Removing Damaged Logs from a Wall

I need to repair a log cabin for a regular customer, water damage has rotted out the logs that make up an outside corner of the building.

These logs are huge, some as large as 24" in diameter. I have got the new ones from West Virginia and they are on site waiting for spring like I am.

Any tip to get these logs out? I am well aware of how to brace the structure while the repair goes on, but cutting the old logs out is my only question.

Would a mortiser be the best tool? Then finish off with a chainsaw? I could also use some advice on cutting the scribes for the overlapped corners.

I'm not sure how to attach pictures or I would put a few up to show what exactly I am looking at.

Welcome,

Just a few steps.

1. you have to have a photosite that can upload your pictures from your files on your computer to the internet. I use Dropshots which is a free site.

2. Once you set that up. You upload your pictures. The site makeS THIS REALLY EASY (SORRY MY CAPS LOCK IS STUCK)> JUST REMEMBER WHERE YOU HAVE THE JPEG ON YOUR COMPUTER (WHAT FILE)>

#> ONCE YOU DO THAT YOU CAN TYPE YOUR REPLY (MAKE SURE YOU CLICK REPLY ON THE FORUM INSTEAD OF QUICK REPLY> Then have the forum open in one window and your dropshots site in another.

4. Click the image icon on the forum reply toolbar.
5. Go to your dropshots site. Right click the picture. Open properties. Copy the properties from there and paste in the image dialog box of the forum.
6. Preview post, should be there and post.

Hope this helps, mo

Thanks for the tutorial Mo

I think I got it.
[img]http://picasaweb.google.com/MattSwanger28/MingesBarn[/img]


If that don't work here is link to the album, the cabin pictures should be at the top of the list.
http://picasaweb.google.com/MattSwanger28/UntitledAlbum

I plan on removing the lower courses in a stepped pattern, lower logs will be longer and step back towards the corner.

Luckily I can put a steel post up to support the corner while we work on it. It's going to take forever. This corner is the first floor, below it is a walk out basement. I have no access to the back of the home other than the deck I took the pictures from. So I have to crane the logs over the house one by one. Time to up the liability policy.

I am not sure what you mean by vertical post to lock old and new together.

I am not sure how old the home is. The cabin used to be owned by the owner of RW Leet, one of the biggest commercial elctrician outfits in North America until they went bankrupt. Now it's owned by the former owners of Archway.

Any advice on what tools to cut the old logs out with? Start with a mortiser then finsh off with the chainsaw? Maybe a Mini Mill that rides along a 2x6? I'd like to be as square to each other as possible.

Then cutting the flats on the top and bottoms of the logs, Chainsaw and a rail system? I am not a timber framer or log home builder, I can stick build just about anything. This is new territory to me.

BTW, you have a great last name. You pronounce it with the "G" or silent "G". The southern part of the family leaves the G silent.

I do have some PLS lasers so that may help alot.

The corner was in bad shape 10 years ago Derek, now I have to fix it. The homeowner knows it's not going to be cheap. But flattening it and starting over isn't an option. It's a 4,000 square foot cabin with a tmber framed roof and floor system. House was bought a few years ago for 2 million, I'd hate to see that in California money, maybe 6 million out there.

I really hope that the rot doesn't go from end to end, the thought crossed my mind. I bought 18 ft logs from West Virginia and drove them back to MI. Kind of hard to get more on short notice.

I can use all the help I can get on this one, any and all advice will be received graciously. We had 4 other log home builders look at it and all of them walked away not interested. That should have been my first sign.

What do you mean "new system"? I am open to all suggestions.

If it matters the kitchen is just inside that corner, so I have to remove all the cabinets and countertops so I don't cut through them with a chainsaw.

Thanks Derek

Feel like a "vacation" in the spring?

In the pictures you might be able to see the roofline that runs into that corner, the gutter overflows because leaves clog it up. So it all runs into the corner.

I want to reframe part of the roofline to keep this from happening again. At least not any time soon. I just need the HO to agree to it.

I would over frame on top of the timber frame to keep the inside in tact. It has cedar shakes on it so I would need to tie everything back together and reshingle it with an open valley.

It's a little warmer than 4 here, maybe 15 degrees. But still cold.

Sounds like a plan, typical Swanger mentality. We may be related after all by the sounds of it.

I have a decent idea how to go about this, me being new to it I thought I look around for some pro's opinions on it.

I'm excited and can't wait to start, it's going to take some time to complete due to the access issues. Craning 18' long by 24" logs over the top of a house isn't ideal by any means.

Derek I haven't heard of that book, got a link?

i am a member of this forum, thats it.

I didn't find the book you referred to in your post. Is that a correct title?