Chapter 8

The Six-Shooter

Erected in a week, this log-on-log constructed cabin has a gabled wing, two large bedrooms, an extra-large living room with fireplace.

By Don Konzet

Rustic stone and concrete fireplace in center of the living room harmonizes with the white cedar -walls.

THE PROTOTYPE shown, built in Gor-donsville, Va.. by Mr. and Mrs. George F. R. Pollard of Newark, N. J., is another Ward log-on-log constructed cabin (see The John Alden. page 32. The Rustic, page 44, and The Logger, page 48).

Measuring 32 ft.. 4 in. wide, the kitchen wall side is a full 22 ft. in length. The longer right wall, due to the additional gabled bedroom, measures 26 ft.
The Six-Shooter boasts of a beautiful, cross-ventilated living room—with fire­place, access to all rooms, and a double or picture window in the front. Of particular interest is the unusual inner foyer leading to both bedrooms and bath. Here is "up­stairs" privacy in a one-level structure. Plenty of closet space makes this a very livable vacation dwelling—or, for that matter, an all year round home.

The master bedroom measures 10x12 ft. —the second bedroom. 8x12 ft. The roomy kitchen, with its own service entrance, measures 12 ft. 8 in. x 7 ft.  11  in.

The foundation should be finished before arrival of logs. This  eliminates  weathering of materials.	By the end of the first day you will have attached sills, girders and vertical upright at corner of wing.

On the second day the first row of logs is in place, sub-floor   is   laid   on   floor   joists,   door   is   set   up.	Sixth row of logs is up on the third day. All logs are carefully numbered to indicate position in wall.

The cellar entrance is also off this room. While the Pollards decided upon a full basement, this feature is optional. Exterior walls consist of specially milled white cedar logs. The logs have a natural, peeled finish on the outside and are dressed on the inside to provide a smooth interior wall. Each log is numbered to indicate its position in the wall and all logs have a uniform depth of 5¼ in. and a minimum thickness of 3½ in. When you have walls that thick, it is easy to see why no other insulation is necessary. In addition, each log is milled to provide a one-half inch tongue and groove, a recess for caulking compound and an outwardly sloping upper surface to prevent moisture from collecting in the horizontal joints. With this type of construction, you need only caulk once—as the building goes up. There is no need for chinking or patching every year.

The logs vary in length up to eight feet and have a half inch half-lap at abutting ends. At external corners, a notch is pro­vided in the vertical face of one log to re­ceive a tongue on the end of the intersect­ing log.

Alternate logs project several inches be­yond the corner. At re-entrant exterior corners, logs are notched on the exterior face to receive a 3x3-in. corner post.
Assembled jamb, lintel and mullion members are provided for doors and win­dows. Jamb and lintel units have a natural peeled surface on the exterior face and are rabbeted to receive wall logs and grooved or rabbeted for window stops. Lintels have a depth of 3½ in. and a maximum thick­ness of three inches. Mullions have a minimum thickness of 2½ in. The sill is spruce or fir and is attached to  the  foundation  with  anchor bolts.

By the fourth day the cabin is rising rapidly. Logs are window height. Windows are braced as shown.	As the walls near completion on the fifth day, the ground  is  graded  and leveled  with  a  bulldozer.

On  the  sixth  day,  attach  roof purlins.  Since  they are very heavy, it's best to use a derrick for this.	Inner roof layer is nailed on. followed by strapping and outer sheath of spruce by end of seventh day.

The gable walls are fabricated in similar fashion, except that the ends of the logs are sloped to suit the slope of the roof.
The interior partitions consist of two inch, tongue and groove, vertical pine planks. Frames for interior doors are milled from solid stock and are rabbeted to receive wall planks.

Roof framing consists of log purlins (roof bearing timbers) supported in notches cut into the gable end logs. In addition 3x5-in. purlin supports are framed into tie beams over bearing partitions. Purlin logs are spruce, smooth on one face to provide a uniform surface for the roof boards. Pur­lins may be either a single continuous log or may have a half-lap joint over a bearing point, depending upon their length.

The roof is somewhat unusual to say the least. Roof sheathing consists of two layers of 1-in. boards at right angles to the pur-lins, with 1x3-in. or thicker strapping be­tween. The inner layer consists of tongue and groove matched pine. When a studio ceiling is used, this inner roof provides a beautiful knotty pine paneling. The second roof is laid over the strapping, thereby providing a continuous vapor barrier. Shingling is conventional.

You can readily see from the foregoing, that what we have here is not only as sturdy and rugged as a house can get, but impressive and attractive as well.

ASSEMBLY

This house can be erected on any stand­ard foundation. Whether you wish a full cellar, or crawl space, the following in­structions apply. The 4x8-in. sills are anchored to the foundation by anchor bolts put into the foundation before it sets. The plans (see list of Building Plans, page 144) will indicate how many sills there are. Anchor bolts should be set not more than eight feet apart, with at least two bolts available for each sill section. (If you build on wood posts, simply spike the sills to the posts with 80d nails.)

On the eighth day. cabin is almost complete. Open ing for fireplace  chimney is cut  through the  roof.	Kitchen cabinets carry out the informal decorating scheme. Kitchen has side door opening to outside.

When the foundation is ready, notch pockets in appropriate places to receive the 6x8-in. girders (6x6-in. in the smaller units). Next set the sills in place, caulking at the ends which are half-lapped. Before the first row of logs is set in place, corro­sion-resistant metal flashing is applied to the sill over caulking compound. It should be mentioned here that all exterior wall logs are given a shop-applied dip treat­ment, containing pentachlorophenol wood preservative and a surface sealer. Next, snap a chalk line on the sill, four inches from the inside edge. Then place the first row of logs with their flat side along this line and spike the first row of logs to the sill with 80d nails. You will note that since this row of logs is narrower than the sill, the difference forms a ledge on which the floor joists rest. Joists are notched to fit this ledge and after they are in, tops are flush with the first row of wall logs. After the floor joists are in and bridged, lay the sub-floor diagonally across the floor joists. The balance of the exterior wall logs are put in place much in the same manner as laying bricks. A full course of logs is ap­plied around the entire perimeter of the house. Each wall log is toe-nailed at the end, to the course of logs below it, and at the top to the log just previously laid. Use 20d nails for all wall logs.    A continuous bead of caulking compound is applied to the recess made to receive it, and at each lap joint. The caulking compound used is a non-hardening type and should be ap­plied with care so that it does not show at any joint.

As already mentioned, doors are fully framed and assembled. The entire unit is put in place as called for on the plans and you simply build up the logs around it. Each log that abuts against a door or win­dow jamb, is toe-nailed in with one 20d nail per log. In any case where the span of logs between door or window jambs, corners, and other vertical supports, ex­ceeds six feet, logs are spiked to each other with 80d nails (eight inch spikes) driven vertically and spaced 24 inches on centers. In all operations on doors, windows and walls, be certain that the entire assembly is plumb. A little time taken now to in­sure a proper fit will save you a lot of forcing later.

At this point, mention should be made of the plate row of logs. This is the top row of logs in the wall and the top surface of each of these logs is sloped to conform to the pitch of the roof. When you get to the top of the walls, before setting the plate row, the wall must be notched to receive the 6x6-in. tie beams which are just what the name implies—timbers to tie the build­ing together. Where tie beams join each other or cross each other, they are cross-lapped. When the tie beams are set in place in the walls, they should be caulked and toe-nailed with two 20d spikes at each bearing.    It is advisable to shore up the tie beams before going any further, since, when the roof is applied, considerable stress is placed on the tie beams. When interior partitions are installed, they will provide ample support for the beams.

After tie beams are in, install the ceiling joists. These joists are either 2x6-in. or 3x5-in., the latter being a beam, which protrudes into the rooms, with three sides smooth and the lower face peeled. They are supported on 2x2-in. ledgers securely spiked to the interior face of the exterior wall logs, and to the tie-beams, which occur over the bearing partitions. Naturally, care should be taken to insure that the upper surface of the ledgers is at precisely the same level as the top of the tie beams. Now, add the plate row and continue build­ing up the gable walls with the standard tongue and grove logs. When the gable is completed, the log purlins are set in place a maximum of four feet on centers, supported in notches in the gable end logs. The notches should be caulked and the purlins spiked in with 20d nails. In some models, these purlins run upwards of 30 feet in length. If they even approach this length, I suggest that you do not try to jockey them into position by hand, no matter how big a crew you have. If you cannot build a rig to lift them into place, rent a crane.

Well worth whatever you pay, it will save you considerable time and effort. Natu­rally, smaller purlins may be installed by the use of manpower alone. Additional bracing, in the form of 3x5-in. purlin sup­ports are framed into tie beams over bear­ing partitions. Purlin logs are pine or spruce, smooth on one face to provide a uniform surface for the roof boards. Pur­lins may consist of single continuous logs or may have a half-lap joint over a bearing point. Vertical purlin supports are let into one half inch deep notches in the 6x6-in. tie beams and inclined purlin supports are framed to bear against vertical supports. As indicated before, the roof is made in two layers of one inch boards. The first (inner) layer consists of tongue and groove knotty pine, random width. It is nailed directly to the purlins, plate row and gable logs. Roof should extend one inch beyond the end of the purlins to provide a drip. Now apply 1x3-in. strapping across the roof, spaced a minimum of 24 in. on centers. There should be one of these over and parallel to each purlin. If insulation is being used, install it between the strap­ping. The outer sheathing is one inch random width spruce nailed to the strap­ping. The roof is finished with a 1x3-in. trim along all edges. 

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