I'm hoping logs come much cheaper than this?

[LowKey]

LowKey, I was hoping you would chime in. Please forgive me if I ever accidentally said "take the class" to you.


Might I say that you became a completely different forum personality after class. I am sssoooooooo darned glad that we didn't chase you off with our impoliteness.

No worries.
My irritation with the mantra was simply die to me having already set up everything to attend the class. "Take the class" is a bit....irksome......when you're just killing time waiting for the class date to roll around and are working under time constraints.

[etd66ss]

I paid $100 per log 13" top 19" butt and 41' long

What species?

I talked to a logger yesterday, here is what he had to say:

"Cedar doesn't grow any where near that size, oak is way too heavy for
your project. White pine we have, but if we can even find any that
length, the large end would be twice as big as the small, because of the
extreme taper. Larch or Red pine would be much better choices as they do
not taper as much."

[LowKey]

What species?

I talked to a logger yesterday, here is what he had to say:

Find a new logger.

[etd66ss]

Has anyone been able to find tree taper (stem profile) charts for various species? Is tree taper mainly a function of species, or is it more of a function of the conditions in which the tree grew? And when building a butt & pass log home, how much does taper really matter?

[loghousenut]

Taper is not an issue. Some species, like cedar and cypress, are prone to swelled butts and taper but mostly it is growing conditions that dictate taper. Those big ole straight Doug Fir up in western Washington, that look like drill pipes, grew close together and had to fight for every photon of sunlight. They grew straight up and have no taper. Contrast that with Doug Fir that are planted in a park, all 35 feet apart, and they will be full of limbs most of the way up and possess extreme taper.

If you want to build a notched, scribed log home, taper makes it much more difficult. There will be some logs that need to be nearly cut in two at the notch.

No notches makes the LHBA system fairly forgiving, so taper is just an aesthetic issue. Personally I don't care much about aesthetics as long as it looks right... and it does look right.




PS... More photos on the members side.



just funnin'... couldn't help myself

[etd66ss]

Thanks loghousenut

This morning I made a species comparison/selection chart to help me decide what kind of logs it makes sense to go after in my neck of the woods. I figured I'd share it, maybe it will help others in the Northeast.

Here it is: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_X...ew?usp=sharing

[allen84]

Find a new logger.

I thought the same thing when I saw that this morning but didn't have time to respond. Loggers should be like good soldiers and go do what they are told, not try to sell you what they think you need. You may have also asked the right questions the wrong way, you have to speak their language or they'll be head scratching. Taper is not an issue with this build method. I like the taper and the whole log thing.

[edkemper]

This morning I made a species comparison/selection chart to help me decide what kind of logs it makes sense to go after in my neck of the woods. I figured I'd share it, maybe it will help others in the Northeast.

Or you can look at it this way, it sort of doesn't matter unless you're trying to use multiple species.

If it's a species that 1" in 10' or a species that is 3" in 10'. Within the species, it's normally about the same, tree to tree. Since they are all sort of the same, whatever species you choose will come out right.

I think that came out right.

[etd66ss]

Or you can look at it this way, it sort of doesn't matter unless you're trying to use multiple species.

If it's a species that 1" in 10' or a species that is 3" in 10'. Within the species, it's normally about the same, tree to tree. Since they are all sort of the same, whatever species you choose will come out right.

I think that came out right.

When I look at all the data, I think I want the White Pine. Luckily, that should be easier to acquire around here than White Oak.

[Mosseyme]

To each his own, personally the more character a log has the better. The big flared butt ends are really cool and lots of knots are really cool and lots of taper is really cool and curved logs are really cool as long as you can straighten them enough to use them. We have them all and nice great big wide gaps to chink [more insulation]. It is all good. This is the beauty of the LHBA style. Long straight low taper might be a little less work and can be really beautiful but I get bored easily and having every log be quite different from the one before is a wonderful challenge.