This page contains some random photos of student log
cabins
that didn't fit anywhere else.
Here are a few log cabin pictures that show log cabins during
the building process.
A SIMPLE LOG CABIN -- NO PROBLEM...

THE FIRST FOUR LOGS ARE NOW IN PLACE !!!
This was one of Skip's guest cabins (a place for his friends to "hang out" ) at his previous ranch near Seattle. He can't remember exactly when this one was built -- but he knows it was sometime in the early 60's.
This home was decorated in a rustic (ranch) style -- and it was extremely comfortable. This home had three stories, and a ridge pole log that was over 55' in length.
This is a Scandavian Chinkless building under construction as Skip's ranch.
A student home in eastern Washington.
If memory serves, this is Don Gorle (a good friend of Skip's). Don is building this log home near Chewelah (spelling ?), which is north of Spokane, Washington.
Give us a call, Don. It's been a looooooong time since we've heard from you.
This home was built by Jim, Thea, Jacob, and Lucas Beaty -- near Chelan, Washington. Please call, Jim. We ain't heard from you for a long time.
This is a log cache. These types of structures are used for food storage in Alaska. The legs are wrapped in tin, so animals can't climb up and get at the food.
Skip's students often build small cabins on their property before building the main home.
These small cabins generally takes the pressure off (physically and economically) -- because they provide a place to stay while building -- and they provide a place to store tools, etc.
Professional log home builders sometimes call these small cabins "overnighters" -- because they can be built so quickly that it seems like they go up "overnight" -- AND because they can live in them while building the main house.
To build a log cabin this small, you just add water and stir (?)
Do you know where this home is located ??? There is a good chance that you have previously seen it.
Now do you know ???
This is one of the Scandinavian Chinkless buildings at Skip's ranch.
The floor joists are 4" X 10." The sub-floor is NOT 2" X 6" tongue and groove, as you might expect. Instead, the floor is 3" X 6" double tongue and groove -- which is rather unusual.
These boards are side-drilled every two feet, so they can be spiked to each other horizontally. We could have spanned 9' with the 3" X 6" flooring -- but we held the span to only 5'. This floor is exceptionally strong. The same technique was used on the floor of Skip's main house, but the span was held to only 2'.
This kind of over-kill is rarely found in normal construction.
A rustic, but highly serviceable, mountain home.
Cozy !!!
An addition is being added to this student's home.
Solar energy means getting free of the electric bureaucrats !!!
For students to practice on...
Another unit for students to practice on...
This is a Scandinavian Chinkless building being constructed at Skip's ranch.
With this method, the logs must be allowed to settle at the doors and windows.
An Alaska Sawmill.
This unit fastens to a chain-saw, and it can be used for cutting boards on the job-site.
Using the Alaska Mill.
These girls (their word, not ours) are using a Swede Hook to move the logs. Many log homes are built using Swede Hooks.
However, there are many other ways to do the job -- and some of these ways do not require any physical strength at all.
This was an instructional vehicle at Skip's ranch. The log ends will be cut off (plumb and on the same plane) only after the home is finished.
Another log building is in the background on the left -- and another one is on the right.
Skylights and gable-end windows let in a lot of light.
This is an octagon-shaped building. This is an excellent way to get a lot of square footage, with very short logs. This is often done in geographical areas where the trees are short -- to compensate for the short logs.
This home will look good when it is finished. It will have a cedar-shake roof, and the log ends will be trimmed off so they are plumb and on the same plane.
LeRoy built an octagon home. He was in the process of chinking it when this photo was taken.
A very nice home.
This is Skip's home, with Bob Johnson's wife standing by the front door (for a "size" perspective).
The ridge-pole is over 85' long,. Every log in this home was raised into position with simple hand-tools that fit in the trunk of a car.
This home was often used by Universal Studios for the filming of the award winning TV show, Northern Exposure. This is the home that "Maurice" (the retired astronaut) lived in. The guest home was also used in Northern Exposure.
Elvie and Chip in front of Skip's guest house. Chip was born on May 4, 1995.
This photo was taken in March, 1997.
This PHOTO PAGE will eventually contain photos of many thousands of beautiful log homes that were built by Skip's students.
This photograph shows one of the Scandinavian Chinkless style buildings. These notches must be formed so perfectly, and fit so tightly, that you can't fit a cigarette paper between them.
It is easy to learn the proper method of doing this work, and if the notches are properly done, a home will be stronger, warmer, more water resistant, more bug resistant, and it will last much longer.
Back to photos of student houses