How to Build Log Cabin Notches
Building log cabin notches is as much an art as it is a science. Each notch must be cut into the log by hand, so the log lays flat along the log beneath it. You can notch logs with a chainsaw, large chisel or hand saw, and the process involves a lot of hand measuring and trial and error.
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Instructions
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1
Roll the log you are going to notch onto the log cabin and line it up as it will sit on the cabin wall.
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2
Use a scribe tool to trace the outline of the bottom log onto the log your are going to notch. A scribe tool has two points which you use to transfer one shape onto another. First measure the depth of your notch and set the scribe points to this depth, then trace the outline of the lower log onto the log you want to notch, by placing the points of the scribe tool on both logs then moving it across the lower log.
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3
Remove the log and secure it on a saw horse or the ground.
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4
Make several vertical cuts inside the area you traced for the notch with a chainsaw. Then make diagonal cuts into these vertical cuts to remove the wood, in effect "scooping out" the wood to complete your notch.
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5
Roll the log back into place and check to see how flush the log is with the log beneath it. Then determine whether or not you need to remove more wood from your notch, and if so, repeat steps 2 to 4 until the notch is perfect.
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Tips & Warnings
Scribing a log takes a lot of skill and practice. First measure the depth of the notch, this is the distance from the top of the lower log, to the bottom of the log on to, that is how deep the notch must be made. Then trace the notch shape by holding the two pencil points against the logs and tracing the outline of the bottom log on the log on top.
