Read Ebook: Delineations of the Ox Tribe: The Natural History of Bulls Bisons and Buffaloes. Exhibiting all the Known Species and the More Remarkable Varieties of the Genus Bos. by Vasey George

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ROOF FRAMING

The shingles may be laid over sheathing boards in the usual manner or on shingle strips placed across the roof rafters, parallel with the ridge and exactly spaced to receive them, commonly known as "barn-fashion."

Shake Roofs

It is often desirable to use hand-split shakes for the roof covering. These are usually made from cedar, but may be of any straight-grained wood, free from knots, which splits easily. First, the logs are cut in lengths of 30 to 36 inches and then the shakes are split off with a tool called a froe .

After the log cuts are set on end, the froe is held on the upper end of the block and then struck a blow with a wooden maul which causes a piece of the block or shake to split off. Being hand-split, the thickness varies somewhat; the minimum is 1/2 inch. A roof of thin shingles, lacking sufficient scale, is never as effective as a rough textured one, using 3/4- to 1-1/4-inch thick shakes, to harmonize with the sturdy appearance of the log walls. The width, normally 6 to 8 inches, is governed by the size of the blocks of wood and varies accordingly, while the length is governed by the spacing of the roof logs or purlins. Shakes are always laid on the purlins in single courses, lapping the sides 1-1/2 to 2 inches and over-lapping the ends at least 6 inches, as illustrated in figure 19. Nailing is usually done with six- or eight-penny galvanized box nails. Copper nails may be used for greater permanence. A good shake roof will not leak although from the inside of the building it may appear to have many holes.

The ordinary, uninteresting, straight-line effect at the butts may be broken up by staggering them from 1 to 2 inches, as is often done with shingles. This method produces an effect more in keeping with the log walls. Although involving greater care and additional labor it is preferable, from an architectural point of view, to the more common custom of laying them to uniformly straight lines.

At the ridge of the roof, where the shingles or shakes intersect, provisions must be made for weatherproofing. The shingled Boston ridge, comb intersection, or pole ridge, shown in figure 21 are practical and much more satisfactory from the standpoint of architectural effect than stock metal ridges, ridge boards, and other methods.

PARTITIONS

Where frame partitions are used, they should be constructed as in a frame building. A gain or a 3- to 4-inch deep groove should be cut in the log wall into which the end studding of the frame partition is to be set . The cut should be made in each log before it is placed in the wall. In no case should the studding at the ends of the partitions be nailed to the log walls which they intersect in order not to interfere with or be affected by their shrinkage and settlement.

FLOORING

A subfloor should be laid first using shiplap or sheathing. Over this a finished floor of such hardwoods as maple or oak, or the harder softwood species such as Douglas-fir, western larch, or southern pine, may be laid. Vertical grain and flat grain may be had in both softwood and hardwood, but the vertical grain shrinks and swells less than the flat, is more uniform in texture, wears more evenly, and the joints open much less. Finished flooring consists or tongue-and-groove material of various thicknesses and widths.

INTERIOR WOOD FINISHING

Hanging doors and windows, and many other customary details of building construction should be done in the usual manner in building with logs. Whenever cupboards or other built-in units are constructed, they must be framed to be independent or entirely free of the log walls, like the furniture. However, such fixtures as lavatories may be attached to two adjacent logs without any subsequent structural complications.

CALKING

When round logs are laid up in a wall there is always an opening between them unless they are grooved on the under side to saddle the one below, as described later under chinkless log cabin construction. In exterior walls, this opening, or crack, must be closed in order to make the structure weathertight. There are several methods of doing this. If the logs are reasonably straight and uniform in size and the corners carefully made, the opening between them will be small, often barely perceptible. When this is the case, the openings should be filled with some sort of calking compound applied with either a pressure gun or a trowel .

In recent years several kinds of calking material have been put on the market. They are applied best with a gun having a pressure-release trigger whereby the calking compound is forced through a nozzle made in various shapes and sizes to meet different requirements. These calking compounds are not adversely affected by heat or cold, retain their natural flexibility, and have an adhesive property which causes them to adhere to the surface to which they are applied.

A good plastic compound will adhere to the logs under all conditions and can be patched easily by simply applying more material. A black fiber seal is not objectionable and, at the same time, gives a practical finish. The seal should be applied to both sides of the exterior and interior log walls, producing an almost hermetically sealed building. When applied with a pressure gun having a 3/8-inch nozzle, 1 gallon will fill about 300 linear feet of opening. If applied in cold weather, the material should be heated to a temperature of 60?F.

CHINKING

When using logs that are somewhat rough and irregular in shape, the resulting space between them may be so large that the calking material cannot be used satisfactorily to fill the opening. In such cases, it will be necessary to insert "chinking," which usually is applied to the interior and exterior walls in one of two ways:

It is always a serious problem in log construction to devise a practical method for permanently fastening the plaster daubing in place on both inside and outside walls. In some instances, shingle nails may be driven into the logs 2 to 3 inches apart for the full length of the opening or 2-inch wide strips of metal lath may be used and the plaster applied to fill it. Cattle hair may be added to the plaster to increase its adhesive consistency and thereby hold it more rigidly in place. Sometimes, wood strips are nailed on the lower log to hold the plaster in position, as shown in figure 26, but they are unsightly.

CHINKLESS LOG CABIN CONSTRUCTION

Chinkless construction, associated with the building of log structures in Scandinavian countries, eliminates the chinking and mudding so prevalent in many log buildings. It consists of grooving the under side of every log in each tier so that it saddles the log beneath, making a close joint for its entire length. The groove is marked by a tool which, for convenience, may be called a cabin scribe or a drag .

The scribe is 12 inches long, made preferably of 3/8-inch square steel or iron bent in much the same manner as the spring in a steel trap; the two ends are turned down about 1-1/2 inches like two fingers, diverging to about 3/4 of an inch at the points, and then sharpened with a flat surface on the inside of the point toward the loop. The loop should be hammered out thin to provide sufficient flexibility to allow the points to spread or close easily. A ring is welded around the two halves of the tool which, when slipped up or down, makes it possible to adjust the points and thereby prevent any further spreading while the tool is in use. A link from a small chain, placed over the legs before the points are turned, will serve the same purpose and, to prevent the points from springing together, a small piece of wood may be forced between them.

The principle of the scribe is based on parallel lines, and it can readily be seen that if there is a hump on the lower log there will have to be a gouge in the upper one. When the work is done carefully, the space remaining is negligible. Where an airtight wall is desired, a strip of plumber's oakum should be laid on the bottom log before the upper log is dropped into place. If this material is not available, dry moss is a fairly practical substitute.

Milled-Log Construction

Sometimes it is feasible to take advantage of a portable mill to face the logs on three sides rather than to hew them by hand. The level beds seat the logs so well that calking is minimized, the smooth interior surfaces permit of easy finishing, particularly where wood wainscoting or plaster is used, while the round-log exterior effect is undisturbed, except where the logs project at the corners. Figure 28 illustrates a structure built in this way.

HEWING TIMBERS

The facing or hewing of round timbers to obtain one or two sides surfaced flat for framing purposes, as shown in figure 29, requires considerable skill in the use of the ax and broadax. There are, however, a number of mechanical aids which should be used by anyone undertaking log construction in order to simplify the work as much as possible. The carpenter's spirit level, the steel square, and chalk line and chalk are necessary for laying off the lines to be followed in hewing timbers. In framing logs they should be laid up on skids, or sawhorses, dogged fast in place with iron dogs, and the dimensions laid off on each end of the log with the level and square to insure that the lines are parallel to each other. Then, with the chalk line, carefully snap lines on the side of the log connecting corresponding points at each end. For squaring the ends of a log and cutting pole rafters, use the miter box to guide the saw. To measure lengths accurately the steel tape, or a board pattern cut to the exact length, may be used.

FIREPLACE FRAMING

The living-room fireplace, invariably the most prominent interior feature, harmonizes best with a log interior if built of stone and provided with a crude log shelf. The fireplace itself may be either the traditional masonry type or the more modern metal-lined one equipped with a heatilator.

The masonry of the fireplace and its chimney should always start on solid earth, below the frost line, like the foundations of the building itself. Masonry does not settle, unlike the surrounding log construction. Consequently, it is recommended that a self-supporting log framing be built around and entirely free of the masonry of the fireplace and chimney, as illustrated in figure 31. The opening should be framed in the same way as window and door openings. The fireplace and chimney masonry should not be erected until the opening has been framed for it. Upon completion, the intersection between the stone and wood should be thoroughly calked to make an airtight, weatherproof job. This method allows the wall logs to settle, because of the unavoidable shrinkage, without structural failure.

In building an ordinary fireplace, the firebox and inner hearth should be made of firebrick to withstand intense heat and the various parts proportioned in accordance with standard practice to insure efficient operation.

For this purpose the following publication will be found useful: Farmers' Bulletin 1889, Fireplaces and Chimneys.

The heatilator is a built-in recirculating steel unit consisting of metal sides and back to form a heating chamber, adjacent to the fire pit, which draws cold air through a register at each side near the floor and after the air is heated ejects it through similar registers above. It should be installed in conformity with the manufacturer's directions, taking care to select a stock-size unit suitable for the dimensions of the fireplace opening and to erect the surrounding masonry accordingly.

OILING AND PAINTING

After all the openings have been properly calked and the logs brushed clean, it is often desirable, although not absolutely necessary, to treat the log surfaces with some sort of preservative material. Logwood oil is excellent for the exterior. The colorless variety is preferable in most cases but, if some color is desired, add just enough burnt umber, or raw sienna paste, to give the proper shade. For interior finish, apply a coat of clear shellac and then one or two coats of dull varnish. The trim can be treated in a similar manner to preserve the pleasing effect produced by the natural surface and color of the wood.

THE FINISHED STRUCTURE

Examples of modern log construction are shown in figures 32, 33, and 34. Early types of log structures are illustrated in figure 35.

FURNITURE

The matter of interior furnishings is always of great concern to those who build log cabins. Odds and ends or too many "what-nots" may prove to be misfits. Pieces of Early American design are perhaps the most appropriate ready-made furniture, but sturdy, rustic pieces yield the greatest satisfaction.

Many cabin owners have found a great deal of pleasure in making essential furniture, such as bunks, beds, tables, chairs, settees, and similar items. In the East, birch is preferred as a material, and in the West, lodgepole pine is most satisfactory. Other native species, however, will do just as well. In making furniture it is advisable to remove the bark from the logs because bark collects insects, causes the wood to deteriorate and eventually falls off, leaving imperfect, unsightly surfaces. Figures 36 and 37 show types of furniture suitable for log residences.

For rustic effects, the use of a stain of the following proportions gives a satisfactory appearance: 2 quarts turpentine, 2 quarts raw linseed oil, and 1 pint liquid drier, to which add 1/2 pint of raw sienna, 1/2 pint of burnt umber, and a touch of burnt sienna. The top surfaces of tables, buffets, chests, and rawhide seats should have two coats of spar varnish. Where countersunk screws are used in connection with a stain finish, insert false wood, dowel-like plugs in preference to plastic wood to conceal the screwheads.

Simplicity, both in construction and appearance, is the keynote for producing the most harmonious effects in furniture, in keeping with log interiors.

Chairs and Stools

Armchairs can be built with well-seasoned lodgepole or eastern pine, or birch . The cornerpieces should be mortised and tenoned to the frame and rail and anchored in place with 3/8- by 15-inch lag screws. The arms should be fastened to the cornerpieces with 3/8- by 5-inch carriage bolts and to the slab support with 3/8- by 4-inch lag screws. The vertical slab support should be rigidly secured to the frame with 3/8- by 3-inch carriage bolts. Cushions may be of the filler type, without springs, and covered with homespun fabric. Use 2-inch wide heavy canvas strips, securely fastened with furniture tacks, to support the cushions.

Upright chairs and stools can be made from the same material as the armchair. Cross the poles to impale the legs rigidly. The crosspieces of the chair back should be curved to fit the human back. The joints must be tightly glued, mortised, and tenoned.

Bed and Bunk

Birch or well-seasoned lodgepole or eastern pine is suitable for making a bed or bunk. In making a bed the crosspieces should impale the corner posts tightly; the joints should be glued and toe-nailed from below. Do not cut the side or end pieces until the bedspring has been measured and then allow for a slight play in both directions in setting the angle irons, in order to facilitate the insertion and removal of the mattress. Use 14- by 3-inch carriage bolts to fasten the angle irons to the wood frame. Figure 40 is a plan for making a double bed 5 for a single bed, reduce the width accordingly.

A double-deck bunk is made in much the same way as a bed .

Chest and Buffet

No log residence is complete without furniture for storing clothes. A combination chest and buffet suitable for log cabins can be made from well-seasoned lodgepole or eastern pine, tamarack, or birch . The ends, doors, shelves, and drawer fronts should be cut from No. 2 tongue-and-groove commercial pine lumber.

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