Introduction - thought others might be interested.

Found your site with some old ('09) photos of people who had created a "fake log" look for their cabin. Well, we have done the same. Our cabin was originally going to be log. I had cut 6x9 cants (Norwood band mill) but could not get permits w/o an engineering stamp. So I re-sawed the 6x9s, built the same plan with conventional 2x6 stick construction, wrapped it with OSB and am fastening the the re-sawn 2x9s to it to give it the "log look".

I am distressing the 2x9 boards with a broad ax and adz for effect, treating them with a boron product and stain, and  chinking with concrete. The single story (10x24) lean-to on the back is the kitchen/bath section and is traditional board and batten. We have about 2/3 of the fake logs up and 1/4 of the board and batten finished.

We are sawing all of the "non-structural" lumber living in a FEMA trailer  until we finish the project. Have been at it steady (weekends/holidays/vacation/after work) for 9 months now... hopefully only 6 more to go .

I am not good at web/photo stuff so I will ask my wife if she will post some photos. (She is keeping a blog of the project.)

Thought this may help some of you other guys who are doing the same. Thanks for the info I have gotton from your site!

Roy

   Roy

Another sawmill 
I look forward to seeing your progress pictures, I've built a few both ways... and have gone the engineer route before. If you haven't started chinking do some research on lime renders. Portland cement is waterproof, does not breath, condenses moisture and was not traditional. The old cabins were chinked with a variety of things, some of which also promoted rot. Often though they where chinked with a lime mortar as was the infill "stucco" on many traditional timberframes. Lime is not waterproof but it also is breathable and lets moisture out from under it. As time goes by a lime finish absorbs co2 out of the air and again becomes limestone. I've done cement and synthetic, I've been researching this but have not tried lime yet, it seems to be worth considering.

I have read the same things and had to make a decision so I went with Portland with lime added. It is all a lot of work but very pleasing and hopefully, very long lasting. See if this will allow you to see it

http://homesteadingstewards.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Cabin.jpg

http://homesteadingstewards.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/IMAG0037-2.jpg