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Small Cabin Forum / Member's Projects and Photos / Building a 12x20 walk-in cabin in north Georgia
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frankpaige
Member
# Posted: 3 Jul 2021 22:46
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You were not successful in getting access across the private property?
Is this your first build?
Is there water available on your property?
12x20 is large by some standards. Do you plan on hauling materials in by ???

lburners
Member
# Posted: 3 Jul 2021 23:09
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Welcome to the forum. Very cool blog. I just checked it out. I am about 1/3 of the way into my build and it has been a mission. I am looking forward to your updates. Please post em up on here even if its in this thread with a link to your blog.

jdrakephd
Member
# Posted: 4 Jul 2021 00:21
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frankpaige

I hope to get vehicle access eventually. But its quite a ways to go, and steep. Access is another (ongoing) story...

Yes, this is my first build. I could say more about that, but maybe better to first ask why you ask?

Yes, there’s water. There are at least six springs on the property. One is very close to the cabin site. They aren’t huge, but I’ve been there at all times of year and so far never failed to find running water.

For materials, I plan to mostly use what I can harvest myself, primarily poplar and oak. I may be able to bring some equipment and materials in by ATV, but mostly plan to carry supplies in on foot. I know that’s not everybody’s idea of a good time, but it doesn’t faze me. I think that will be part of the adventure.

lburners

Thanks for looking at the blog. Will try to post updates here, but will be posting there more regularly.

Good luck with your build!

rpe
Member
# Posted: 4 Jul 2021 06:50
Reply 


Wow, my back hurts just thinking about it!

Have you considered helicopter delivery? Some more remote sites in my area have used that method. They stage the lumber and supplies in appropriate sized bundles, and a helicopter picks up and drops at the building site. It might sound extravagant at first, but you could have your building supplies on site in a few hours, with energy left for the actual construction project.

gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 4 Jul 2021 09:05
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I sense an 'Alone in the Wilderness' story upcoming.

jdrakephd
Member
# Posted: 4 Jul 2021 09:22
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rpe
Yup. I’ve thought about it. It’s still in the cards as a backup plan. If anyone on the forum has experience with this method (helicopter) I’d be interested to hear about your experience.

Aklogcabin
Member
# Posted: 4 Jul 2021 09:55
Reply 


Best of luck to you. I enjoy folks who are willing to dig in n try to do difficult tasks. Seems like a lot of work because it is. I built a 16x24 remote cabin using 3 sided logs.
Are you going to harvest your logs then mill them enough to build with ?

jdrakephd
Member
# Posted: 4 Jul 2021 10:28
Reply 


Aklogcabin
Yup. I managed to find a used Lumbersmith (ultralight portable bandsaw mill) and of course have a chainsaw mill. My plan is to mill square logs and use a jig to cut dovetail joints. That seems to me a lot more straightforward than scribing each log individually and building with round logs. That said, most similar projects I’ve seen seem to build with round logs. There must be a reason, but I haven’t figured it out yet…

silverwaterlady
Member
# Posted: 4 Jul 2021 12:23
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Hi welcome. Sounds very interesting. This site is full of amazing people and information.
May I recommend a person that may be useful to watch on YouTube. My Self Reliance (no talking, building and bush living, cooking, gardening) and Shawn James (talks about building and everything that goes along with bush living).
He’s on his second log cabin build. The first one built with hand tools. Not as remote as you. I think you would enjoy his two channels.

jdrakephd
Member
# Posted: 30 Dec 2021 11:39
Reply 


Made some progress on the cabin over the summer and fall. Detailed updates on my blog.

Highlights include:
- Water access
- Milling the first boards
- Harvesting timber for the build
- Skidding logs
- More skidding
- Camp improvements
- Setting the post-and-pier foundation

I also posted a video montage from tree felling on YouTube

Happy new year!
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BobW
Member
# Posted: 30 Dec 2021 17:53
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You've made progress this year-great. Traditional cabins made with round logs used either a saddle notch or steeple notch while those with the dove tail were squared with a broad ax and adze. It is easier to cut the dove tails on a flattened surface.
Scribed log building was not common in the Appalachians from the cabin examples I have seen. It is easier with a chain saw, but would have been very difficult if the scribes were being done with hand tools.
How will you splice the logs for the 20 foot side or do you have 20 foot logs?

lburners
Member
# Posted: 30 Dec 2021 18:41
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Epic! Just read through all the links. What a project!

jdrakephd
Member
# Posted: 31 Dec 2021 09:19
Reply 


@BobW I'm planning to square logs and use a half dovetail joint. I have quite a few twenty foot logs, but if not I was thinking to splice using rebar for reinforcement.

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