Dovetail log house

[Michael]

This is cool.

[DerbyDad03]

"When you buy the plans, they include complete instructions both for building the jigs and for using them to cut accurate notches."

I'm imagining one single instruction in the chapter on using the jig:

"Don't cut the jig."

;-)

[Eli the Bearded]

Nah, it has a bit more than that. There's some sort of slider / guide on the bar of the chainsaw so that you don't cut the jig. (Unless you cut too far, I guess.)

Elijah

------ probably a small shim

[Sonny]

The finished cuts, for assembly, are smooth. A chainsaw cut is not smooth. You probably stop short, with the chainsaw cut, then finish smoothening with.... a chisel and/or hand plane? If someone is going to build their o wn log house, that way, I'd suppose they'd have other (dedicated) tools ava ilable, as well.

In the third pic (step 3), it doesn't appear he's following the jig's edge exactly. A second cut, along the jig's edge, would likely result in havin g a ridge, I think.

Sonny

[Sonny]

h. You probably stop short, with the chainsaw cut, then finish smoothenin g with.... a chisel and/or hand plane? If someone is going to build their own log house, that way, I'd suppose they'd have other (dedicated) tools a vailable, as well.

e exactly. A second cut, along the jig's edge, would likely result in hav ing a ridge, I think.

The videos show a cleanup (smoothening) procedure.... the saw guides assist with that, too.

Sonny

[DerbyDad03]

(pssst...it was a joke)

[John McCoy]

Sonny wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Why do they need to be smooth? In pioneer days, they would make those cuts with an ax (by eye, to boot) - a good axeman could get a pretty clean cut, but it wouldn't be smooth like a plane or chisel cut.

John

[John Grossbohlin]

I'd like to see some half-blind and full-blind dovetails thrown in for show... ;~)

[Sonny]

Yeah, that's what I get for thinking (incorrectly) out loud. My experienc e with chainsaws are pretty much limited to something like firewood-ends sm oothness. The pics seemed to show final results as being pretty smooth mat ing surfaces, so I assumed something else was warranted. One of those vid eos showed how to get fairly smooth, smooth enough, surfaces.

Another problem is that my saw's chain is probably not always as sharp as t heir saw's.

On a related "smoothness" note, maybe my thinking is influenced by my lates t project. Some time ago, I offered someone, here, some walnut & camelia rootball stock, for turning. I, later, inspected the camelia rootball and discovered some defects, not good turning. I decided to make a dining ta ble centerpiece, for the latest cypress trestle table, by gouging/carving o ut the bowl with the chainsaw. Subsequent hand sanding is proving to be a labor intensive task, not fun, at all. I'm sick of trying to smoothen ch ainsaw marks, but it's getting there. *The recent cypress bench project ( pics) are for the cypress dining set, as well.

A camelia is a smallish lawn tree/shrub, average about 12'-15' tall. A flow ering plant - red, pink and/or white flowers.

Sonny

[John McCoy]

"John Grossbohlin" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

You'd be amazed at some of the joints medieval carpenters used in timber framing. Take a look at the illustration on page 25 (*) of this document:

Carpentry-Hewett.pdf

The style and complexity of the joints used is a major factor in dating old buildings in the UK - joints started as simple laps, became progressively more complex into the late 1300s/early 1400s, and then simplified again as brick construction became more common, and the old skills were lost.

John

(* page 25 of the pdf, page 264 of the book it was extracted from)

[OFWW]

Sonny, I have to say I just love your shop. To be a kid and hanging out there with all the stuff around, and even as an adult wondering just what kind of treasures lurk in the dark corners or covered up somewhere.

It brings back memories for me and would make a great background for some TV wood working show.

Must be a lot of memories lurking there.

Sorry for the intrusion, but I just had to say it.

[Sonny]

Thanks. It is a fun place to hang out, also, more so now that I have a fr ig in there. The place needs major decluttering and cleaning, though. I have remnant scraps scattered about and a few half-projects in the works.

There's an outside overhang area that's a wood storage area. That needs d ecluttering, also. At the moment, the whole place looks kinna trashy and disorganized. I have an older (original) shop and it's, essentially, been abandoned (other than storage), partially because of clutter.

I don't have children, so no grands, either, but the nephews' and nieces' c hildren enjoy coming over, especially to help clean up.... for $20 a pop. There's a few assorted projects of theirs, also, that they've forgotten to take home, like a "Z" (some "chest"(?) emblem/insignia of some cartoon/TV character he likes), a crucifix made for another's mother, and left over co nstruction materials for making a forge (frame, firebox), to name a few.

Additionally, there are some major plans in the works, as I've bought a new telescope. I need to rebuild parts of the area (originally a hand tool s hop) behind/attached to my home's garage, to accommodate the telescope and to accommodate its loading, for going/viewing at the camp. The present doo rs (front & back), in this area, are 40" wide. The scopes footprint/mobil e base is 53" wide. The kids are anxious for this telescope venture, also.

So, yeah, the shop is a fun place to hang out and to dream-up some other us eful projects, as well. I would suppose project ideas come in at a rate o f 1 every 2-3 weeks, though not all get off the ground. It's fun to "drea m", also.... especially when you test/ask the kids how they would plan/init iate/what supplies/etc. the building of their idea, and, in the process, le arn the tools, safety, etc.

I rarely build anything for myself, anymore. Most projects are for someon e else's benefit or pleasure, in some way. It's the construction I enjoy. ...and their visiting, when they (kids) come over and "supervise" the const ruction of *their project.

Sonny

[OFWW]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing, it would be worth cleaning up for free or for finding a lost "jewel" in there.

Take some pictures of the scope setup to share, nice to have a full life like that.

[Sonny]

Just got the scope 2 weeks ago and it needs to be assembled outdoors or in an area accessible through a larger doorway, than I presently have.... meaning, out of the house.

Here's a view of it, from Meades website:

The Wheeley Bars (mobile base) is the Large Size Universal, the "Custom" model with the six 10" wheels:

I also need to install some AC/heat in the (previously) hand-tool shop area, as that's where the scope will be stored.

I always take pics of stuff.

Sonny

[OFWW]

WHOA! Sure beats the crap out of my scope. Auto GPS positioning and location finder for your scope? Out of sight!

Possibilities unlimited, with a WIFI Camera, everyone can see what's going on with the big screen TV at the same time.

Have Fun! By the time I drag mine outside, set up the 3way leveling and find a certain object to calibrate my location it is darn near sunup, lol.