Log Cabin Rustics Blog: Building Log Furniture Part 2: Selecting the Wood Log Cabin Rustics

Scott R., Washington

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Monday, June 23, 2008

Building Log Furniture Part 2: Selecting the Wood

This is the second part of a series full of information on how to build your own log furniture for beginners.

There are many different types of wood you can use to build your log furniture. The wood must be dry; trees that are already dead but still standing are easily accessible. If you can’t find any dead wood, green wood will work; you just have to wait for it to dry. Once you get logs that will work well, it is time to become acquainted with the drawknife, which is the tool preferred by many for removing bark. Be sure to use long strokes, but if your wood has a lot of knots, it can be very taxing on the arms. If you have green wood, the bark can be peeled off in a process known as “sap peeling” while it is still green. This method of peeling the bark works very good, and if you have access to a kiln, the results are even better.

Drying your wood with a Kiln produces less cracking then air drying, but it may be expensive. Air drying takes about a year to get the moisture content down to 16%, and then it is considered workable. One thing to watch out for is wood rot. If you got your wood from a dead tree that was still standing, it can be hard to discover the rot until you’re drilling holes and sanding.

The ecologically friendly alternative is firekilled wood. A live tree doesn’t have to be killed, and they are easier to work with. Firekilled logs may be hard to find though, depending on where you live, but it can bring a special sense of satisfaction to get outdoors and find that special piece of wood for your log furniture.

by: Log Cabin Rustics