Traditional Japanese Way to Preserve Wood with Fire using Shou Sugi Ban, Yakisugi on my log cabin

#shousugiban #woodworking #fire
Shou Sugi Ban, also called Yakisugi, is the charring of cedar wood for use in construction of exposed wood buildings. I'm not sure if it was ever used for roofing, and I doubt it's ever been used as a board and batten style roof on a log cabin, so this may be one of a kind.
This is a follow up to the video, Fire Hardened Wood Roof on a Log Cabin ( • Shou Sugi Ban DIY Wood... ), I show how I burned the wood for the roof and the cabin floor using two different techniques.
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[@achensov2842]

I’m 24 years,student from London. Since I started watching your videos it honestly made me think what kind of man I want to be in life. I can only speak from the videos I’ve watched as I don’t know you in person but I can tell that you’re genuinely a good man.

[@mitch5077]

So you want to become an Arson? jk🤣

[@Gorondus]

After watching these videos, I'm also thinking about my life a lot: what are my goals, why am I doing what I'm doing. Most of the time everything I did it was because others did it too (for example going to the university, getting a driving license) without even thinking about what I really want.

[@ronsmid2695]

@@Gorondus Its good that you are inspired by what you see. When I was your age I looked to mentors for guidance that changed the course of my life. I hope you discover what you are called to do and find the courage to follow your own path. There you will find your truth.

[@garthwunsch]

Wise thoughts... you only get one crack at this life... use it well... from a guy whose passed the three quarters of a century mark.

[@izzyplusplusplus1004]

Wow! I was one of the people who recommended metal roofing, but man o man what a great choice! Thank God for wives who prompt us to step out of the box.

[@condeerogers5858]

Years ago in the late 60's early 70's I used to take old cable spools and burn the tops and wire brush them, just like you did, and then varnish the tops several times. They made really good tables. Better than just staining them. This was back in the hippy days. If this preserves wood I guess they are still around. LOL. You are amazing. The hardest worker I know of.

[@klownmittenz8715]

Definently a hard and dedicated as well as a skilled worker.

[@Mantreaus]

Remember the Pillow Furniture? My whole Living room was made like this, Girlfriend sewed the pillows. From complete shelf units for Stereos and Albums. Couches , Chairs End Tables,Coffee tables. Made it all with nuts and bolts to be taken apart easily and moved. Oh made wood plant holders also to be used with the Macrame she also did. But this is beyond cool. When I was in Japan I saw some of this and asked about it, and as He said, There are buildings there that have survived for Hundreds of years using this technique. I am wondering if they learned this from the History of cities being burnt during the many earthquakes, and then through using the burned timbers they could, they found the preservation method.

[@condeerogers5858]

I remember macramé. Boy, what a fad.

[@Mantreaus]

LOL. Yup. I still see it at times in some shops. Vintage ones are going for good prices. Had holes all over the ceiling hanging them for her. LOL

[@jimvoos]

Gosh! I was forced to learn macrame in 5th grade in Marin County growing up. Had a hippie teacher with a volkswagen van. I came from parochial school in San Francisco in 4th to public in 5th. Couldn't believe how easy it was. She even had a couch in the back of the classroom so if you didn't feel like listening, you could sit in the back. Thinking that was the beginning of public schools in California descending to 49th in the country :-).

[@ChrisProuse]

So cool! Tons of respect... really admire that you took the time to learn a great technique from a different culture and try it out instead of just going the common route :)

[@MySelfReliance]

Thanks Chris!

[@jordanl7459]

My Self Reliance in the future will you show the layout of the cabin and compare r value between what you're doing and modern building?

[@BeSatori]

Jordan Lammers, R value is actually uses wood thickness as it's measure. What I mean by that is that an R value of 1 has the insulating ability of 1 inch of wood. R2 is 2", and so forth. The R value of his cabin would be the average thickness of his walls, roof, etc. Hope that helps.

[@jordanl7459]

BeSatori ya thx

[@jasonlee7593]

thank you mate

[@josephsuman8805]

I was searching about fire protection for log cabins as I was thinking about your kind of cabins' safety from fire, and unknowingly clicked your video for the same to find answer.. that is really wonderful.. 🤔👌☺️

[@plantbasedprepper]

Wow, your cabin is turning out awesome!! I really like the way that roof looks! If someone finds your cabin in 100 years, they will have no idea how you did that so it's great you are sharing and documenting your work!!

[@timothycarr9657]

Um, quick question....and my apologies if already asked, but won't vegetable oil go rancid? Shouldn't a non spoiling oil be used.

[@mkuro5330]

One little detail that may be important for this technique: after putting a bit of oil on wood they usually heat it up (with propane) to help the oil penetrate deeper into the structure.

[@cluelessbeekeeping1322]

Are you familiar with this technique? I'm a beekeeper and I've charred all of my hive stands with this method except I have not added oil. So far, I'm very disappointed with the turnout. After 1 year, even less, much of the char has simply flaked off. I am not using cedar, perhaps this is why, do you know? Also, perhaps me not adding any oil is also a problem. Next time I char some hive stands, I'll try adding oil. There are a couple of hive stands which I have to 'touch up' and I'll rechar them, I'll add oil this time (used motor oil).

[@notbuyingit5698]

CluelessBeeKeeping DON'T USE MOTOR OIL FOR A BEEHIVE!! Use coconut oil or even olive oil but NOT motor oil!

[@cluelessbeekeeping1322]

@@notbuyingit5698 Both go rancid. I'd never use either. I don't / wouldn't / won't use motor oil on the hive. The hive stand, yes, I'd try motor oil (bees never go on the hive stand). I need to experiment with something to try and make the charring stay on a bit better. The technique doesn't seem to work very good on pine. Do you have any other suggestions which would help keep the char on longer???

[@justaspivoriunas9416]

In Lithuania beekepers boil boards used to build beehives in food grade paraffin wax, it makes them last very long time, no charring necessary.

[@jesmondo5785]

Mineral oil would do the trick as it doesn't go rancid. You can get non food grade stuff much cheaper as well.

[@asefb9864]

Oh my god! Looks gorgeous! The zoom in on the oiling part is so satisfying!

[@TheFlatlander440]

I build Adirondack chairs as a hobby and use the char staining technique with a propane torch and they come out fantastic.

[@gutyup101]

Fascinating technique! Thank you for including this in a video.

[@zoiedee5341]

I love the way the wood looks! I am so EXCITED for a full cabin tour when it's all done!💙

[@AnnetteZang]

Great technique of charring the wood using the fire pit...

[@tocov]

Interesting technique. Though the grain looked so beautiful with the oil on it.

[@AOKUrbanHomestead1]

Mad respect goes to you and the hard work you do to make these materials. You are awesome!

[@christaunnasch932]

Simply awesome. That technique has become in England very popular too. Soooo much work, but you never minded that, Shawn. Did you??? Your wife had a great idea there!

[@OregonMikeH]

I had used this technique a few times for the beauty it provided to small number of furniture pieces I made. I had no idea of the other positive properties doing so provides to building materials. Fascinating Shawn and an important step to have taken.. Brilliant! .. Mike.

[@jesseshort8]

I'd suggest using boiled linseed next time, I was doing a rifle stock a while back and used vegetable oil (all I had at the time) and read everywhere (afterward) that it will go bad, the oil it's self will get rancid. I got rid of the gun not too long after so I can't vouch for it either way. Hopefully it works for you, and good luck. My first KZbin comment ever, by the way. lol.

[@Hiznogood]

The fire caramelizes the wood, giving that dark amber shine after oil is applied. The floor is going to look awesome. Again, good choice and fits well into your passion for new discoveries! Looking forward to see your further work on the cabin!

[@jaywildhorsepatterson4432]

Thank you once again ! I never new of this process untill u mentioned it in one of your previous productions. I appreciate you shareing this knowledge. Jay Wildhorse Patterson USA Tennessee

[@S.PaulMentzer]

I had read in a book about "Old-Timers Recipes and Techniques" that a way to make "A fence that will last longer than you will live" was to mix finely ground charcoal with Linseed oil and stain the fence with the mix.I'm assuming it works on the same principles displayed here, though I would say your technique is probably a lot faster. Very cool, thanks for the upload!

[@BLHomestead]

That is something I have noticed on my own, didn't know it was something done in history. I have a few trees on my property that have char on them from a fire over thirty years ago and it is rock solid. Awesome to see. I love the look it gives once brushed and oiled.

[@mfavia620]

Thanks Shawn for taking us along on the cabin build video to see this remarkable technique being applied. I see it being impervious to a wide range of the elements. ATB Mike

[@carlsoutdooradventures9882]

Love this technique Shawn. Fantastic demonstration on how to do it. Great video Sir.

[@Traveling_with_FIVE_Cats]

I have been using this technique for my wooden sculptures for decades.. I did a pyramid plant stand/ pedestal that has lasted one decade with some bleaching but I think cedar will hold its color nicely over time.. I have just love the weathered, raised grain look!! I have also experimented with organic amorphous shapes that really play well with the grain on curves especially 3D shapes!!. I hope it holds up for you! I picked up this technique when I studied the Japanese martial art of Aikedo.. Your wife has great taste! Thank you for sharing!

[@agentbertram4769]

Good to see someone using this technique. I have some recycled timbers that I know are at least 100 years old and they are as good as new.

[@87xfute]

Great job Shawn !! My Grandad used to char fence posts and he had a fire pit like what you see those fire walkers walk on and he'd lay the posts along the pit turning them when needed and when it was done he'd just roll it out the other side of the pit and roll another on. It was wonderful watching him work as a 7yr old !! I'm 61 now and those posts are still there !! He also treated the part in the ground and around the base with oil a few times each year ! Old sump oil from diesel trucks was best he said because it had the most carbon in it !! Thanks mate that bought back a lot of wonderful memories !! Seeya Rob

[@MySelfReliance]

That's great - funny how we've forgotten so many of the old ways.

[@shieh.4743]

This is so beautiful. I love the natural approach and it’s so pretty.

[@Draimen89]

The close up of you applying the oil...so. Oddly satisfying!!!

[@woodroww.2233]

Bad ass. The joy you will have with these boards both under your feet and on your roof after this effort will be amazing! Brilliant.

[@ThePainterr]

Learned something new today...thanks for going a bit more in depth on this subject of Shou Sugi Ban. Fantastc when you watch something on youtube you know will have a lasting effect on your mind.....

[@jaenmartens5697]

I wondered how those ancient stave churches lasted a thousand years, now I know. Such a simple brilliant technique. Great filming. Thank you!

[@karencarss9482]

Thanks for doing this video. I'd been admiring the dark wood of the roof and the floor and assumed it was just a stain. It was really interesting to see you burning the wood. A lot of work but it was worth it. I love how the grain pops out. Nice job.

[@rogers53]

You're patience is amazing.a lot of respect for you.

[@fudogwhisperer3590]

Its nice to find a method of treating wood without all the chemicals that are harmful for the environment. thanks for showing

[@TuckerSP2011]

Awesome idea! Yes, this technique will preserve the roof for many decades, much longer than typical roofs today. Very labor intensive but well worth the effort. Your cabin is beautiful.

[@joebrown1382]

Interesting method. Sounds like it will serve the purpose also looks nice. I sugi'd a rifle stock once looked really nice.

[@amdeleted6720]

A real teacher !!!I learned something !!!Going to have a great day this sunday.

[@thomasarussellsr]

I could be wrong, but I thought the char was left on as the protectant? Either way, nice blend of cultural history going into the cabin. I'm loving it. (Comment NOT sponsored by McDonald's.)

[@MySelfReliance]

lol. You're right. The heat still carbonizes some of the underlying wood and some of the char remains even after brushing lightly. However, leaving the full char on for exterior applications means it will last that much longer before the char erodes off. I'm only using this brush and oil technique on the interior where it won't be exposed to weather.

[@thomasarussellsr]

My Self Reliance oh, okay. Thanks for replying.

[@ainolcrystal6182]

and what a beautiful way it is to bring forth the grain of wood itself, especially on floorboards.

[@1wheeldrive751]

Cool. I had the same question about the wire brushing. Maybe it would make sense to leave the full char on the bottom and sides of the floor boards and only wire brush the tops? Thanks for sharing the technique.

[@zenyatta3947]

It would be a bad idea as charcoal readily absorbs large amounts of water.

[@killerkane1957]

Very nice. On a much smaller scale, I’ve learned that the wood stays hot surprisingly long. Hot wood absorbs oil much faster and deeper as a result. Great cabin!

[@larryjacobs5713]

One thing for sure you are not afraid of work! This is amazing would love to see how it turns out

[@elizabethshipman3947]

That is si awesome! You are an amazing worker. I'm envious of your abilities...You inspire me to push myself for the finer things of this life.

[@Casey1pj]

Not only is that charred wood Excellent but the fact that when one of the boards does go bad for whatever reason, It looks like it would be quick and easy to replace. I think you are going to love the decision you made in your roof design. The only thing to worry about may be weather the hot summer sun does any warping to the slats. Job well done Shawn. Cheers!

[@anitakania2882]

wow first time I saw such secret method of preserving woods ..respect

[@kknkenr]

Fantastic job and execution, will surely use this method

[@hawkman4374]

I bought a property 2 years ago that went through a fire back in 92. I still find burnt cedar untouched by bugs and is really dry for burning. I could see this working very well for a really long time. Thanks for sharing

[@rymdlego22]

Best roof i ever seen! Gigantic project! and u nailed it!!!

[@trailbreeze]

Good cliff hanger from your last vid. The burn process seems like an art in itself. Fun one to watch thanks

[@ej1020]

I'm very happy to wathc "SUGIYAKI" burn tree technic. It is not us to building technic even temple in japan, very much. Old Japanese houses and temples were made of trees and paper.no using iron nails. Over 1200 years progress temples, now healthy and using. No power tool, fantastic! Thank!

[@xysix2548]

Shawn, My hat's off to you and your wife for suggesting that idea.

[@debrakellerman7364]

turned out beautiful. great choice

[@andrewjfaas]

I am very curious how this turns out, new,.. or different techniques being used is very interesting. Great to learn something new every day. Thank you for making your videos.

[@I3ayIey]

I admire your persistence with this method, seem's it will take alot of man hours to get this done. Fair play!

[@davidoyama9753]

Wow !!! That looks so cool but it is a lot work ! But it must be very rewarding after building something that is going to last along time ! Great video - Thanks Shawn !

[@likearockcm]

the finished product looks really great and your wife is brilliant!

[@TheMrJoeMac]

I've used this technique on a garden house. It works really well. gives the wood a beautiful, natural look.

[@EconoChallenge]

I look forward to seeing how this way of preserving wood works out. I know I have seen many charred cedar stumps in my kneck of the woods that were burned in the 50's during a forest fire and still look like they were burned yesterday.

[@caspianblue4141]

What a hard worker!! Wow!!!

[@J297WFD]

Hey I’ve lived in Japan for 7 years and see this all the time. I’m so glad your doing this it’s awesome. I asked about this once and the takumi (contractors) said burn it over the fire for 1 minute then off for 30 seconds flip it around and then 1 minute on and 30 seconds off. But hey I think you got the hang of it anyways. I’ve seen this done for houses exteriors as well as bathroom showers it’s really awesome. Also I was always amazed when I visited temples that are hundreds of years old or more and made out of wood and still standing. Thanks for sharing.

[@MySelfReliance]

cool, thanks. Nice to hear from someone who has talked to someone who has done it over there.

[@smallfootprint2961]

This was popuilar in the '70s. Many sort of 'hippy houses' had furniture or a wall of chared wood. Some were very nice. I like the look, and especially the idea of using it to preserve the wood for outside use. Thanks for the lesson.

[@granskare]

much better than what I saw in another video - they did not even have cheap plastic beneath to prevent rot - this is good!

[@roelenriquez3257]

wow!!! thanks for a very powerful but cheap technology sir!!! awesome!!!

[@PlantSugar]

Wow, this is amazing. Love the idea of connecting the beams and putting them on fire!

[@sathancat]

I really like the deeper char you got from using the traditional method, your roof looks great

[@young-soonkim6730]

Hello James and Cali! I saw this video last night and this morning still thinking! I remembered my father using candle wax on our wooden floor and polished afterward. Perhaps, it will definely preserved wood better than vegetable oil! Melted the candles and paint the wood with the brush quickly because wax do harden. After, you give it a good polish so that the wax will penetrates in the wood! In Korea and Japan, they use a lot of pine woods! There are alot of pine trees over there and we have a lot of maple trees here in Canada!

[@sunflower9797]

I used this method on all the woodwork in my tiny house. I only have 2 windows and a door, plus the framing for my bathroom wall, so I just sat there with a blow torch and burned them all. It's pretty relaxing doing that. :) Then I washed them with water, let them dry, and used paste wax, and buffed it. The results are amazing. I love that you don't just *see* the grain in the wood, but you can *feel* it too. Plus no sanding necessary as all the slivers are burned off.

[@MySelfReliance]

Sunflower Happy with the wax? Considering it

[@sunflower9797]

I really like the wax. I have a brush that attaches to my drill that makes the buffing really easy.

[@reyrogers2806]

So much work - awe inspiring. I hope your cabin lasts for 100 years or more so that your great grandchildren will be able to use it and honor you for it.

[@Greg-ys8wq]

Glad you decided on this method, a lot of hard work and it looks great, and unique!

[@steve5975]

I had been wondering about this technique since i first saw you installing the roof; but I did not see an explanation etc. Glad I found it finally.

[@thomasarussellsr]

By the way, I don't know if any of your followers have heard of him, but The Samurai Carpenter (Canadian Samurai?) Used the same Shou Sugi Ban technique on the siding for one of his buildings. Wonderful technique.

[@Nobody-U-Want-2-Know]

Yup, I follow samurai carpenter. He’s in British Columbia.

[@RJMx-zz8nq]

I follow the Samurai as well. Watching him inspires me to keep improving and to try new things. Just like watching My Self Reliance videos. Another fantastic Canadian youtubber is AvE, mostly metal work and tool breakdowns but super unbelievably funny but very adult humor, not for the little ones.

[@ragdoll49]

Thomas Russell I've seen his videos, pretty impressive.

[@davidkirkpatrick712]

SC is unreal

[@davidvermeer560]

Thanks for showing how you did this. As Chris Prouse said Tons Of Respect. You are doing an incredible job!

[@chrlmn7372]

Hello Shawn! Again you take advance by using a very smart charring method! and which is also based in an ancient and old functional technology to increase the durability of tree material, and it is so nice to see that you take this method in use for today! Yes I hope your roof will keep well against the elements of sun, rain and winter temperatures and ice and snow for many many years!

[@grumpygrumpgrump136]

If we all worked as hard as you do, I think most of the problems that the world has would just go by the way side. Be blessed my friend.

[@lucm6476]

Hey ,that Shou ...thing is very cool , thank you for sharing that video

[@MycketTuff]

I only really have one comment: The smell alone is worth it.

[@JadonGuitaristGuy]

This is intriguing and really cool! I think the black roof makes the cabin look better also with the added contrast.

[@venomx4093]

You are building a dream of mine. I'd LOVE to live off grid and off the land with what mother nature has given us although, convincing my wife who LOVES the luxuries of stores, is another story. I believe living off grid is her worst nightmare lol. I am sneaky with her by sneaking in some off grid projects "after the fact" that she likes, such as catching rain water from our gutters to use for gardening.

[@Rivas21]

It's incredible how much labor this man can output. Unbelievable performance. I am not used to work and am getting tired just from watching it all ;) I have already tried out to work manually and know what I'm talking about..

[@Weelav]

This technique will suit your cabin well, I’ve tried it on fences and it really looks great and lasts. Well done and the best of good fortune in the future, Chris, Ireland🇮🇪

[@lindaltsteele1313]

I Found this very interesting ,I Think it will Last ! Looks pretty darn Amazing ,Great Job.

[@cillaloves2fish688]

Wow! Never knew about that method... learn something new everyday! Thx!

[@robd7703]

Outstanding. I enjoy all your videos. Thank you.

[@BK-vh3do]

I have done this to smaller outdoor wood projects for years but didn''t know about this thanks

[@brucemcconnell1467]

Another great video. I used this same technique to make a table out of a wire spool in the '70's but at the time didn't know there was a name for the process. Worked great and was beautiful.

[@brucemcconnell1467]

It's a lot of work taking them apart and reassembling them and I'm too old for that.

[@WyeExplorer]

Now that's getting intimate with the wood. A somewhat beautiful process that should yield some great results. Very enjoyable and illuminating. All the best. Mark

[@HalfQ]

Nice technique, I have seen something a bit like that before but they heat the wood as you did, but paint on pine tar resin onto the warm wood. I love all this stuff lol :)

[@danlmat39]

Good illustration! Thanks 🤙

[@mglennon5535]

I can’t imagine that you go back and look at all the responses to older episodes, but if you do, can you confirm that you used vegetable oil as your choice. I often use olive oil that is not to my liking to touch up my every day heirloom cutlery. Works great. Anyway, thanks for the great video. Always inspirational. MG

[@MySelfReliance]

I wouldn’t recommend vegetable oil. Linseed would be preferable

[@ConsciousMechanism]

Why would we expect you to go familiar? Great direction on the roof! I love it. It is a continuation of the natural features and I think it's probably the best choice you could have come up with...I said metal, but this is beautiful and I'm always confident in Japanese technology, even if a more homesteading version...Gorgeous brother, well done!

[@robg521]

Beautiful. I've seen people use this on exterior wall cladding before but never internal like your floor boards, with the char left on the roof looks great and with it scrubbed and oiled the floor boards look amazing. I hope it lasts a 1,000 years like the temple. 😀

[@MB-ew4by]

Awesome, I will do the same thing on my cabin. Great job, you give to us a lot of ideas and all of your video's are full of positive energy. I enjoy watching every time. 👍

[@chrismauceri6416]

Awesome video Shawn, almost ready for winter!

[@eugkra33]

Wow, the old fashioned method was way more effective than I thought.

[@WarrenPostma]

Looks FANTASTIC. And looks like fun to do.

[@straubdavid9]

Beavers like a little vegetable oil on their next meal ...... heh heh! Yep ..... I believe your wife's suggestion beats any I could have come up with ..... seems like I knew about using fire to do small wood display projects for long wear and tear, but did not put the two together for roofing, or flooring for that matter. Very nice indeed!

[@yogibeer9319]

That was totally awesome!!!!

[@noahludford3667]

I love that rich stained color. Will have to try that on some of my wood projects soon.

[@E.lectricityNorth]

I've seen this technique used in siding as well--it looks great and performs extremely well. Your cabin is looking amazing. That thing is SOLID.

[@keithmorrison2853]

Love it ! Looks beautiful, natural and some old techniques too... that will look great as indoor floor board too.

[@markspc1]

Great technique and first time I see it done. Long time ago I used to go I new of a restaurant that the interior was charred wood and fireman loved it because it is supposed to be fire resistant.

[@rockymountainman]

Fantastic job