Building A Log Cabin

This vintage guide from over a century ago offers timeless, practical advice on building log cabins. Simply stated, well-illustrated advice ranges from felling trees to furnishing and decorating interiors.

W. Ben Hunt's classic has earned a reputation as the" authentic handbook since it was first published in 1939. Updated in 1974, it remains the only step-by-step guide to building log cabins and log furniture -- pioneer style."

Throughout history, many people have escaped to nature either permanently or temporarily to rest and recharge. Richard L. Proenneke, a modern-day Henry David Thoreau, is no exception. Proenneke built a cabin in Twin Lakes, Alaska in 1968 and began thirty years of personal growth, which he spent growing more connected to the wilderness in which he lived. This guide through Proenneke’s memories follows the journey that began with One Man’s Wilderness, which contains some of Proenneke’s journals. It continues the story and reflections of this mountain man and his time in Alaska. The editor, John Branson, was a longtime friend of Proenneke’s and a park historian. He takes care that Proenneke’s journals from 1974-1980 are kept exactly as the author wrote them. Branson’s footnotes give a background and a new understanding to the reader without detracting from Proenneke’s style. Anyone with an interest in conservation and genuine wilderness narratives will surely enjoy and treasure this book.

Eager young readers can now discover and experience Laura Ingalls Wilder's books like never before. Author Annette Whipple encourages children to engage in pioneer activities while thinking deeper about the Ingalls and Wilder families as portrayed in the nine Little House books. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion provides brief introductions to each Little House book, chapter-by-chapter story guides, and "Fact or Fiction" sidebars, plus 75 activities, crafts, and recipes that encourage kids to "Live Like Laura" using easy-to-find supplies. Thoughtful questions help the reader develop appreciation and understanding of Wilder's stories. Every aspiring adventurer will enjoy this walk alongside Laura from the big woods to the golden years.

This book should prove most helpful as a "how to" guide for a man working alone to build a strong, yet simple log cabin made to last. It can be a log cabin that a man can be proud to call his home or for a getaway home away from home on the weekend. I built the 13 by 41 foot cabin shell, including cutting down the trees and peeling off the bark, in three months while camping out in a tent. Cutting down the trees and pilling off the bark took more than half of the time in completing the shell of the cabin. It was hard work, but by using the trees on my property I saved money and it gave me a more satisfying feeling of accomplishment as I lived my dream. After about three months work the cabin was up and we moved from our tents into the cabin, however, the electrical wiring, well and plumbing, septic system, interior walls, chimney, and 8 by 28 foot add-on, which are covered in varying details (less on the wiring and plumbing) in this book, were worked on as I got the time and money. Overall, to complete the cabin, it took about four to five months time. The 757 square foot cabin was completed in about four months by working long hours, six days a week. The long camping experience was an ordeal for my wife, but my son and I enjoyed it. We thank God for His help and guidance through it all. The plans contained in this book are designed to allow a man working alone to build a cabin in a short time that will last a life time. I include an additional chapter about building a pergola type patio cover out of red cedar. 48 pictures are included in this book. Happy trails!

Guide to building your own handcrafted log home including how to take naturally-shaped, tapered, round logs and scribe-fit them one to another so they look like they actually grew together in the forest. This book has information on the Log Selection Rules and the author's method for choosing which log to use next. There are also instructions for building hip and valley log rafters and roof trusses from full-round logs, how to cut state-of-the-art compression-fit saddle notches, and how to use underscribing to keep fits tight over time, along with step-by-step directions for laying out the sill logs for virtually any floor plans including hexagons, prows, etc. and advice on scribing and cutting long grooves and corner notches.

Discusses floor plans, building lots, log styles, joinery, log house building techniques, insulation, and alternative energy sources.

A classic of early American architecture, the hewn-log house has a unique rustic charm and character. In this engaging and informative guide, Charles McRaven provides illustrated step-by-step instructions that cover every aspect of building your own log house, from selecting the site and hewing the first log to laying the final chimney stone. Whether you’re building a new house or restoring an old one, McRaven offers proven techniques and time-tested advice that will help you successfully create a warm and inviting hewn-log home.

If you're considering building your own log house, whether from your own logs or from a kit, this comprehensive guide has all the information you need. Roger Hard covers everything from choosing a site to planning the foundation and driveway, shaping logs, making corner joints, erecting walls, fitting joists, adding decks or porches, adding chimneys, and much more. Step-by-step illustrated instructions make the process clear and foolproof, whether you want a basic one-story structure or a more complex multi-level building.