#BUILDING A LOG CABIN WITH NOTCHED ENDS FULL#

The house is held together by the weight of the logs sitting down into the notches. With a saddle notch, for example, each log must be carefully notched to match the diameter of the log below. Notching is a slow, methodical process that requires skill and precision to make the logs fit together properly. The logs had to be notched because it was the only way to tie the pieces together as a stable structure. Those techniques required time and skill to carefully scribe and notch the ends to fit together. Traditional methods of log building have been passed down from a time when people went out into the woods and built cabins with little more than an ax, a saw, and an adz. The problem is that nobody can make any money off of that - not the log home industry, nor the lending companies, nor the publishers of those glossy log home magazines. With the butt-and-pass method, you can eliminate the superfluous labor and expense and build a house so inexpensively that you can likely afford it without incurring a mortgage. Many states impose a sales tax on top of that, which may add thousands of dollars to the cost.Īs you will see, with the butt-and-pass method, there is no need to turn house logs on a lathe, no need for notches, and no practical way to sell butt-and-pass log homes as a kit. All these expenses are passed along to the customer in every log home kit that is manufactured and sold. In most cases, they have to make a mortgage payment on their factory, along with ongoing operating expenses for employee wages, benefits, social security, worker's compensation, insurance, legal advice, advertising, inventory, and never-ending equipment maintenance and upgrades. Manufacturing companies typically have a lot of overhead. Most kit log homes are very expensive, often more expensive than regular stick-built homes. These companies make money by turning raw logs into long skinny dowels with notches that can be stacked up like toy Lincoln Logs. Why? Because the magazines are entirely supported by advertising revenue from companies that manufacture log home kits.

#BUILDING A LOG CABIN WITH NOTCHED ENDS FULL#

Have you ever picked up one of those glossy log home magazines full of stunning log homes? One thing you are highly unlikely to see in those magazines is a butt-and-pass log home. In fact, many people have completed log homes with the butt-and-pass method for less than it would cost to rent a house for a single year. It can also be a very economical way to build, saving tens of thousands of dollars compared to buying and erecting a 'kit' log home. The butt-and-pass method, developed by fifth generation log homebuilder Skip Ellsworth (1939-2008), makes it fast and feasible to build a log home, even for beginning builders. Living Homes: Stone Masonry, Log, and Strawbale Constructionĭo you dream of building or owning your own log home? It is easier than you might expect, and you are fully capable of building your own log home or cabin. The Skip Ellsworth Method: A Brief Overview Build your own low-cost, earth-friendly, high-efficiency home!īuilding Methods | Construction Articles | Building Schools | Tom's Books & Videos

Building a log cabin with notched ends