson462]

You said you were going to show how to make that easy top cut. U LIED!

[@kenwoodbridge5095]

With respect, if these are great homes, why do you not live in one?

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

Oh, I do! I've built four homes for myself and am gearing up to build the next one. My current home is part log and part timber-frame... as was my previous one.

[@kenwoodbridge5095]

Thanks for all the work on these video's. Do you prefer one to another? (timber frame or log) or is it a matter of design or aesthetics?

[@HandmadeHouseswithNoahBradley]

I love both log and timber frame equally. Each has it's pros and cons. A home that is a combination of both, with a splash of stone, can't be beat.

[@kenwoodbridge5095]

Thanks