Reviving a log cabin !

[UNCLEBUCK]

Built a log cabin 20 some odd years ago and alot of the exterior never got stained and some of the the sides exposed to the northwest wind and rain and snow had only one coat of sikkens so......

After 20 years plus I found the time and money to finish as it was eating away on me to watch something you worked hard on go ugly .

Rented a pressure washer and took 14 hours of holding it 4 inches away from the logs and watched it cut away and do its magic , empty robins nests on every corner got blown away, spiders and moths are no more, the hardest thing to cut off the logs with the 2500 psi sprayer was the old sikkens stain from over 20 years ago .

The cedar 1x12 fascia was almost black and grey in color as it had never received any stain at all but after one pass with the pressure washer it was gold in color .

Will be showing alot of before washing and after sikkens stain as I am going on the 5th five gallon pail of stain . No need to comment unless you wish to but just thought I would show what Norway Pine logs looked like after 20 plus years of nothing. These logs came off of the Echo Trail in the boundary waters canoe area about 1983?

Should have peeled a little deeper instead of leaving alot the cambium layer on but I think thats what saved my hind end as it helped shed water . I got lucky ,no rot anywhere .











 I am a firm believer in Sikkens Stains especially after cutting the hide off these logs with the pressure washer .  Many pics to come and will be taking you inside as well .
Its getting cool here now for september and my window of opportunity is narrow to finish the exterior . Stain is being applied with just one Ace hardware 6 inch paint brush but my hands are getting tired !

[pappy]

Buck,

I'm tired aready        WOW what a big job !!!!

kinda know what use be doin'!!!  Jen and I have been stain' our out back shacks as "I call em"  and ya gotta take off dat  ole scumm foist 

WELL, WELL WORTH THE EFFORT for that log cabin !!!! DOUBLE WOW REALLY REALLY NICE LOG CABIN TA SAY DA LEAST shhhhh hope me weren't spoken 2 strongly...  How would Asy or Iain say it "Good on ya Mate !!!!"

[Stephen1]

Buck,  that is nice. the logs did not look to bad before the wash, but it sure looks nice with that stain. my wife loves that colour. Which Sikkens stain is it and which colour. I am leaning towards the sikkens also. Did you apply anything different to the ends of the logs.
I have been waiting to trim my ends untill I figure out what to put on the end grain

[UNCLEBUCK]

Thanks pappy & Stephen ,  I have used other brands of stains on other projects and there is none that can even come close to Sikkens as when it drys it creates a thin hide of its own almost like end sealer or a clear silicone caulking that never cracks or gets brittle and flakes off or makes the wood turn crappy dark in color.  After assembling a cabin I run a very thin bead of clear silicone caulking down all the outside laterals and around notches even if they are razor tight . I could not blow the silicone caulking out of the laterals with 2500 psi sprayer and that silicone was over 20 years old and you have to look very close to even know its there. Its just nice to know your airtight in the winter even with sill seal in the laterals .

 I use Sikkens Cetol 1 & color is 078 and it is also used on the ends of the log , let the first coat soak in for a day and hit it again as many times as you need to but if you fresh cut your ends you can hit them with a big disc sander so they are smooth . Hopefully you wont open up a view to the flyway lateral when you trim the ends but there is a million ways to hide a boo boo  .

If one really wanted to make wood shine just follow Jeff B the bear hunters threads on Sikkens application here somewhere. I am just going with one coat of Cetol 1 as it is very expensive .

No pictures today but should have some before and afters tomorrow night .

Your log cabin is looking real good Stephen and I bet you are excited to get your tin on !  pappy he is a cabin man way up there in gods country . There is getting to be quite a few of the log scriber peoples on here now and its fun to read and look at pictures of everyones adventures .  Keep up the beautiful work and get some smoke chuggin out the top ! U.B.

[isawlogs]

 Hey Buck , that sure is some nice looking log work you did there ...  You did good to revive the logs , I am sure that you will be happy to be looking at it for some time now .

     

[Mooseherder]

UncleBuck
That is a nice looking cabin. Love the finish.  For Hunting?

[UNCLEBUCK]

Thanks marcel , today was definately a goofy day as my friends from Arkansas stopped by to say goodbye for the season and they noticed all my sikkens buckets sitting around and they put sikkens on their new cedar sided house and said within 6 years the south side turned black and bubbled   so I guess nothing is bullet proof !

Having a hard time bringing the logs on the south side to life as they seem sun beat a bit more so am putting 2 coats on the south . Getting sick of staining thats for sure but cant give up , its the ladder stuff that poops me out faster . The weather is good but going to change by friday night so I will make it . Thought I would show a picture of a purlin on the south side that has what I call a "porcupine scratch" on it . Lots of logs had this and I tried to keep them inside the cabin to look at but on this log I faced it down a bit to shed water and to look at when walking towards the doors .

I must have been crazy or very gullable in my younger days to get wrapped up in my dads big adventures as I remember the 6 big log trucks pulling in the yard from Ely Minnesota at 7 am around the first week in march 1983? , loaded heavy and everyone was so happy that we were finally going to get out of the old farmhouse and move into a new home in a just a few months   . 167 norway pine logs ranging from 75 foot down to 40 foot big fat ones for floor joists . We fed all the truckers in the old farmhouse and and away they went .

This was only the beginning    20 some years later I am finally taking the arm saw and table saw off of the south side upper porch    But atleast its finally coming to a close .  

[Corley5]

It was a bittersweet moment when I had to move the tablesaw out of my house to finish the floors   It's never been the same.  Went from being my clubhouse, hangout spot to a home    Your restoration is looking good!  When you're done you can come down and refinish my white pine tongue and groove siding    Next spring will be alright   You can check out what's needed when you come over this fall 

[Norm]

That's a great project UB, looking forward to more pictures as time permits. I hear we're going to get a big cold front coming down, sounds like you're going to get it much earlier than us.

I redid our wrc siding at our other house this summer. The first pressure washer was a 4000psi, you had to be careful but boy would it cut the gunk off the siding. It died and used a 2000psi one to finish with, there was no comparison. I used sikkens cetol srd in the 077 color.

I cheated and bought an airless sprayer.

[Patty]

Wow! Your cabin is beautiful, Buck. 

I bet you are proud to have been a part of the original building project all the way to caring for it 20 years later. Is this where you live?

[asy]

WOWWEE!!  It's a bloody beauty!   

Pity I'm all the way over here, I like painting. I'd have happilly helped out

It looks just gorgeous, can't WAIT to see the photos of inside.

How does that high ceiling go in winter? Does it make it cold inside?

asy

[scsmith42]

Unk - cool cabin and a great story.  The craftsmanship really comes through in your photo's - nice job!

[UNCLEBUCK]

Thanks Patty, asy,scsmith,mooseherder,Norm, Corley !

Norm,Interesting to know a airless sprayer would pump this , wow that would be a time saver for sure , I think I would rent one next time as this is just slow going now .

Norm,I bet 4000 psi would be awesome , the one I rented had a 5.5 Honda gas motor and I was impressed but boy the things I learn after doing it the hard way 

asy,The high ceiling in winter has a few ceiling fans that hang down with big propellers that slowly move the air . The whole house gets heated with free firewood in the basement fireplace and the heat just slowly penetrates through the wood floors and is even heat . In a few days asy I will be turning into alpaca man 

Corley, bittersweet is the exact word for this crisis I am having to face now just like you did  I look forward to a working vacation sometime helping you process firewood or whatever is needed and then I can watch you come flying by with that big iron mule !

I know one thing is for certain ? Whoever invented vinyl siding was a genius 

Tomorrow afternoon I be done ! airless sprayer imagine that 

[asy]

In a few days asy I will be turning into alpaca man 

Photos please.

asy

[scsmith42]

Unk,

In addition to an airless sprayer, using a "turbo nozzle" http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_271_271) on the pressure washer will cut the cleaning time in half.

They are a little bit pricy but I can literally saw a hole through a board with the one I have.

Scott

[Raphael]

In a few days asy I will be turning into alpaca man 

Photos please.

asy

Definately, need photos!  How many alpaca are are you getting?  Any Suris?
We'd love to have some here, we figure we can squeeze in about a half dozen plus a guard Llama.

[UNCLEBUCK]

My alpaca distributor is in australia and her name is asy    Raphael I couldnt afford just one alpaca for the farm here as they are very pricey but I sure thought about it and checked it out .  The photos will be of me modeling my new alpaca winter wear from asy 

 I aint doin nuttin on the cabin today except cleaning up my mess between rainshowers but it is nice to see the rain bead up and run off the new hide on these logs . Very glad I did it and was worth the effort . This sikkens is very hard to clean up , I been scrubbin and a scrubbin but my arms have taken on the nice norwegian tan look of 078 

[asy]

hehe... 

Raphael, you need to have a look at THIS POST.

all will be explained.

asy

[Raphael]

I'd forgotten you had sent him "The Box".
PreKnit alpaca is always a good thing, my new natural black alpaca sweater is still a large bag of rovings. 

[UNCLEBUCK]

Pics from today of the sikkens job. Enough of this , I am going logging until last day of october and then I show pics inside throughout da winter ! My dog whitey just had to get in the picture. 

[asy]

Oh my GOSH.

That's just about the most gorgeously magnificent cabin I've ever seen ANYWHERE.

I sure wish I could see it in person.

One day.

At least with the Sikkens coat it'll still be there now!!!

asy

[Corley5]

That looks great   We didn't see that side of the cabin.  Come on down you can go flying around on the Mule

[dundee]

Now that's something!!--I share Buck's comments as well

Richard

[Stephen1]

Beautiful!!!!

[sawguy21]

That is what you call a log cabin? Sure looks good.

[SwampDonkey]

Very nice job you did on reviving the finish of the cabin. And it's a mighty fine looking piece of realestate I might add. Thanks for sharing some pics. 

Now I gotta ask what a man has to do to get in on one of those alpaka sweater deals. 

[sawguy21]

UB you wanna be careful asy doesn't pay you a visit after them pics. What with a new stove and fridg and all

[Don P]

We've worked for 2 batchelors that got lasso'd soon after building their new house. Judging from the pics, you better protect yourself and lock the gate 

That's no girlie man roof either, you were up in the nosebleed section with that one!

[UNCLEBUCK]

Thanks everybody , I tried to add up some of the initial cost of this project and a few times had to get some help for a few days especially during the shingling just to get it out of the weather but it was atleast 3 years from the day the logs arrived until the last shingle went on . Then it sat for a few years and then pick away at it then it sat for awhile and then pick away etc.. still pickin away except now it is more exciting as I can see it coming around . It was one of those things in life where its too late to change your mind and also dealing with pine it was a perishable item until the shingles got on . My sister&bro in law helped whenever they could as well .I am just glad I never fell off during the setting of the the purlins.


 
 

[Norm]

That is a very nice home UB, I can't wait to see the interior pics when you get time.

[asy]

UB you wanna be careful asy doesn't pay you a visit after them pics.

Dead right, it's GORGEOUS!

If I went to visit, I may never leave. Now THAT'd be scary!

asy