Takes me back to when I got put in a labor camp by my own parents to build our own log home. haha Hard work at 11 years old, But I sure learned a lot of skills. It's nice to live in a house you built on your own. Great video.....
Looks like a real good job on the notches. The only down side to this would be after 50 notches cut in a day your hands would still feel like they were still on a chainsaw and still cutting notches all night long in your sleep.
Shawn, what an amazing video. How wonderful that you took a woodworking skill, with a chainsaw no less, and made it so much more than that: beautiful artistry! And the music was a perfect touch. Not only was this art in motion but it also shows your strength: holding the chain saw, still running I believe, in one hand while hammering out the wood pieces with the other. I had to watch it twice, it was somehow so peaceful.
I was impressed with the log cabin you did. I will recommend this idea to my friends who are planning to build their own. This video is highly recommendable!
Great job man, Can't wait to start on mine, i cut and striped all my logs last fall, this summer hopfully i can get a start on building, Peace and love from cape breton!
once the log is on the wall and sitting on top of the log you use a tool called a log scribe.The log scribe looks like a expensive campus... like the one you used in school to draw circles with. the log scribe "after set properly" draws the perfect lines you need to fallow to make the cuts for a great notch.
about to embark on the journey of building a log cabin in the woods... you make it look so easy... gonna have to throw on my hubby's cutters pants and start practicing ;)
Working with wood in construction is as much of an art as it is a science . . . beauty!. Love the saddle joints. When done right (like in this video) they are solid and air tight . . . and beautiful to look at.
Looks like carving a turkey at Thanksgiving...mmm make mine white meat with country gravy! Thanks for showing us how to notch those pesky logs! The secret is exactly this perfect notch that makes for a perfect connection to the other logs and thus perfect corners with a tight fit throughout the log cabin structure.
I think you are Fing amazing. I don't have that kind of skill! Definitely looks like a place for a small saw (yet a good one) OMG HOW DID THEY DO THIS BY HAND IN THE OLD DAYS!
if you cut your pencil mark with a razor knife before notching it will never chip past your mark. Also being handy with a chisel will save some fuel. good job though. looks fun.
I've lived in the woods since I've been born. He didn't do anything wrong here. He has some skills to make a notch that smooth. When's the last time you've used a chainsaw to do anything besides fell trees?
I don't know if you build these for yourself, or work for someone else, but it would be amazing if you did a video on how to build a cabin, or just do an entire log, including scribing, etc. Really impressed with your work. :)
Just guessing you have never seen a chainsaw carver at work. These types of things take a delicate touch. Great job on the saddle. ,Sully from ALASKA where we live and breath burning dead Dino's w/ our chainsaws!!
Damn, I am impressed with that. Makes the job of cutting down about 20 little trees look like childs play. Screw the other with their "Been there, done that" and the good ole disclaimers. Next thing you'll know we'll all need a safety brief on how to breath in. Guys, get a life. He siad he's been doing it for years so he must know what he's doing. Seems to me like he has 2 arms and 2 legs and all his digits. Maybe some of you have two heads!!!!
@purdymatthew I use a 16" for most all of my work.... I am 6' tall so kinda depends on how tall you are. if you are short you want to use a shorter bar, taller use a longer bar. you will notice a huge difference in how tired you get from not having to bend over. Hope this helps.
You just put the new log on top of the old one and use a stick to mark it on. Just put the stick at the side of the old log and mark it and then put the stick just a bit further up the log and mark it again, and so on until you can connect the dots and you have it transfered, hope it helps.
Thanks! I am always looking to peg my nuts that's what keeps me going through a long day of notching! I could of taken my hand off the saw and grabbed it..... but I prefer to try to maintain a steady pace...and by removing your hands from the saw slows production!
Thanks. I do build these for myself..... I only do it part time when someone asks. I posted this video in to help people understand the basic technique for this style of notch. Thanks for your watching and your kind comments!
@Allyn Osbourne agreed, I built several cabins about 20 years ago, and had started out by looking at some century-old ones up in the Smokies first. The round-notch shown here is pretty, but geometrically, it leaves a huge air pocket in the joint that will hold water, mold, mildew, and can even turn into a home for bees and wasps later if not filled. The square notch at 1/4 the depth of the log diameter may be 'ugly', but it is a sold, no-empty-holes joint that (I think) has a better bite to it. Not to mention, I can notch out the logs for a home in a day, vs this, which must take a week to get all the joints right.
I have never used Square notches in any of my log structures, But I know from experience that this notch does none of the above... as long as its done right and you have a roof over it! The proof is at the beginning and the end of this video these notches are very tight! Thanks for watching.
Until a few years ago, you never saw 'saddle notches' used like this. For proof, take a look at the 1968 footage of Dick Proenneke's cabin in Alaska. He went there and documented his return on film, starting with building a cabin. The documentary is 'Alone in the Woods'. Look at the difference between his 'saddle notch' and yours. Now, for what MOST cabins in the East were built with, take a look at the Finnish cabins - they use a square-hewn log with square notches. You just won't see old East TN or West NC cabins with saddle notches. Not cabins made in the 1880's to 1920's, anyway. Those that might have been made with them fell down!
Please forgive my ignorance on this topic; if a person is notching a log (as shown in the Vid) would it not make sense to notch only 1 side of the log, instead of doing 2 notches on the same end of the log? I agree that too much wood removal is as bad as not enough. I have seen spreads of logs notched on both side, to where the is very little material left in the notch itself. Please school me!
david5372 There are lots of ways to notch logs as you can see on here. people will argue which is the best. I only notch the bottom of the log for moisture. a log that is notched on the top can hold moisture in it and start to rot or decay. reason number two is would be difficult to get an accurate scribe for an upside down log. Every notch is different and resetting a scribe would be very difficult and inaccurate. Hope this helps. Cheers
Dust Devil I own that film...its actually called "Alone in the Wilderness" I'm not saying the square notch doesn't work! BUT the reason you didn't see notches like these and saddle notches was because of the advancement of tools, chainsaws and log building techniques in general. do some research and you will find most log structures built these days are built with these types of notches because they WORK! As for history of log structure notches I can get you at least 5 log cabin and house pictures in my area with these notches that were built in the 20s and 30s. Still standing that have seen way more snow load than your TN and NC Cabins. I dont understand your argument of cabins pre 20s. Raw wood or logs if not treated and properly roofed are going to fail and fall down regardless of the notch used. RAW wood doesn't last forever. Thanks for your input but dont give people the wrong idea about saddle notch log structures unless you build them everyday.
1st and foremost if you look at this gentlemans saw you can see that is a very well used saw. 2nd if you look at his forearms and wrists you can see he that he must have a saw in his hands on a daily basis. 3rd if you watch how easily and comfortable he makes this cut that he knows what hes doing. So open your eyes and ears and shut your mouth and you might learn something. Then again ya'll know everything so most likely not, but why are you watching if you know it all.
@radiojustus I would never compare a pro saw to a Echo. but I do know a guy who buys echo's and throws them away when he is done with them because they are so much cheaper. I personally own 5 Husqavarna's a Stihl and one Echo with a carving bar. you can not go wrong with the 346xp not sure how much you will be running it, but if you are not using it everyday it will last your lifetime! Go with the 346 you wont be disappointed.
Nice work , may have been asked before - how do you accurately mark the log out ? do you have a basic template to fit all logs or measure mark out each ? i am going to make a log Gazebo so like your method and would like to give it a go
One more question - would you recommend any brand or specific log scribe tool? There seems to be a few out there and I'm not sure what to spend. Thanks again!
W-Groove, V-Groove are both full scribe, W-Groove takes a little longer but is better, you don't have to cut so deep so less chance of cracking in time, and less room for wind to get in, It's what we use in all our log homes along with saddle notch and lock notch, sheds water better, have fun i do.....
@patrq The log I am notching has a traced line on it from the log below called a scribe line. You set the log on the wall trace the log below with a tool called a log scribe, then cut to the line not passing it.
Yep. But I suggest doing the final cleanup with a grinder with something like a coarse saburr donut wheel. It would be far faster and easier and cleaner.
@bear33713 thanks for the awesome comments! yes you do want to take more out of the inside of the notch. you only want the outer part of the notch to contact the log below. ensuring a tight fit and no hang ups from the log below. thanks
I'd rather not listen to you piss and moan but that's not an option is it !? Make you own videos if you dont like how other people use there creative talent to entertain and educate others! Thanks for watching.
Although I agree with you, I just hit mute for this one.... 2 Years ago. Maybe you haven't been beat to shit yet by someone in "real life" and will see this comment.
To some of us the sound of the chainsaw is music, but some pros hear music when they are doing their thing. Lots of pro athletes listen to music while practicing, and hear it while playing.
This Beautiful Mess. With unsuitable for any melody but yours. I recognized the StyleWriter richt away. If you likje this check out Brown Feather Sparrow. It is also à Dutch band. The played munch together and with each other. Proud off these and other Dutch bands.
+Grimlock 84 You'll need to be good at math for that. Look up measuring circles and angles. You'll also need to know what type of wood you'll be working with too. The differences of softwood and hardwood when it comes to their uses, their density, their growth rate, their fire resistance, etc.
So happy to see a video deliver EXACTLY what the title eludes to, ANDDD have good music and no one talking on and on!!!! THANKKK YOUUU!!!
The control you have over that chainsaw and the precision you cut with is astonishing! I applaud you brother!
Great to see experts at work . Amazing stuff thanks .
Love the carving with the tip of the saw. Very skilled work!
Takes me back to when I got put in a labor camp by my own parents to build our own log home. haha Hard work at 11 years old, But I sure learned a lot of skills. It's nice to live in a house you built on your own. Great video.....
Looks like a real good job on the notches. The only down side to this would be after 50 notches cut in a day your hands would still feel like they were still on a chainsaw and still cutting notches all night long in your sleep.
Thank you for showing this, never seen this been done this fast. However, I will stick to the old methods :)
Well done Shaun. Great skill.
Shawn, what an amazing video. How wonderful that you took a woodworking skill, with a chainsaw no less, and made it so much more than that: beautiful artistry! And the music was a perfect touch. Not only was this art in motion but it also shows your strength: holding the chain saw, still running I believe, in one hand while hammering out the wood pieces with the other. I had to watch it twice, it was somehow so peaceful.
+Jo F.. Thanks
Nice handling of the saw. I wish people developed skills like this more often, myself including. Nice work, my two cents.
Damn, that was beautiful, Shaun Brender. Thank you for this.
I was impressed with the log cabin you did. I will recommend this idea to my friends who are planning to build their own. This video is highly recommendable!
Thanks
You make that look SO easy! Nice job!
Great job man, Can't wait to start on mine, i cut and striped all my logs last fall, this summer hopfully i can get a start on building, Peace and love from cape breton!
once the log is on the wall and sitting on top of the log you use a tool called a log scribe.The log scribe looks like a expensive campus... like the one you used in school to draw circles with. the log scribe "after set properly" draws the perfect lines you need to fallow to make the cuts for a great notch.
Nice work Shaun. Pay no attention to the negative comments here. You do very nice work.
Best comment I have seen on any of my videos in a long time. Thanks!
I love it...I'll be using this technique when I build my log home.
were building a small cabin right now so this was a helpful video
Nice usage of the saw it takes a delicate hand to do fine work like that. Great video
about to embark on the journey of building a log cabin in the woods... you make it look so easy... gonna have to throw on my hubby's cutters pants and start practicing ;)
WOW, what skill! Very impressive!
Working with wood in construction is as much of an art as it is a science . . . beauty!. Love the saddle joints. When done right (like in this video) they are solid and air tight . . . and beautiful to look at.
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.
I think the saw compliments Maynard's voice, nice job!
I have never seen that done with a chain saw. Very well done.
Looks like carving a turkey at Thanksgiving...mmm make mine white meat with country gravy! Thanks for showing us how to notch those pesky logs! The secret is exactly this perfect notch that makes for a perfect connection to the other logs and thus perfect corners with a tight fit throughout the log cabin structure.
Awesome job great relaxing tune to chill and watch thanks
A true artist!
Nice, that is cool. I always like log cabin building.
That's what I call a pro! Nice job bro!... All those coach potatoes bitching around have no idea how to use a chainsaw and the challenges involved.
I think you are Fing amazing. I don't have that kind of skill! Definitely looks like a place for a small saw (yet a good one) OMG HOW DID THEY DO THIS BY HAND IN THE OLD DAYS!
I would let you trim my beard with that saw! Nice work man.
An artist with a chain saw!
Cool vid me and my wife are going to make one in maine just got the land now just need to start
if you cut your pencil mark with a razor knife before notching it will never chip past your mark. Also being handy with a chisel will save some fuel. good job though. looks fun.
That is art!
Very nice. No jabbering just this is how its done. Thank you.
I've lived in the woods since I've been born. He didn't do anything wrong here. He has some skills to make a notch that smooth. When's the last time you've used a chainsaw to do anything besides fell trees?
I appreciate this video, im going to practice this technique with my saw..i need to make a shelter for my fire wood...see how this goes..thanks
Wow! Like artwork!
mad skills bro!!
I don't know if you build these for yourself, or work for someone else, but it would be amazing if you did a video on how to build a cabin, or just do an entire log, including scribing, etc. Really impressed with your work. :)
Hey that's awesome man! Good video 👍👍
@radiojustus this saw is a 346xp with a 16" bar by far my Fav. saw for doing this kind of work!
Just guessing you have never seen a chainsaw carver at work. These types of things take a delicate touch. Great job on the saddle. ,Sully from ALASKA where we live and breath burning dead Dino's w/ our chainsaws!!
Damn, I am impressed with that. Makes the job of cutting down about 20 little trees look like childs play. Screw the other with their "Been there, done that" and the good ole disclaimers. Next thing you'll know we'll all need a safety brief on how to breath in. Guys, get a life. He siad he's been doing it for years so he must know what he's doing. Seems to me like he has 2 arms and 2 legs and all his digits. Maybe some of you have two heads!!!!
Nice job!
This was oddly relaxing to watch...
Nice job !!!
@TheRaellz nah it works. I used square notches on mine
Nice work with the chainsaw! :)
E espetacular como manej
a a maquina na perfeicao, e preciso ser mesmo um grande artista parabens e bom trabalho
Thanks very much!
@purdymatthew I use a 16" for most all of my work.... I am 6' tall so kinda depends on how tall you are. if you are short you want to use a shorter bar, taller use a longer bar. you will notice a huge difference in how tired you get from not having to bend over. Hope this helps.
You just put the new log on top of the old one and use a stick to mark it on. Just put the stick at the side of the old log and mark it and then put the stick just a bit further up the log and mark it again, and so on until you can connect the dots and you have it transfered, hope it helps.
Very nice work! I wonder how you align the notches on both sides of the log, so that the notches are even.
Very clean nice work
Thanks! I am always looking to peg my nuts that's what keeps me going through a long day of notching! I could of taken my hand off the saw and grabbed it..... but I prefer to try to maintain a steady pace...and by removing your hands from the saw slows production!
Thanks. I do build these for myself..... I only do it part time when someone asks. I posted this video in to help people understand the basic technique for this style of notch. Thanks for your watching and your kind comments!
pro tip: you can watch series on KaldroStream. Me and my gf have been using it for watching loads of movies lately.
@Christian Ruben yea, I've been using kaldroStream for since november myself =)
@Allyn Osbourne agreed, I built several cabins about 20 years ago, and had started out by looking at some century-old ones up in the Smokies first. The round-notch shown here is pretty, but geometrically, it leaves a huge air pocket in the joint that will hold water, mold, mildew, and can even turn into a home for bees and wasps later if not filled. The square notch at 1/4 the depth of the log diameter may be 'ugly', but it is a sold, no-empty-holes joint that (I think) has a better bite to it. Not to mention, I can notch out the logs for a home in a day, vs this, which must take a week to get all the joints right.
I have never used Square notches in any of my log structures, But I know from experience that this notch does none of the above... as long as its done right and you have a roof over it! The proof is at the beginning and the end of this video these notches are very tight! Thanks for watching.
Until a few years ago, you never saw 'saddle notches' used like this. For proof, take a look at the 1968 footage of Dick Proenneke's cabin in Alaska. He went there and documented his return on film, starting with building a cabin. The documentary is 'Alone in the Woods'. Look at the difference between his 'saddle notch' and yours. Now, for what MOST cabins in the East were built with, take a look at the Finnish cabins - they use a square-hewn log with square notches. You just won't see old East TN or West NC cabins with saddle notches. Not cabins made in the 1880's to 1920's, anyway. Those that might have been made with them fell down!
Please forgive my ignorance on this topic; if a person is notching a log (as shown in the Vid) would it not make sense to notch only 1 side of the log, instead of doing 2 notches on the same end of the log?
I agree that too much wood removal is as bad as not enough. I have seen spreads of logs notched on both side, to where the is very little material left in the notch itself.
Please school me!
david5372 There are lots of ways to notch logs as you can see on here. people will argue which is the best. I only notch the bottom of the log for moisture. a log that is notched on the top can hold moisture in it and start to rot or decay. reason number two is would be difficult to get an accurate scribe for an upside down log. Every notch is different and resetting a scribe would be very difficult and inaccurate. Hope this helps. Cheers
Dust Devil I own that film...its actually called "Alone in the Wilderness" I'm not saying the square notch doesn't work! BUT the reason you didn't see notches like these and saddle notches was because of the advancement of tools, chainsaws and log building techniques in general. do some research and you will find most log structures built these days are built with these types of notches because they WORK! As for history of log structure notches I can get you at least 5 log cabin and house pictures in my area with these notches that were built in the 20s and 30s. Still standing that have seen way more snow load than your TN and NC Cabins. I dont understand your argument of cabins pre 20s. Raw wood or logs if not treated and properly roofed are going to fail and fall down regardless of the notch used. RAW wood doesn't last forever. Thanks for your input but dont give people the wrong idea about saddle notch log structures unless you build them everyday.
he has skill, great video
Very well done,excellent music,excellent work, thanks
thanks!
Ah, never mind. I found it. Awsome!
1st and foremost if you look at this gentlemans saw you can see that is a very well used saw. 2nd if you look at his forearms and wrists you can see he that he must have a saw in his hands on a daily basis. 3rd if you watch how easily and comfortable he makes this cut that he knows what hes doing. So open your eyes and ears and shut your mouth and you might learn something. Then again ya'll know everything so most likely not, but why are you watching if you know it all.
Well done.
great vid thanks for sharing
Rawr! That soundtrack makes me want to go out and chainsaw something!
Excellent video...Thanks
Great job, can you suggest a video that shows how to scribe.
thats good stuff !
@radiojustus I would never compare a pro saw to a Echo. but I do know a guy who buys echo's and throws them away when he is done with them because they are so much cheaper. I personally own 5 Husqavarna's a Stihl and one Echo with a carving bar. you can not go wrong with the 346xp not sure how much you will be running it, but if you are not using it everyday it will last your lifetime! Go with the 346 you wont be disappointed.
It's quite the sculptor....it's art
Nice work , may have been asked before - how do you accurately mark the log out ? do you have a basic template to fit all logs or measure mark out each ? i am going to make a log Gazebo so like your method and would like to give it a go
Awesome man. Girlfriend pick the music? Lol.
5 minutes to do a notch? I love it.
great video
amazing skills
One more question - would you recommend any brand or specific log scribe tool? There seems to be a few out there and I'm not sure what to spend. Thanks again!
Damn your surgical with that!
cool skills.
@Dojocho Thanks!
W-Groove, V-Groove are both full scribe, W-Groove takes a little longer but is better, you don't have to cut so deep so less chance of cracking in time, and less room for wind to get in, It's what we use in all our log homes along with saddle notch and lock notch, sheds water better, have fun i do.....
Is there a specific chainsaw / blade type that handles side loading like this better than another?
awesome!
@patrq The log I am notching has a traced line on it from the log below called a scribe line. You set the log on the wall trace the log below with a tool called a log scribe, then cut to the line not passing it.
Yep. But I suggest doing the final cleanup with a grinder with something like a coarse saburr donut wheel. It would be far faster and easier and cleaner.
@bear33713 thanks for the awesome comments! yes you do want to take more out of the inside of the notch. you only want the outer part of the notch to contact the log below. ensuring a tight fit and no hang ups from the log below. thanks
amazing
I applaud you brother. You have some serious skill with that chainsaw.
Thanks
@purdymatthew Yes!
I will!
I'd rather hear the chain saw than the music !
I'd rather not listen to you piss and moan but that's not an option is
it !? Make you own videos if you dont like how other people use there
creative talent to entertain and educate others! Thanks for watching.
Some people appreciate feedback.
Although I agree with you, I just hit mute for this one.... 2 Years ago. Maybe you haven't been beat to shit yet by someone in "real life" and will see this comment.
To some of us the sound of the chainsaw is music, but some pros hear music when they are doing their thing. Lots of pro athletes listen to music while practicing, and hear it while playing.
This Beautiful Mess. With unsuitable for any melody but yours. I recognized the StyleWriter richt away. If you likje this check out Brown Feather Sparrow. It is also à Dutch band. The played munch together and with each other. Proud off these and other Dutch bands.
This was like watching Bob Ross paint a picture.
nice husky, i have a 266
Art...
@polarismod828 haha its good to be the Boss! thanks for posting the vid, helpt me out alot. Knowlege is power. Greetings from Northern Wis.
@polarismod828 I just finished rebuilding one, what size of bar do you prefer for doing this type of work?
Awesome! Any tips on how to determine how wide and deep the notch should be so as to yield an accurate, snug fit?
+Grimlock 84 You'll need to be good at math for that. Look up measuring circles and angles. You'll also need to know what type of wood you'll be working with too. The differences of softwood and hardwood when it comes to their uses, their density, their growth rate, their fire resistance, etc.
@030567Nikola You Think so huh? its not a cup..... its a Notch! Thanks for your input.
WOW man this is nice work, thanks for posting. personally i would have prefered without the music though.