56 
House & Garden 
CONSTRUCTING LOG 
CABINS AND CAMPS 
Facts For The Man Who 
Would Build His Own 
E . L a V I N E 
T he log cabin is the direct product of its en¬ 
vironment. Its architecture, however prirni- 
tive, is direct architecture. Cabin life is life 
reduced to its bare necessities. The requirements 
are few and the demands on the cabin itself are 
relatively small. Nevertheless, it must be struc¬ 
turally livable—weather-proof and cold-proof, and 
it must “stand up” under the drive of the ele¬ 
ments. That much is fundamental. Whatever is 
added in the way of exterior or interior decora¬ 
tion is a matter of choice, but it should bear the 
same general characteristics of the environment. 
The Choice of Logs 
Success in building a log cabin depends mostly 
on the type of logs selected and the way they are 
handled. In selecting your logs, see that they are 
as straight as possible and uniform in size. A 
good average size is from 6" to 7" in diameter at 
the small end. 
Cedar is the best wood for this purpose, as the 
bark will adhere if the timber is cut in winter. 
Should you prefer to peel the logs, however, the 
best time for cutting the trees is in the spring 
when the sap is in them. 
After the cabin has been built the best way to 
finish it is to strip the bark from the logs on the 
inside and oil them with linseed oil, but it is gen¬ 
erally conceded to be more artistic to leave the 
logs “in the rough” on the outside. If left un¬ 
stripped in the interior, the bark is apt to make 
too comfortable a resting place for borers and 
objectionable bugs. The linseed oil will fill 
the wood sufficiently to prevent this. 
Perhaps the best way to describe the process of 
building a cabin would be to refer the reader to 
the little camp shown on the upper part of this 
page. The cabin is 10' x 12' with a fireplace and 
a bunk, as the plans show. 
How To Build a Cabin 
The number of logs required for the structure 
is about twenty-four 6" x 14', twenty-two 6" x 12' 
and nine 6" x 20'. The last are for the chimney. 
Select the largest logs for the sills, or founda¬ 
tions. First lay two 14' logs on the ground, and 
place on them two 12' logs; square them up, allow¬ 
ing the logs to overlap each other so as to leave an 
extension of 6" on each log. This extension is seen 
on the floor plan. Using a saw, mark each end of 
the first 12' log on each side of the 14' log on which 
it is resting. Next, roll the 12' log over and, with 
an axe, notch it out between the saw marks you 
have just made so that it will fit over the 14' log 
to about half its thickness, then roll it back in 
place over the 14' log. Repeat this process on the 
other end. 
At the back of the cabin, place a 14' log on top 
of the 12' logs, mark and notch it at each end as 
has been explained, and roll it into place. This 
method of fitting the logs together is continued 
throughout. Note, however, that when the logs 
are in place all the notches should be underneath. 
Should a fireplace be decided on, an opening 
the required size must be left. An opening 
smaller than 3' is not advisable. 
When the sill is complete the door jambs 
should be put in place. Both jambs and window 
frames should be made of 2" x 6" material. The 
cabin in the continuation of this article has case¬ 
ment windows 2' 8" x 3' and a plain door 2' 9" x 6'. 
Such frames can be obtained at any lumber yard 
for a small expense, and they will save labor by 
purchasing rather than attempting to make on 
the spot. The door jambs should be set down 
in the sill about 2". Continue building until 
about 3' above the sill, then place the window 
frames in position, setting them down into the 
notched log about 1". See that the tops of the 
window frames and door jambs are about on the 
same level, so that when you swing up the top 
plate—the topmost log—it will be level all around. 
Make the ridge pole about 3" in diameter and 
16' _ long, and the rafters 3" wide by 8' long. 
This will provide a 2' overhang with a 2' pitch. 
After the rafters are set in, place out on the 
(^Continued on page 66) 
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Fifty-five cedar logs of varying lengths went into the building of this cabin. The logs 
are left in the rough outside and stripped and oiled within. Cement was used for caulk¬ 
ing. The cost, including labor, was approximately $450 
The ground plan of the cabin above shows 
the method of piling the logs. Besides the 
bunk rack, the cabin has a 3' fireplace 
The cabin below is more pretentious and the 
method of building differs. Here are three 
rooms with a fireplace and covered porch 
A California cabin was built of vertical logs set on a stone foundation and caulked with 
cement. The gable ends are buff stucco and the roof tar paper. The cost, including 
labor, was approximately $400 
