Click to View the Full Thread

Author	Message Text
SaganagaJoe	03/24/2016 04:28PM   So I've wanted to get into split log furniture for some time now and after watching some of the canoe threads on here realized that I just needed to get down and do it! So here's my first attempt. All of the pieces are made of Douglas fir tree limbs that have fallen on my property or on my neighbors' property. I peeled and dried some of the pieces for about a year before I made this. You definitely have to peel the limbs when they're fresh or it's impossible to get the bark off without a lot of work. The top is limbs that I split with a hatchet and just lightly sanded. I used a lot of wood putty to fill in the gaps and give a sort of log cabin effect. I like the result but have learned a lot that will make my next build that much better. This table I assembled before doing the detail sanding. That was a mistake as there are a lot of blemishes that I probably could have gotten off with a more detailed sanding job earlier, sanding each piece well before doing the final assembly. Guess I got a little impatient! I used nails and screws to assemble the piece together, predrilling the holes. I learned that screws are much more forgiving and do a better job. What I really need to get is a tenon joint kit but that will come in the future. What's great about this type of construction is that it's very forgiving and being rough and rustic in its very essence allows you to get away with things you wouldn't if you were working on finer furniture. As it is, I've got a new hobby now and can't wait to apply the lessons I've learned to the next piece. And I can always refinish this one in the future if I need to.
SaganagaJoe	03/25/2016 10:55AM   quote FOG51: "Cool first attempt. Would work well bedside a log frame bed as a night stand. I looked into buying the tools to make some log furniture but I'm quite a hike from any cedar or pine logs that would work plus the tools were pretty spendy. You might try to counter sink your screw heads then mixing some sawdust with the wood glue to fill them. Screws are the only way to go, if you screw up just back the screw out and reassemble. I built about 20 bird houses last weekend and screwed everyone. If you don't have one, a good drawknife will peel bark off really quickly and you can use it to flatten off the top of the table. My theory is if you don't like it go to LL Bean and spend $200-$300 bucks on theirs. FRED" Counter sinking the screws definitely would have helped. Maybe next time! I'm excited at the potential this has for saving me money on furniture in the future.
FOG51	03/25/2016 05:31AM   Cool first attempt. Would work well bedside a log frame bed as a night stand. I looked into buying the tools to make some log furniture but I'm quite a hike from any cedar or pine logs that would work plus the tools were pretty spendy. You might try to counter sink your screw heads then mixing some sawdust with the wood glue to fill them. Screws are the only way to go, if you screw up just back the screw out and reassemble. I built about 20 bird houses last weekend and screwed everyone. If you don't have one, a good drawknife will peel bark off really quickly and you can use it to flatten off the top of the table. My theory is if you don't like it go to LL Bean and spend $200-$300 bucks on theirs. FRED