Building A Log Cabin | Ep. 50 | Building a custom live-edge counter + Finally a door latch!

Welcome to our channel! This Log Cabin Project is a dream that we have had for several years that we finally decided to make a reality. Our goal is to build a tiny log cabin from scratch using as much material from our land as possible. We are building it entirely using hand tools (no chainsaw!). This cabin will function fully off-grid and will be only accessible by foot. Subscribe to follow our journey!
We are learning a lot as we are doing (as always), so don't hesitate if you have any questions, it will be a pleasure to share tips and tricks, if possible.
In this episode, we add 2 more hinges to our door and finally install a latch to keep the door closed, a welcomed upgrade after using a bungee cord for the past 2 months. We then carry up a large slab of live-edge ash. We had to cut it in 2 pieces to be able to carry it to the cabin. We then cut the slabs to shape, plane their top surfaces, then build the structure to support them. We finish the install by coating them with butcher block oil. Lastly, we tackled a long-overdue task of cleaning our chimney. There was a dangerous amount of creosote build-up from burning lots of softwood in November and December.

[@pnyreen]

So glad you added those 2 hinges. It's been worrying me whenever you open and close the door...i know how sturdy it is! The whole project has been amazing. Its been super fun to tag along😊

[@georghalder2816]

I really have to say, you are both very hardworking people, and the result is really something to be proud of. I like your level-headed way of giving things the time they need. I wouldn't have been able to do it at your age, I was much too impatient at the time, I had to get old to get that far. You have my respect! And it's a lot of fun to watch you - thanks for that. Greetings from Germany.

Thank you George! Yes it's hard at first to not use power tools, everything seems so slow. But once you put the time in, working with hand tools is much more enjoyable and can be just as quick sometimes!

[@dantache48]

I so respect your attention to detail and your attitude...no whining... Just your best effort every episode and your lovely home is also a testament to your commitment to helping each other to do this and to do it well! Very inspiring and actually I find that your episodes peaceful...nice seeing two young people working so well together! Thank you!

[@peteverhelst2088]

Thanks for showing us how you sharpen tools.

[@janebello761]

Watching here in the Philippines ❤️

[@Melissa-Reviews]

Woohoo, Congratulations on your 50th episode, I’ve loved the journey with you.

Thanks so much 😊! We can hardly believe it's been that many already haha

[@jerrycallaio5130]

I LOVE That You Used Four Hinges On The Door.... Your Weakest Point For Building Strength And Security Against Intruders Both Human And Animal!

[@vgproductiondokument6125]

Thanks to Nick and Maëla for their work. I really like it and will continue to follow you. I'm sorry, but I don't know English, so a translator translated my comment for me. I hope you can understand what I am writing from it. / Vladimir with Czech rep.

We understand perfectly! Thank you for following along :)

[@theveganbug2674]

NICK!!!!!!!! It is time to bring out the ring 💍 She is a keeper man trust me Say no more!

[@ronkolacek9645]

Good job on the front door....

Thanks!

[@donaldbassett8769]

DID A NICE JOB KIDS🙂🙂🙂

Thank you!

[@valeriebostick1913]

Beautiful kitchen counter top

Thank you so much 😊

[@urbanlumberjack]

I really enjoy the clunking of that bit and brace as it turns!

[@davidrohlader3498]

Watching you reminds me of my Grandfather, who taught me how to use al the tools you us. Great design, fantastic accomplishment!!!

[@user-rq1ve4kw8p]

Молодцы! Я - русская бабушка, 65 лет. Не знаю английского языка, но смотрю на вашу работу с удовольствием. Девушка - молодец, все умеет!🎉

большое спасибо

[@rosaolbera8768]

MAELA AND NICK YOUR A LOVELY COUPLE AND I REALLY ENJOY WATCHING YOUR WONDERFUL VIDEO YOU BOTH ARE SUCH HARD WORKERS AND I REALLY LIKE THE LOVE YOU HAVE TO EACHOTHER I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL YOU FINISH WORKING ON YOUR AMAZING CABIN may you beautiful young couple always be happy and blessed and safe outthere Rosa olbera

Thank you so much for the support Rosa!

[@lynnteneyck8487]

Wow its been a while. So glad you guys are back!!!!!! Missed watching.

We are too! Sadly winter work is a little slower, so we won't have as much content, but we'll make as much content as we can!

[@brucewitcpalek5120]

Once again, your attention to detail absolutely amazes me for someone of your ages. It takes a lot of experience and the work both of you are doing is just amazing. Keep up the great work, and I hope this love story continues and never ever dies down. I am so proud of you both !! ❤🔥✌🏼😎👏🥇🥇🥇

[@fyrstwaffen8952]

AGREED!

Thank you so much for the kind words, Bruce! Always a pleasure to read your comments :) Thanks for following along!

[@peteverhelst2088]

I have been watching you two with joy and amazement! Great stuff.

Thanks so much Pete!

[@bigfatmatt01]

Just FYI if you use your plane to finish it you'll get a cleaner surface than sanding. Plus if you use some winding sticks you can also level the slab so the surface is flat.

[@manuelhofbauer6031]

Your house just keeps getting better. The weather is suitable for the interior design. Keep on having fun!

Thanks! Yep, we're trying to get as much interior done as possible before spring. But we're getting excited to start on all our outdoor projects too!

[@lawrencehackett6041]

great teamwork, humanity in its better forms, thank you...

[@traceybriscoe8218]

WOW! Your counter looks absolutely Awesome!! I just love the door latch & handle. What a creative idea you had to do it that way. And, Thank Goodness you cleaned the chimney. That was a lot of creosote build-up. Can't wait to see what you do next in your beautiful home in the woods.🥰👏

Thank you!! Can't wait for you to come visit :)

[@johnoneill5812]

Found your channel just last week and binge watched the whole cabin build series. You two did an amazing job! As a fellow engineer (retired) I can appreciate the planning that went into the project. Also admire the use of hand tools and natural materials from your property. Was interesting to see evolution in tool selection and your development of skills as the project unfolded. That crow in this video was suggesting you address the gaps between the boards on the gable ends because rain will penetrate to the insulation :) Looking forward to future videos.

Thanks for following along, John! Glad you've enjoyed the series thus far :). Yeah we'll see this spring/summer if the gable ends get splashed with rain or not. If so, we'll definitely put some sealant between those boards! Those crows are so smart ;)

[@dhs186]

looks so good

Thanks!

[@johannepelletier7490]

Vous avez travaillé fort !!!! Le comptoir est magnifique 🤩 Félicitations

[@BirdYoumans]

You two are quite something together. That table is just beautiful. So clever in how you accomplish certain tasks. I've noticed it thru out all your vids which I binged and finally caught up lol! Now I have to wait for each one. I do love your channel.

Thank you for following along, Bird! We're so glad you're enjoying the build :)

[@manonpelletier9393]

Quel travail impeccable comme d’habitude ! Félicitations 🎊

Merci!!

[@dragonsfire819]

Great job! Looks awesome.

Thank you so much :)

[@nena4215]

It looks fantastic, the place is becoming cozy! Oh man that chimney pipe, holy cow!

Thank you! Slowly starting to feel like home :) Yeah the chimney cleaning was way overdue lol...

[@claricehoffmann1508]

É muito bom ver vcs trabalhando.. tudo perfeito... abraços... Brasil 🇧🇷

[@jerryflores1213]

Nice job guys love the tools u use nothing like a little hard work never hurt anyone keep up the good work your doing a great job

Thank you so much!

[@Miss.Libby.]

Beautiful work on your bench top. Can’t wait to see what you do with the underneath of it. Such fine workmanship. And an ingenious solution to the door latch. You’re both so inspiring to watch. Well done to you both. Things are progressing so incredibly well with all your hard work. Take care and cheers from Australia. 👏🏻🇦🇺🦘

Thank you so much for the support Libby!

[@davelarsen9847]

Great video so packed full of content! That door isn't going anywhere now. How nice it must be not to have to worry about locking up. What an attractive kitchen counter top, I am curious what the finish was you put on but I noticed that you didn't display the label, maybe on purpose. I would never have guessed that you would have that much build up in the flue pipe so quickly! I would hate to think of that place burning down, glad you thought to clean it out.

Thank you Dave! We just used a standard butcher block oil, we believe from Watco (hiding the label was unintentional lol). Yeah the creosote buildup was more than expected! We'll start cleaning out more often hehe. We're also switching to burning exclusively hardwoods, which should help a lot

[@user-so4qs2di3n]

사랑하는사람과 우리만의 보금자리를 만드는게 저도 꿈입니다 영상전체를 감명깊게봤어요 항상 응원합니다 화이팅~

[@billmitchell7731]

Your cabin door will never sag. Looks like you have 20 hinges on it👍🏻🤣🤣🤣

[@scottperine8027]

I always appreciate patience in any endeavor,those skills are hard to come by.

[@richardliles4415]

Your countertops came out real nice, perfect for your cabin. Nice job you two.👍

Thank you Richard!

[@rocroc]

The "soot" off the stove, is that something you expected or was that normal maintenance? I once had a buck stove; for two days. My wife was allergic to it and we returned it for that reason. We have had a fireplace in all eight of the homes we built. They were seldom used and after the first they all had a gas connection. This last house has a fireplace kind of. It looks like a fireplace but is actually a series of three lights that light up with a remote and just look like embers burning. The remote also operates a heater. My wife was very pleased with it (RIP). Beautiful job you've done on this place. Craftsmanship. The two of you working together with confidence, precision and purpose. I was fortunate to begin working with tools when I was nine years old. I don't think I would ever attempt to do a project like this without power tools. I guess that's how it was done for millennia. I am getting ready to build a mantel for that fireplace. I was just sitting here thinking if I could just do it with a handsaw:-) Thanks.

[@Michael-rz7ic]

Very nice work, beautiful detail of fitting the two pieces together. It foreshadows nice things to come. Congratulations, I look forward to your successes.

Thank you!!

[@deborahashaw6044]

Awesome job on the table!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Thank you Deborah!

[@oddtechman]

love the countertop! that turned out awesome. Good to see you cleaned out the chimney flue also... now you see why i mentioned it given all the soot and carbon inside! fire waiting to occur :)

Yes it was getting a little dangerous! We'll start cleaning it out more often now lol

[@octaviogamez6464]

Great skills, thank you for sharing

[@SandraCrockett]

Keep thoses tools sharp!

[@daleswier8429]

I love your live edge counter top, or table top. whichever purpose it is intended for, I think it really looks nice, Great job. What type of wood it made of?

Thanks so much! This is our kitchen counter, we'll be putting in a sink below the window soon. We believe it's from an ash tree

[@ericbroussard4310]

Hello, waow you good working for the kitchen 👍, beautiful, good journey for you and take care you 👌🙏

Thank you so much 😊

[@LeYuikin]

Félicitations. Vôtre comptoir est superbe. Merci pour votre vidéo.

Merci beaucoup!

[@wobdeehomestead1464]

Nice work guys!

Thanks!

[@FuccoTheClown]

i probably would have rage quit several times during this project lol. I'm so impressed with you both! Thanks for sharing :)

Lol! Yeah a lot of people we know don't understand our decisions (and we question them too sometimes haha). But the project is so much fun, we enjoy every step of it!

[@Eudoxieadopo]

FANTASTIQUE ❤❤❤❤

Merci!!

[@punjabseth260]

👌🏻

[@suepeterson5675]

Counter looks very nice , raw edge 👍. Ohh wow , good thing you did clean out the stove pipe. 🥺

Thanks Sue! Yes it was way overdue for a cleaning

[@josephmurphy9946]

Looks so awesome! This house is slowly transforming into your home 😊 I checked KZbin everyday for the past week waiting for your next videos

Thank you so much Joseph! We love knowing we have die hard fans waiting on new videos :)

[@fyrstwaffen8952]

I JUST FOUND YOUR CHANNEL AND LIKED THE VIDEO. AWESOME SHELTER YOU ALL ARE BUILDING. I SUBBED YOUR CHANNEL, HOPING TO SEE MANY AWESOME VIDEOS. FOR YOU TWO AND "GOD BLESS...

Thank you so much for following along!

[@ligiamaria7953]

Esta ficando otimo parabens

obrigado!

[@mariavargas3895]

Encanta-nos ver a vitalidade, a força e a afinidade de Maëla e Nick, agora começando a dar forma ao interior do lar. Tem muito a fazer ainda. Mas para a disposição na ajuda mútua, cheia de amor, expectativas e sonhos do jovem casal, não existirá obstáculo. Tudo caminha porque onde há amor, Deus está. E onde está Deus, está presente Jesus, Maria e José: a Sagrada Família de Nazareth. Lindo testemunho de Jack e de Maëla para a juventude deste milênio que vivemos. Até breve!

[@notagain8661]

Wow, that's a lot of soot buildup. How long has it been in used and what kind of wood do you have to burn?

[@stenjek1]

Where are you. I miss you so much. Greetings from The Netherlands

[@BarefootJeff]

Great job as usual and enjoyment to watch. How often do you think you will have to clean the soot? Curious about future plans for living there full-time. Will you have internet at your home and how will that work? Also curious will you continue to keep your jobs and commute? Or other plans for income like your channel? I'm sure y'all have tremendous pride during the day working and especially at the end after you had a long day of work. Beautiful home 🏡

[@BarefootJeff]

Ahhhh I went back and watched your video when you announced you bought the 100 acres and will convert the sugar house for a airbnb rental...Still plans on doing that? Well I got some more answers I went and watched the recap video you did a few videos back...didn't realize it was going to be so informative of future plans. I'm even more excited for 2023. I hope to meet y'all one day. I don't mind being put to work. Thats the only way I can spend time with my 81 year old dad on his farm in Georgia 🤣

Thanks Jeff! Now that we're burning exclusively hardwoods, the chimney shouldn't get as dirty haha. But we'll probably start cleaning it monthly form now on. No plans for internet yet, but we have perfect cell reception, so we might try to get by with just that. We actually quit our jobs a year ago haha. KZbin has been our only source of revenue since then. It's not enough to live off yet, but hopefully the channel grows to point where it is! Once we give up our apartment and start growing our own food, we'll have very little expenses!

[@gavinowen4776]

Loving the videos will you be makeing a workshop next to make other stuff.

It's in our future plans for sure!

[@claudios.ruschel4358]

Boa noite uma dica pra voces quando vai prender duas pecas como no caso da mesa que voces estao prendendo no caibro sempra fazer um furo um pouco mais largo que o parafuso para que a peca que vai prender no caibro o parafuso possa na hora do aperto elevpuxa a peca pra baixo ai fica mais firme. Ok

[@mikeduda3173]

Nice job on the counter. That slab looked HARD and heavy. How long did it take to plane and prep it?

It sure was. We thought we could bring it up in 1 piece but knew right away it would be impossible haha. It took about a day or two

[@macmcdonald9347]

Well team I couldn’t tell which of you were the fastest with the saw(🤔) but you are still my off grid’A’ team. Nice work. Oh! I recommend veg. Oil on the eating surface.

Thanks Mac!

[@caseyoingo6440]

Beautiful counter! It’s perfect 😊 Holy cow was your chimney pipe ever dirty already wow, It doesn’t seem like you have used the wood stove that much?

Yeah the chimney cleaning was a bit overdue lol. We haven't used it a whole lot, but we used lots of softwood (the scraps from the log walls) in Nov/Dec, which makes much more creosote than hardwoods. From this point on we'll burn almost exclusively hardwoods. We'll also start cleaning it out more often to be safe!

[@marinatsar4317]

👍

[@elbobim]

Y qué hay con el WC o sala de baño? Y la habitación? Y no hay escaleras para el puso superior?

[@SJPLilac]

Your door latch is very creative. I do wonder, however, about bears in your area. Are they a problem during bear season? I was concerned that your door latch wouldn't keep them out should they smell food and decide to investigate.

We did see one small black bear last spring on our property, but he ran away as soon as he saw us. They're pretty small and not too common in our area, so hopefully won't be a problem!

[@fabonline9389]

I absolutely love the quality of your bit brace. What brand do you use?

We're not sure the brand, tbh. We bought it at an old antique shop!

[@dennisbeaver5958]

Nice job on the counter-top! Beautiful, actually…..what did you use for a finish? Lots of junk in that stove pipe! What you been burning?

Thank you! We used a standard butcher block oil. Yeah the cleaning was way overdue haha. We've been burning lots of softwood (all the scraps from our wall logs). But from now on it'll be exclusively hardwoods

[@twx8626]

Amazing work, well done👍. If food products are placed on this counter, they should be sealed with a thin epoxy glue.. I assume that the toilets are also installed. This place needs sealing for the floor and the surrounding walls and a wall sealing between the toilets and the room... so that it does not become a breeding ground for bacteria.

Thank you! Yes we will eventually do some sealing. Though our toilet has no running water, it's a self-contained compost toilet

[@carlosalvarez9521]

For that task is better with a No 6 or & instead of the 4.

[@jebise1126]

thats a lot of soot

[@maxschauspieler]

Why is there no bathroom?

[@MaxV1.0]

Shame on me😂, I measure everything on the fly

[@vasiliterkin9842]

+

[@karlson1533]

Коментар на підтримку каналу 👍 Бажаю міцного здоров'я і щастя 🤝 Привітання з України 💙💛🇺🇦

Коментар на підтримку каналу 👍 Бажаю міцного здоров'я і щастя 🤝 Привітання з України 💙💛🇺🇦

[@karlson1533]

@ 🖐️😁

[@newtonmedeiros1027]

NIKI E MAEELA JU CAMPO GRANDE MS. BRASIL🇧🇷🇧🇷ESTOU AMANDO OS VIDIOS MANDE MAIS E RESPONDA MINHA MENSAGENS. O 1UE ACHARAM DEU SEGUIR VOCEIS. RESPONDAM TA OK👸🤴😘😘❤❤🙏🙏🤗🤗🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷

[@user-ih5cr7zt2m]

u'onjour, NIK je suis français. et depuis le 28 05 2023 ( saisons 4 , ép; n°9. plus RIEN?

[@johnbilinski6830]

It may be my imagination but there seems to be a lot of creosote in the stove pipes.

Yes we waited a bit too long, it got to be a little dangerous. We'll start cleaning it out more often now haha

[@user-en7nr6oh6h]

Здравствуйте, стол просто ужас, хотя бы кору убрали!!! Дом красивый, но внутри.....