This winter I decided to cut down some trees in my own forest for my upcoming log and timber frame family house project. I made a decision to do in this project as much as possible using only human energy, hand tools and historical and traditional techniques of working with wood and timber. To get the feeling of how it has been done in the old days. The next step will be hand hewing with a Gransfors Bruks 1900 broadaxe and German style finishing broadaxe.
There are some good memories from this winter work in forest. The air temperature was -20 degrees (Cesium) and the new moon was raising.
That looks like a nice stand of trees you were harvesting from.
I also enjoyed the log cabin restoration video. Lots of interesting things to see, some of which are different than seen here in the U.S. such as the foundation and the method of shingling the roof. Very nice door hardware too!
I am curious if you have a name for the celebration where you placed a wreath at the peak of a rafter pair.
Excellent work in many ways!
Thank you;
Jim
The closer you look the more you see. "Heavy timber framing is not a lost art" Fred Hodgson, 1909
Housewright, those are sidelap shingles, like German Feder Shindla Although I have not seen them lapped in alternating directions like this before, it seems to me like this would create more opportunity for wind driven snow to penetrate.
Hello Jim. Thanks for kind words. Yes I live in Latvia (Baltic States). This is my fatherland. The trees I was harvesting from my own forest. I took down only 40. 20 spruce and 20 pine. So it is enough for my walls. My family house frame will be made in timber framing technique and the walls will be filled with hand hewn logs and then insulated with pine wood shawings mixed with lime. The outdoor siding will be made from burnt pine boards in Japanese techinque (Shou-Sugi-Ban). So when I will finish my project - I will made a retrospective movie from forest to finished house. After my house will be made I wish to go to USA for some time to work and get some more experience in traditional timber frame. This autumn I am going to Sweden to work with some great craftsmen in wooden building restoration. Here you can see one of the lead masters (in the 2nd part of video)
. We do not have a special name for the celebration for placing a wreath at the peak of a rafter pair. So it is called a "Celebration of rafters". Our tradition is: when the frame and the rafters has been made we make a crown from the branches of an oak tree and put them up at the rafter peak. I now that in USA traditional is a branch of a pine tree or small pine tree. Jacob
The roofing shingles like I was usiing are known in our country for 200 years. We make them usually from 72 cm long apsen tree. The thickness of the shingles is approx 9mm. I made a 4 layer shingle roof. Usually it is made in 3 layers. But in 4 layers it is more long lasting. Each shingle row is in opossite direction because the rain water drain down more quicker and it safer in the snow storms.
Let me tell you, that is very hard work! Although, it helps if your have your rakers filed to the proper height! After making three (difficult) cuts through some old hard white oak, I discovered my saw's rakers were at times higher than the cutting teeth! Not a very effective way to work.
