Join our Friends List and hear about new log furniture options!




Scott R., Washington

Thank you for personalizing this experience and following up with me. That means a lot. We're looking forward to receiving the chairs and other items. I'll stay in touch concerning follow up orders to furnish our cabin.

More Testimonials >
Welcome To Log Cabin Rustics Blog
Thursday, July 10, 2008
The most basic tool a new log furniture builder needs to get acquainted with is sandpaper. The use of these paper squares should be familiar; yet there are secrets to be learned when purchasing large quantities of sandpaper. Some hints may seem obvious, but sanding your newly built furniture is a very important process to make sure nobody gets any splinters. Today we are going to list the different grits and what they are commonly used for, and take a look at the different types of sandpaper that are available.

There are three different abrasives commonly used for furniture finishing; garnet, aluminum oxide, and silicon carbide. All three are easily identified by their color. The red-colored garnet paper is commonly used for hand sanding. Grey to white colored sandpaper is made out of aluminum oxide, and is used for either hand or power sanding. When you’re about ready to put the last smoothing touches on your log furniture, black silicon carbide sandpaper is the correct choice.

The first common sense rule is to start with a lower number grit and work up to higher numbers for the best finish. Start out using sandpaper with a 110 to 150 grit for preparatory finish. Don’t use anything less than 100 unless you have to remove an existing finish. When you’re ready to apply the finishing touch, grab a 300 or so grit to polish it off.

Sanding your furniture can be the most tedious part of building log furniture; but it can also be very rewarding. Grab a friend to help you, take the pieces outside, and enjoy the exercise and the sunshine.

Labels: , ,



by: Log Cabin Rustics
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
If yesterday's article didn't scare you off, please continue reading
how to kill a moose.

Before you can kill a moose, you have to find it. A trip to Canada
would be the easiest way to do so, but moose can also be found in the
north-western and north-eastern United States. They are usually found
in forested or shrub habitats; mountainous areas above 5,000 feet do
not hold any moose.

If you are hoping to bag a bull moose, hunting in the fall is advised,
but it is also key to know where there rutting grounds are. Soon after
the fall season is over, many bulls migrate south, and it can be
helpful to try and hunt near rivers, creeks, and low mountain passes
when the moose are moving. Always stay alert for rubbed trees. Bulls
will begin rubbing their antlers in early September, and it is a sure
sign there's a healthy moose population nearby. But the most important
moose hunting tip we can give you is to pay attention to the wind
direction. When you are stalking the moose, hunting with the wind in
your face will be much more productive. Also avoid open areas and
skylines. Moose have been known to see and react to hunters a quarter
of a mile away. Also remember to hunt very early or very late in the
day, when moose are most likely to be active. There are much more
ideas on how to find a moose that are commonly used; drive on the
highway until you see a big one, float down a river on a canoe and
surprise it, and many more.

There are a couple sounds used by moose hunters to get the bull moose
to come to them. One of the most effective is to bring along an antler
and clash it against the tree, to attract rutting bulls. A home-made
megaphone is also useful, to make one cardboard or even a plastic milk
jug will work also. If you've never heard a moose call, look it up on
the internet so you will best know how to imitate it. Make sure to
have a rifle with you that is capable of shooting a bullet of 150
grains or more at 2500 fps, and make sure you bring along all the
neccessary tools to skin and transport the moose meat.


by: Log Cabin Rustics
Monday, July 7, 2008
Due to the positive feedback we received on our how to skin a deer article, today we’re going divulge a little information on how to hunt its close cousin, the moose. The moose is the biggest big game animal in the United States. You can find bigger game in Africa hunting elephants, but you might also get arrested for endangering an endangered species.

When you first start planning on how you’re going to shoot and drag back home your first moose, their enormous size is an important thing to keep in mind. A mature bull can weigh well over 1000 pounds, and even a cow or calf can weigh near half a ton. When you are choosing an area to hunt and a means of transportation, remember that you will have to haul about 500+ pounds of meat and possibly 50+ pounds of antlers back to your truck. This is why many veteran moose hunters advise never killing a moose more than a mile from your vehicle. The meat will fill up to 7-10 heavy backpacks, and you will have to make numerous round-trip hikes with well over 50 pounds on your back.

If this doesn’t scare you away, then by all means, come back tomorrow and read our next article which will go into much more gory detail on how to hunt a moose.


by: Log Cabin Rustics
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Log home owners looking to get away for a little vacation to
experience in greater quantities the rustic atmosphere and natural
beauty their log homes offer may be interested in staying at one of
the many so-called Great Lodges our national park system offers.

These wonderful buildings offer everything a rustic-admirer loves, but
they come with a historic feeling of grand beauty that cannot be
emulated by any log home.

An example of a true Great Lodge is Glacier Park Lodge in Glacier
National Park. Its greatness is only magnified by its historical
value. In 1912, Louis Hill, who was the owner of Great Northern
Railway at the time, set 75 men working for a full 15 months to
construct the Glacier Park Lodge. It opened in the spring of 1913, and
was a favorite stop for train travelers.

There are many other great lodges offered by the national park system, and all of them
are monuments of rustic beauty and history.

Labels: , , ,



by: Log Cabin Rustics
Friday, July 4, 2008
The outdoor furniture Log Cabin Rustics offers is suited to an indoor
or outdoor life. Depending on the manufacturer, the furniture will
ship either treated or untreated. If you don't mind the logs turning a
silvery grey over time, untreated is the way to go. If you wish to
preserve the unfinished look but still get some of the benefits of
treating your furniture, you might want to look into using a wood
preservative. Today we are going to write about how you can go about
staining your furniture if it hasn't already been done by the
manufacturer.

Before you get started, lay down a drop cloth or old blanket to
protect any surfaces you may be working on. Make sure that you have a
source of fresh air coming from somewhere; the stench of stain can be
very strong.

First, there are several key things that need to be done to ensure the
wood's porousness and make sure the wood is clean and dry when you
stain it.

You need to choose whether to pre-wet or to sand your furniture. Both
options will adequately prepare your furniture for the staining
process. To pre-wet, thoroughly soak the furniture with a power washer
or with a garden hose if you don't have one. Then wait 4 or 5 days
until it is dry again. If you choose to sand your furniture by hand,
make sure to do a light sanding that covers all surfaces to remove all
loose wood fibers or any dirt that remains on the piece.

Now you should be ready to stain your furniture. Painting is also an
option, but staining is recommended to help the furniture last longer.
Before applying the stain, remove any parts of the furniture from the
main frame. If you are staining a log swing, take the pieces apart to
make it easier. Stir the stain well and begin applying the first coat
by working on the lower portions of the furniture, working your way
through the sides to the top. After you're done, let it dry, then
apply a second coat to ensure a richer color depth and enhance the
longevity of the stain.

To apply the final touch, use a coat of primer and a light sanding to
leave your furniture stained in a professional manner.


by: Log Cabin Rustics
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
If you are a newbie to log furniture building and maintenance, finishing the furniture was probably in the back of your mind somewhere. Today, we are going to talk about why it is important to stain your logs with a finish just after the furniture is built, as well as why you may have to finish them again in the distant future if you’re investing in outdoor furniture.

Most log furniture is sprayed with a clear finish soon after it is built, and this is a very important process for multiple reasons. First of all, the finish helps to seal in the natural color of the log, and fight any aging tendencies. Not only does the finish protect the beauty of the log, it also blocks off any moisture or wood pests from harming its vulnerable insides.

Most log homes have to periodically be refinished every once in a while, but you will most likely never have to finish your furniture, unless you bought it unfinished, or plan to keep it outside. If the furniture is kept outside in a bright area with lots of sunlight, the finish will start to wear off after about 10 years. Tomorrow we will talk about the different available wood stains and how to stain your furniture, which is a fun do-it-yourself project similar to finishing.


by: Log Cabin Rustics
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Perhaps you've been staring sentimentally at your nightstand lately,
wondering what its past life was like. Well, wonder no more! Today,
the Log Cabin Rustics blog will show you where every piece of white
cedar furniture came from.

The Northern White Cedar tree grows primarily around the Great Lakes
and Maine. It grows in pure and mixed stands; mostly in swamps, but
also in wetlands. In the winter, the Northern White Cedar is a
favorite for deer and porcupine who love to eat its thin cedar stems.

The White Cedar is the lightest commercial wood in the United States,
which is why it is preferred for log furniture projects. It is
resistant to decay and termites. It is also soft, glues well, and has little
dimensional change. It should be no surprise that it is the preferred
wood for log furniture. There are a few setbacks due to its softness
and workability, which result in poor bending strength and
nail-holding abilities.


by: Log Cabin Rustics
Previous Posts
Archives

Powered by Blogger

Subscribe to
Posts [Atom]

Home