How to Notch a Log for Building a Log Home or Log Cabin Saddle Scribe Style 346xp

A Simple Short video on how to notch a log for a log home or Log Cabin properly

[janicehollstein]

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!!!

[polarismod]

Thanks. I do build these for 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!

[Ratkas]

The control you have over that chainsaw and the precision you cut with is astonishing! I applaud you brother!

[dustdevil]

@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.

[j.]

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.

[uprootedbluenoser]

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.

[hoot]

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

[polarismod]

@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

[jason]

Awesome!  Any tips on how to determine how wide and deep the notch should be so as to yield an accurate, snug fit?

[Timotheus]

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.

[gardenshedkent]

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!

[jedirifleman]

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.

[pneumatic]

Love the carving with the tip of the saw. Very skilled work!

[Prlude]

Nice handling of the saw. I wish people developed skills like this more often, myself including. Nice work, my two cents.

[missfiveday]

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 ;)

[chasefill]

Hey man, how do you know how big to make the saddle notch? Do you have to measure the log going into it? And how do you make the pencil mark of where to cut?

Thanks very much for posting this. Very helpful.

[Coyote]

Thank you for showing this, never seen this been done this fast. However, I will stick to the old methods :)

[vole]

Great to see experts at work . Amazing stuff thanks .

[emood]

I think the saw compliments Maynard's voice, nice job!

[stevenfoulger]

For someone who's never built one before, can you recommend some basic tools besides chainsaw hammer and nails? I would like to build just a basic little cabin in the woods, nothing fancy. What did you use to score you line with?