Scribing Logs

Scribers help to transfer the shape of one log onto the other. This allows for very accurate cuts and makes logs fit very tightly together. We are going to build a chinked handcrafted log home. Our logs will have places where they touch and don't touch for the length of the log. This is what I'm practicing here. Full scribed handcrafted log homes don't have chinking and the logs touch for the full length of the log.

Scribing

Tight fit after cutting

Cutting a Round Notch

The first course of logs (sill logs) are notch with a round notch . I didn't take any pictures of the logs being scribed here so I'll show that later on another log. The log below has been turned upside down to be cut.

Scribed

Relief kerfs are cut Breaking out the relief cuts

Brushing with the tip
Touching up
Final notch

Decent fit

Setting Sill Logs

Commercial handcrafted builders build there log shells on a temporary pillar foundation. Usually the pillars are nothing more than scrap cut offs from previous projects. The pillars can be easily leveled with a water level, marked, and cut off at the marked height with a chainsaw. After the shell is complete the shell is dismantled and delivered by truck to the owners building site.

1/2 sill logs are 1st

Cutting a 3/4 Sill Log

In a log structure the first course of logs are called sill logs. The first set of sill logs are called half logs. These logs are half of the average tip and butt diameter of all your logs. The next set are called whole logs or 3/4 logs. To put it simply a whole sill log is about 3/4 the thickness of your average tip and butt of your logs. There are a lot of things that you have to consider when laying whole logs out to be cut but, I won't go into it here. I'll refer you to the Log Construction Manual

Lay out

Cut above the lineBrushing (Planning)
Smooth after final sanding

Brushing with a Chainsaw

After the sill log is cut you have to smooth the cut surface. You can actually do this with a chainsaw the technique is called brushing.

Cutting a Sill Log

I've Been Playing

Over the past couple of weeks I've been playing around trying to refresh my memory with what I had learned at school. Here are some pictures of what I've been doing. I was doing this just for practice.



Sill log lay out (half log).

Cut between the lines.