log building news - issue no. 73

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Summer 2011 • Number 73

eement Number 40707514

Our Niagara Falls Conference ANOTHER GREAT ILBA CONFERENCE. A good

turnout of log builders, their associates, friends,

families, and suppliers to the industry—more than

70 of us trekked to Niagara Falls for our annual

get-together.

Pre-conference, Higgs Murphy spearheaded a

hands-on workshop teaching chinked “center-

line” dovetail wall construction. And, as it turned

out, he got help from the famous dovetailer Peter

Gott, who was also our keynote speaker this year.Fifteen builders attended this course—many from

overseas—a great effort (photos on pages 18-19).

John Boys introduced us to a new staff member

at Nicola LogWorks: Buster is his name. And he is

capable of incredible feats of strength. John Nininger

had brought lefthand and righthand log samples

from his yard in Vermont to be tested to the breaking

point. But was stopped at the border: Canadian

Customs wrote him out a ticket that explained it all:

“Logs are not permitted in Canada.” That’s news

to us. So, Buster, with John’s help, tried to break

8x8 pine beams, new types

of screws, special aluminum

dovetail fittings, and much

more. Details inside this issue.

The Auction saw some

notable, even historical,

items—Allan Mackie donated

several of his tools, and

in particular a couple of

his personal axes. Wayne

Sparshu was high bidder for

one beauty that Allan hadused for decades — it was

knocked down at a stunning

$2,100. Mack Magee donated

a 20-year-old bottle of single malt, which he then

bought back, and then shared with people at the

banquet. All up, the auction brought in nearly

$20,000 to fund ILBA activities. Thanks to all those

who brought items, and to those who bid on them.

The log builder’s competition was back for the first

time in years. It was good to see log cutters out there

giving it their best (and fastest) efforts.

— Notch Scribing and Cutting —

First Place: Matt Davidson

Runner Up: K. C. Ball

— Axe Throw (Women’s) —

First Place: Ingrid Boys

Runner Up: Alison Davidson

— Axe Throw (Men’s) —

First Place: Christoph MengelRunner Up: Duane Sellman

At the Annual General Meeting a good deal of time

was spent discussing important issues like the drop in

membership and declining membership income from

dues. In 2011 we received less than half the dues

that we had in 2008. The Board had earlier cut about

1/3 from Association expenses (including office and

wages, Log Building News, postage, and more).

Ann has moved out of our rented office to a new

home-office, and will be taking some days of unpaid

leave. Tough times. But there is strong expectationthat our new Effective Practices &

Measures booklet will provide a

profit center for us. The EP&M will

be sold online as a color PDF for

$22.50 per copy. And it is looking

like it will be a first-class resource

for the industry. It is expected

to be available this autumn, or

before.

The Board decided to try

printing Log Building News only

as a PDF (digital) for one year.This brings advantages like: being

printed entirely in color, and

allowing the use of video clips in

addition to photos (videos on page 15 and 19 of this

issue). Savings include: printing cost, cost to prepare

for the post; and postage costs, too. A big savings.

You’ll receive an email before each issue is available,

and then you’ll sign-on to the ILBA member’s only

website page to download your copy.

continued next page

id Thi I

ur Niagara Falls Conferencepage 1

dia Log Experiencepage 4

g Building in Siberiapage 8

nning 220v Toolspage 14

sterpage 15

ck Talk

page 16ch Tipspage 17

tremely Air-Tight Resultspage 17

agara Falls Conferencepage 18,19

Memory of Jerry Rouleaupage 20

assifieds…page 22,23,24

vertisers in This Issuepage 26



Summer 20112

LogBuildingNewsSummer 2011

Issue #73

Published four times a year

© 2011 International Log Builders’ Association

P.O. Box 775

Lumby, British Columbia

Canada V0E 2G0

Toll-free: 800-532-2900

Phone: 250-547-8776

Fax: 250-547-8775

www.logassociation.org

Ann Miks, [email protected]

Log Building News Editor

Robert [email protected]

Contributors to this issue:

John Boys

[email protected]

Robert W. Chambers

[email protected]

Vic Janzen

[email protected]

Katharina Kölbel

[email protected]

Earl Laverty

[email protected]

Willi Miks

Care of [email protected]

Scott Stroud

[email protected]

Mathias Ullmann

[email protected]

John Wilkins

[email protected]

MISSION STATEMENT

This association is a non-profit

organization comprised of log crafters and

affiliated members from many countries.

We are dedicated to the education of

both our members and the public.

Our association has a mandate to

research, develop and share techniques

relevant to the construction of superior

handcrafted log buildings.

The Trade Show was excellent this year, thanks to all our sponsors who took the

time to show us their newest wares. A full list of sponsors and supporters is on

page 19.

Presentations were really superb. Dalibor Houdek, on his way to Czech Republic

with a stopover in Niagara Falls, brought us up to date on the Canadian approaches

to residential energy codes changes. What a breath of fresh air to see a sensible way

of improving energy performance. (US codes, ICC especially, should take note of how

sensible it can be to develop new codes. The US codes are heavily influenced by paid

lobbyists from construction industries.)

Dan Wait told us about a lower-tech kiln he has built for drying whole round logs,

and showed pictures of a new kiln he is building. Higgs gave several sessions about

roof design that complemented Mack Magee’s presentations about roof engineering

— always a topic that draws in the log builders.

I gave a presentation on my experiments with underscribing over the past 11

years. In 1999, when I invented the Accelerated Log Building method, I found that

the classic Del Radomske overscribe methods would not work for me. First I had to

figure out why they wouldn’t work, and then I tried out several different methods of

using underscribing on both accelerated and one-log-at-a-time buildings. For the past

6 years have been using my modified underscribe method. Look for an article in a

future issue of LBN: the methods I’m using now are simple, and have been giving me

superior results.

Our keynote speaker was Peter Gott, who, I can report, charmed every person at

Conference. Peter has been building dovetail log homes in North Carolina for more

than 50 years. Peter Gott has done for chinked dovetail construction what Allan

Mackie did for full-scribe-fit construction. Peter taught Drew Langsner (and hundreds

of others) to hew and build. His PowerPoint presentation (his first ever?) was warm,

folksy, funny, and insightful—it was eye-opening and a hoot! For me it was especially

interesting to see the sophistication that Peter applies to log selection. Peter will soon

publish his second book on hewn dovetail construction.

The 2012 conference venue was discussed at the AGM, with some interested insharing the event with the Timber Framers Guild, in Monterrey, California. More news

when the decision is made.

Many thanks to Ann Miks and to Earl Laverty, the Conference Chair, who worked

side-by-side on putting this great event together at the White Oaks Resort in Ontario,

Canada. Thanks to Linda Granger for her volunteer help, and funding the social

evening. A full list of volunteers in on page 19, many thanks to Willi Miks, and Kay

Sellman for their help to make this conference a success.

Peter Gott and John Niningerdiscuss fundatmental issues

… Peter Gott charmed every person at the Conference



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Summer 20114

AGAIN ONE OF THOSE SPAM EMAILS? Crazy guys from

Thailand, Maldives, and this time India, I clicked it into the Trash,

why not the Congo? But two days later the phone rang, a serious

voice, explaining slowly about his project in the lower Himalayanmountains, about 300 kms northeast of Delhi, a weekend house

for his family. Having had a long business tradition with Germany

they wanted a log house from here.

Two months later, I was sitting in the plane, heading for the

building site in Sattal, Uthakaranth at about 1200 m above sea

level. I was happy to find out that Mr. Jain, the owner, was a

friendly civilized guy. The ride to Sattal was not so civilized, I have

been around the world, but that ride beat anything I had seen

so far. No rules, no signs. On the road: cows, pigs, monkeys,

mopeds with whole families on it, all heading somewhere in a

big rush, most of them on the wrong side of the road.The road got narrower, curving up the mountains higher and

higher I spotted the building site, a terrace surrounded with a

white, freshly painted and illuminated fence. Oh gosh, the fence

must be taken down, was the first thing I got out of my mouth.

IndiaLog ExperienceBy Mathias Ullmann

I walked up and down, measured and checked everything,

looked at cranes, talked to all kinds of self-named experts and

finally after two days my mind said impossible. But my mouth

said: “we will go for it.”

I was sure that we had to build on site. Logs would have to

be sent from Germany, local wood would be growing in India

(mostly pine) but was impossible to get harvested in the way we

would need it. Visiting the tool market in the capital of Delhi,

which turned out to be no better than a yard sale, it was clear to

me that we would have to bring everything with us.

Back home, we pushed 45 frozen icy logs into two 12 m

containers after treating them very well with “Remmers BS1,”

that we mixed with hot water which froze right after spraying.

We used closed-type containers (not open tops) by placing the

logs with our Potain and then pushing them in with a fork lift. A third container was filled with all kinds of tongue and groove

boards for roof and flooring, the purlins and rafters, and beams for

the timber frame first floor which were prefabricated in Germany

Every container had to be fumigated, and some guys from

the harbour in Hamburg came to our site, about 1000 km

further south, for an astonishing 350 € for all 3 containers. The

containers were already on their way via Cape of Good Hope to

Bombay, before we got all documents that were needed. That

was the first reconnaissance with Indian mentality, very slow, very

complicated, and not allowing any flexibility.

The containers reached Delhi by train, custom clearance took

another 6 weeks, with the containers sitting in the sun cookingat 40 degrees (105°F), so our plan to set up the whole thing in

May, was gone. The monsoon rains might start in June, so we

did not want to take the risk of being washed away while work

not being finished. The logs finally reached the mountains,

where they had to be loaded on smaller trucks to bring them up

at night, when traffic was not as crazy. After taking the brand-

new fence down, the logs were rolled down to the home site,

and carefully piled on the concrete foundation by crane. We

covered them well, just before the rains started.

continued on page 6

Mathias Ullmann on the ridge



Summer 20116

In November, our crew of three log builders plus my brother,

whom I brought as a “site manager,” reached the hotel in

Bohwali where we stayed for the next four weeks. The first days

were quite shocking for everybody, no one never seen a thing

like that.

The logs were in astonishingly good condition, all very clean

wood after curved-planing, and no spot of a blue anywhere. The

wood was drying already, cracks everywhere and compared to

the “green logs” we were accustomed to, they were hard to cut.

So I put short 35 cm (14”) bars with a .325 chain on the Huskys,

filed down the depth gauge, and sharpened everything again

after just two or three logs.

Each time after one log was cut out, the Indians put

“Terminator” (with a big photo of Arnold on the can) on. It was

some anti-termite stuff that smelled so bad that we refused to

touch it. But the owner insisted on it.

Since the crane operator did not get out of bed before eight,

and needed persuading in order to move anything, my brother

took over in the crane, while the operator served the hook.

From time to time the self-made electrical cables started to

burn as there was no fuses. We worked on bamboo scaffold in

the beginning, the green bamboo started to shrink in the heat

and after a day they were useless. After one broke down while

cutting a window opening (and dropping the running saw out

of the house), they finally sent one aluminium ladder from Del

But we managed to finish the log walls to layer eight, after 10

working days, faster than we thought.

There was nothing else to do, no excursions in the

mountainous backcountry were possible because of the

damaged roads, and no one wanted to visit the “flat lands”. So

we lived our “big brother life” during daytimes behind the whi

fence, and after dawn behind the hotel walls where we were th

only guests. Every step was carefully watched from the other sid

of the fence, so we were living a zoo life.

Still, we set up the whole upstairs floor which was initially to

done by the Indians themselves, cut out the stairs from leftover

wood and got the roof rainproof, earning some extra euros.

Having finished the whole thing two weeks before our flight,

we headed to the Andaman Islands, to get some rest, swim inclean water, and see some girls, after having worked in a 100%

male world.

It was hard to leave the house there, in a totally different

world, showing that all our rules and thoughts are just relative

and that everything might work the other way around as well,

possibly creating happier people. Still we had the feeling that

the house might not really fit there, behind the white fence,

while on the other side people are living under plastic sheeting

without running water or a toilet. But one day we will be back,

and if only to see if the house had not been eaten up, and is sti

protected by the Terminator.

Setting a floor joist log

Our work is done here!

The crew and other staff




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Log Building in SiberiaBy Vic Janzen

LOG BUILDING IN SIBERIA IN 2011 is much like log building in

Canada in 1968, when I was first introduced to the craft by Uno

Beck, a Swede-Finn builder who had apprenticed in the trade in

the 1920’s before emigrating to Canada where he spent most

of his working career as a faller in the rain-drenched forests ofthe Queen Charlotte Islands. He built himself a house in hewn

dovetail style late in the Depression and helped three families,

including my own, build their first log houses.

I am today thankful for the low-tech methods we used as

professional builders in the mid-1970’s when there were perhaps

three or four of us in all of Canada using the scribe-fit method. I

placed the logs onto my first house by parbuckling, using actual

horse-power since my neighbour had a draft horse that got little

exercise. I soon shifted to the modern technology of a 1954 Ford

pick up truck. This prepared me for the Soviet era mini-SUV with

the fried clutch that we used to drag the logs near the building,

Then we parbuckled with man and woman and children power.

When visiting the village of Onguday in October 2009, I left

a copy of my book as a memento of my visit, and then I found

myself committed to building a log church there. I tried to do

this by remote control, fund-raising in Canada and the United

States, and having my interpreter Alexei Pankov spend a week at

my farm in Columbia Valley, BC learning the basics of the craft in

the building of a scaled-down version of the proposed building.

The plan was for Alexei to return home and ramrod theproject with local volunteers. This didn’t work as he lacked the

confidence and sufficient skills to take on a much larger building

and so I was importuned to return. The logs were delivered

in the winter of 2010. Plenty of them of excellent quality and

dimension. I had expected to find Siberian Pine but rather found

they had purchased Larch, which reminded me of Douglas fir.

continued on page 10

Soviet SUV with fried clutch

Geezers parbuckling

I'm glad I bought that piece of rope!




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In the meantime, the novice builders would have acquired

the useful skill of building log houses from the Siberian forests,

largely untouched by the hands of loggers. I sent three

chainsaws to Siberia, peeling spuds, drawknives, and scribers and

indelible pencils. I asked that the logs be peeled in advance and

that there be some sort of lifting device on site for which I, and

my supporters in this mission, would pay.

I also needed a foundation, which I found upon my arrival

to be heavily creosoted large short logs laid diagonally on the

boggy land at each corner of the building as well as at the

corners of the intersecting middle wall. The locals assured me

that this technique was customary and that it works.

I quickly discovered my vision and the reality had no

intersection. A few logs had been peeled. There was nothinglike a class to teach but rather myself and Alexey and the

pastor family of which only the women were available during

the day. I had the foresight to buy a 60 foot rope in the town

of Gorno-Altaisk on my way to the village, and it proved to

be our chief piece of log shifting machinery. Being pressed

for time and talent, I eschewed the shrink-fit notch, except in

one demonstration, and reverted to the round notch. With

overscribing as taught to me by old man Beck, and a technique

much promoted by Del Radomske, I think our round notches will

be fine.

Assorted groups of volunteers from far away villages showed

up for 3 days at a time and left about when they were beginning

to acquire skills. One group of retired old guys (some even older

than I), were cheerful workers content to peel logs and build

scaffolds, but too old to learn new tricks. Two of these geezers

did, however, nail down the main floor which was a great

convenience since there was no possibility of taking logs back

to the ground to cut notches and lateral grooves. We resorted

to the pre-machine age in Canada and the United States when

we simply walked on the parallel last log to cut the lateral and

teetered on the corner to cut the notch. It took me back. Most

log builders today have never done this and wisely so. This

church/clinic/women’s shelter/guest house will still be the best

log building in the villages I have visited.

Log buildings abound in this vast area and are easily the most

common form of building in all of the thirty some odd villages I

have visited. Villages in western Russia near Moscow reveal the

same preponderance of log structures. With rare exceptions,

these buildings are poorly built, featuring notches that hold

water and little in the way of roof overhang to protect the walls.

Log houses are not easily evident since the solution to poorworkmanship and deterioration has been to cover up the

buildings with some form of wood siding, plaster, brick (as

shown here) and even vinyl siding. The projections at the corners

of ‘conventional’ houses is the giveaway that a log home is

hiding underneath.

The round notch, rejected in the world of modern professional

builders, was common historically in Russia. This I knew years

ago from old books as well as photos of buildings on the farms

of my Mennonite grandparents and great grandparents that

survived the emigration to Canada 85 years ago.

I visited an ancient Russian Orthodox Church in the City of

Gorno-Altaisk that was built of scribed logs with round notches.

The notches were nicely scribed but cut on the top side of the

log: upside down, we would say. Two years ago I had seen the

My Vision: I would run a regular log building

course of about three weeks for the local people,

during which I would teach them to fit logs, make

floor joists, build the second story next to the main

building and leave them to fill in the last few feet of

log walls and then install the plate logs and ceiling

joists and roof structure with the help of a hired crane

sometime in the future when they got to that stage.

That diagonal log on the ground is our “foundation”

The coloured brick corner, that is also slightly protruding, indicatesthat it is an old log house that has been entombed in brick




log builders beginning work on restoring a part of the church,

and this time I saw their completed work.

Colleagues who have worked in the old Iron Curtain countries

will easily identify with much of what I am describing. Common

materials are hard to find, and poor quality. I was frustrated

until I finally learned to roll with the Russian way of improvising.

We needed a length of chain with a slip hook at one end and

a locking hook at the other. After many stops, we found chain

but no hooks of any kind. We improvised by finding a couple

of carabiners and cutting useable hooks out of a towing strap.

Common nails and spikes provided more adventure. These I

could bend with my bare hands and they mostly bent when

being driven into rock-hard

well-cured larch lumber.

When attempting to pullany nail out with the one

claw hammer that existed

in the stores, the handle

snapped. I rebuilt the

handle and the next time

I attempted to pull a nail,

the hammer itself fell apart,

revealing it to be what

I think was Chinese pot

metal.

Finally in my diatribe

I will mention one other

surprising deficiency: chalk-

line chalk. Both in the city

of Gorno-Altaisk and in the

village of Onguday, only

red chalk could be had and

the Larch logs are about

the same colour of red and

identical where the lovely

inner bark remains. No, we

did not strip off the cambium as is the custom in modern log

building. My old-fashioned sense of aesthetics has never much

cared for the look of a log without traces of inner bark and the

natural sheen of final layer sapwood. We needed blue chalk.

Doesn’t exist. We improvised with powdered blue paint.

We had to hand-build 36 log floor joists. Impossible without

chalk lines. My interpreter Alexey and I spent a good part of

my last in Siberia in the big modern city of Barnaul where the

airport for the region is located and searched again for chalk.

We visited three large stores, reminiscent of Home Depot, and

continued on page 12

Recent log restoration of church shows good work Log floor joists for main floor

Vic in Siberia



Summer 201112

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we found chalk lines aplenty but not one store

stocked the chalk needed to use them! I will

be shipping blue chalk in large quantity from

Canada by first class mail.

In the end, it seems visions need to be

modified. I am happy that the will of the

people, if not the skills and equipment, is there

to finish the building. Their vision also had to

be modified. They were certain that Viktor from

Canada would easily work some sort of magic

and in three weeks a building would rise from

the marshy land, clear to the ridge pole and

they would simply carry on with basic local

carpentry techniques. Three quarters of the

log work is done, leaving the last quarter for

them to do, calling back the approximately five

people who can manage it. Completed ceiling

joists await installation. Plate logs are set aside.

On my last morning, divested of my grubby

work clothes and attired for the first leg of my

journey home, I left the Siberians with a six-logcourse of logs to occupy them.

Some of the crew, pictured here, will return

for a day or two here and there when they

can leave their home communities and jobs and complete the

log work in preparation for conventional framing of the barn-

gambrel roof. Of course, North American style framing is rare in

these parts and it is my hope to send a couple of framers from

Canada or the United States to do this work and to teach one

more skill.

My protégé, Alexey, is the big young Muscovite in the yellow shirt. My best

scriber was Vika, up on the building. I also trained her in log-selection whichterrified her. Mostly this was a hair-raising adventure but in the end the

mission was accomplished.




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Summer 201114

Running 220v ToolsBy Earl Laverty

I am one log builder that will openly admit that I love

timber framing as much as log construction… well, I guess

timber framing is a very close second. But, timber framing

now accounts for close to 50% of my business in the SouthernOntario market. While I started timber framing to keep busy

between log shells, it has almost reached parity with my log

home business. This has meant that I have had to ‘tool up’ to

reflect the growing importance timber framing has had

for business.

Because many of the best timber frame tools come from Germany, I found

that they did not run on standard North American 110 volt power. No,

these giant circular saws, chain mortisers, beam planers and band saws

usually run on 220 volts. Since my shop is a rented building with standard

110 volt, this created some initial difficulty that I had to overcome.The most immediate problem was providing 220 volts

to tools in the shop – but I wanted to be able to use my

tools on jobsites, and it all had to be done safely and be

able to pass inspections. So, with some initial ideas from

Leo Oesterle, from Mafell Canada, I approached a friend

of mine, Sean Cassidy, who makes his living setting up

concert systems as an audio technician. (Please have

your panel made by a qualified tech).

While most feeds in our North American residences are 110 volt, we

do have some that power heavy loads– usually stoves/ranges and clothes

dryers. So, 220 volts exists in our panels already – we just need a feed

that will carry it. With my friend’s help, we ran a heavy 8-gauge wire from

the shop’s

existing panel

to a convenient

place in the

shop where we

would locate

the sub-panel.

Instead of wiring

it directly to the

sub-panel, we

chose a standardstove (or dryer)

plug to be the

The 220v sub-panel temporarily mounted to my shop wall. 220vextension cords go out both sides and up. The sub-panel is poweredby the permanent dryer plug seen below it. And the sub-panel canbe unplugged and taken with me to the jobsite.

method of connecting the power to the sub panel.

The hope here is that I can bring my free-standing

sub-panel to a jobsite, plug it into a stove connection

in the kitchen, and power up.

Sean installed the appropriate breakers and cutthe outlets right into the side of the box. We then

mounted the panel on plywood and hung it on the

wall. With the 8-gauge feed hooked into a 220 volt

stove receptacle and a stove plug attached to the sub

panel, all I had to do was plug it in and voila I had

power. For less than $600. I now have safe power for

my tools in my shop and I can usually find a place to

hook up my sub-panel on a jobsite.

Now I know what some of you are thinking.

Why would anyone need to go through all

this to be able to cut a timber? After all, all

you need is a scoring knife and a chainsaw…

Portable sub-panel on my tailgate. Note two types of 220vextension cord plugs (20amp and 15amp) mounted in the side ofthe box. The sub-panel can be plugged into any dryer or the stoveoutlet at the jobsite. Example of dryer outlet shown.




BusterTHIS YEAR, JOHN BOYS brought along a new member of his staff.

Strong, silent type. Buster is the name. And all were invited to test

his abilities. Buster is a combination of steel beams, holding jigs,

and a hydraulic ram that John designed and built to test wooden

and steel joinery.

The testing (and breaking) went on all weekend in the Trade

Show area, so I’ll just call out a few of the highlights that I saw.First, an 8x8 pine beam (see photo below) with notches in each

end (like a floor joist) was bent down at midspan. At about 8000

pounds the right end joint failed when a crack split the beam

almost in two.

But then John screwed the beam back

together again with two Heco-topix screws

(see Tech Talk page 20), and applied the

mid-span load again. This time the left

end failed at about 8200 pounds, while

the broken-and-screwed-together-right-

end held! Amazing.Later, a simple butt-joint was screwed

together with two Heco-topix CC screws.

A vertical timber post, and a horizontal

beam, with no wooden joinery — just

a butt joint (see drawing). This joint

was stronger than 9450 pounds — an

incredible performance for what was

basically 2 screws. Nothing broke,

but the beam was eventually

pushed off its position (and was

still holding the full load at the

time).

Finally, John tested the flat

“barrel bolt” he is now using — a

3/4” x 1-1/2” x 3-1/2” flat bar

of steel, tapped for 3/4” all-thread (see photo in Tech Tips on

page 20). Putting the all-thread into tension, he got more than

19,000 pounds out of this connection, and did not go further

since Buster has a top-end of 22,000 pounds.

John Nininger had brought righthand and lefthand spiral

grain log samples for Buster to test, but

was refused entry into Canada with them

logs are not allowed in Canada.

Thanks to Duane Sellman for

providing his notes on ultimate yields

(Mack Magee’s laptop unfortunately

stopped recording data.) And many

thanks to John and Nicola LogWorks for bringing Buster all the way from BC

to Niagara Falls so we could meet him. Photos: R W Chambers

Video of John Boy's'

Buster working. A

broken beam, that wasthen reinforced with

screws, is re-tested. This

time it broke at 8200

pounds (4000 Kg).

CLICK ON PHOTOTO WATCH VIDEO.

Buster bending an 8x8 pinetimber with end half-lap notches

With 8000 pounds applied at midspan, the rightside split. The split was then screwed together with2 Heco-topix CC and the beam tested again — andthis time the other end failed at 8200 pounds Video requires QuickTime Player, if you don’t have QuickTime installed you

will be directed to the Apple website to download the software.



Summer 201116

HolzMaster AugersReviewed by Robert Chambers

I RECENTLY USED GARY RICHTER’S HOLZMASTER AUGER BITS

in an expert course I taught about log truss construction. Gary

demonstrated these bits at the Niagara conference, and later I

bought two 24-inchers: 7/8” and 1-1/8” diameter. In brief:

these are the sharpest, fastest, cleanest-cutting auger bits I have

ever used.

The first thing I noticed: these produce chips that don’t look

anything like the chips made by traditional ship augers (from

TechTalk T I p s a n d T o o l s

Irwin, Milwaukee, Greenlee, Lenox, Bosch). You know what I

mean: the matted-fiber look of digested wood.

The flakes these bits make are clean and crisp, and are

mostly semi-circular-discs of uniform thickness (see photo).

The half-circle chips easily climb up the auger twist without

jamming, and eject themselves. Because the bits are so sharp,

the discs-chips have clean edges, with no ragged portions to

catch and clog. Single-edge augers (the standard ship-augers

that most of us have been using for years) try to cut a full disk

with each rotation (when they are sharp), or even try to cut a

full-length apple-peeling-type curlycue. And, as we all know,

these kinds of chips jam up.

Maybe the Teflon coating helps the chips climb, but there

is more to it for sure. I think it is the geometry of the way

these bits cut, and the unique shape of the half-discs each

cutter makes, that is probably the reason they cut and clear

so well. I’ve got a feeling that some smart engineers really

looked at the way to drill holes in wood, and designed a way

to fundamentally improve the task.

When I peered down into the holes we drilled, the sides ofthe holes actually reflected light. They weren’t just smooth,

they looked polished. This is probably another reason the

chips clear so well—there’s nothing for them to stick to. I

can’t say yet what the results will be in Douglas fir or cedar.

Gary drilled pine at Niagara Falls, and the holes were as clean

as a whistle. We were using Alaska spruce.

We also drilled long end-grain holes,

and the bits again performed better than

I’ve ever seen before. In all holes (end

grain, cross grain, and oblique grain)

the bits eagerly fed themselves into

the logs without having to be pushed

or thumped (you know what I mean).

We drilled both horizontal and vertical

holes—a few of them were about 32”

deep. For the first 24” we did not have

to clear chips even once. Once the

extension got inside the hole we cleared now and again.

The HolzMaster bits come in a tube marked Wood Owl,

but they seem to be specially-made for Gary and Timber

Tools. I haven’t found them for sale anywhere else. The “nail

chipper Tri-Cut” Wood Owl bits (which are also good) have 3

cutting edges (photo). The HolzMasters have 2 cutters (whichexplains why they produce half-disc chips). Gary carries 18”

(45cm) and 24” (60cm) lengths, while the Tri-Cuts are not

found in anything longer than 18”. And apparently you can

special-order HolzMasters that are longer than 24”. I also

got a Wood Owl 12” extension, and it is, sad to say, the same

design as all other extensions. Now if those same engineers

would just put their minds to building a better extension …

HolzMasterdouble-cutauger on theleft; and WoodOwl tri-cut onthe right

The chips are uniformly crisp, half-discs. The small chips seenmixed in here were from end-grain drilling we were also doing.

HolzMaster on the bottom; and WoodOwl tri-cut on the top. Both areTeflon-coated.




TechTips

Extremely

Air-TightResults

At conference we shared some recent

tales of blower-door testing, and

among the many tight homes, two

results were standouts. A log home in

Denmark, built by Nicola LogWorks,

used Gasket Girl’s P-gasket and

achieved a stunning 0.87 air changes

per hour (ACH). John Boys reports

that the client paid special attention

to sealing doors and windows, and he

used gasket or membranes instead of

caulk wherever possible.

A log home built near Soldotna, Alaska by Jeff Parish and John Wilkins used Natural Log Home’s 3-fin gasket and wool

insulation, and got 1.6 ACH at 50 Pascals. This meant that its performance qualified it for a “5-Star Plus” energy rating, the top

of the rating scale.

Have any of your houses been blower door tested? Please provide results to Ann at the ILBA.

Good results like these must be shared!

New screws from Heco-Topix Combi-Connect (bottom); andSFS (top) have different thread pitches on the two halves ofeach screw. This draws the two log or timber parts togetheras the screw is installed. No washer is needed because thethreads hold all the forces, not the heads. This means theheads can be small (and can be sucked right into the log forautomatic countersinking. Amazing.

Andreas Hermann brought the Heco-Topix to the TradeShow (www.HerrmannFrames.com), and John Boys testedthem with Buster.

I admired this waste bin at the dovetail course. Could bebuilt to be moved by crane or forklift. Holds wood chunks,and sheds sawdust. Fixed sheet metal slide for tip-dumping.

P h o t o b y R W C h a m b e r s .

Photo by R W Chambers.

Log home in Alaska that got a 5-Star Plus energy rating. Photo submitted by John Wilkins

John Boys reportsthat a flat pieceof bar-stocksteel, drilled andtapped, worksas well as round

stock for a cross-dowel connector(barrel bolt),costs a lot less tofabricate, and ismuch easier toinstall. Makessense to me.

P h o t o b y R W C h a m b e r s .



Summer 201118

Niagara Falls Conference

Matt Davidson races his way to a first-place finish as John, Roger and Kevinlook on.

Ann Miks keeps everything running

smoothly from her conference centralcommand.

Dalibor Houdek speaks to us about

log home building codes and energyefficiency.

Roger Ellis performs at the jam session.Ingrid Boys lets loose and capturesfirst place.

Zack Jacobson works on a dovetail. p h o t o c r e d i t : K a t h a r i n a “ K a t ” K ö l b e l

p h o t o c r e d i t : W

i l l i M i k s

Dai Ona and Allan Mackie. p h o t o c r e d i t : W i l l i M i k s

Linda Granger, Linda Bourdage and LloydBeckerdorf relax and listen to the music.

p h o t o c r e d i t : K a t h a r i n a “ K a t ” K ö l b e l


p h o t o c r e d i t : R o b e r t W

C h a m b e r s

Pritt-Kalev Parts from Estonia cuts adovetail.

p h o t o c r e d i t : R o b e r t W .

C h a m b e r s

Higgs Murphy and Peter Gott planningtheir next move during pre-conferencedovetail workshop.

p h o t o c r e d i t : R o b e r t W .

C h a m b e r s




Conference Volunteers

Earl Laverty, Conference Chair

Dan Wait

Ron Brodigan

Willi Miks

Kay Sellman

Duane Sellman

John Boys

Katharina Koelbel

Lloyd Beckedorf

Linda Bourdage

Linda Granger

Jennifer Gurski

Higgs Murphy

and the many people who helpedclean up the parking lot

Our Sponsors

Enviroshake

FraserWood Industries

GRK Fasteners

Herrmann’s Timber Frame Homes

Husqvarna Canada Corp.

ITN International Corp.

Nicola LogWorks Ltd.

The Sansin Corporation

Timberlinx

Timber Tools Woodlandia

ILBA Auction Sponsors

Cannon Bar Works

Lee Valley Tools Ltd.

Magard Ventures

Book Store

Summer Beam Books

Auction Donations

Lloyd Beckedorf

Linda Bourdage

Roger Ellis

Robert EnosDominique Fournier

Konrad Gallei

Linda Granger

Ron Hann

Zack Jacobson

Bob Kenel

Kat Kolbel

Robert Chambers

Earl Laverty

B. Allan Mackie

Ann Miks

Willi Miks

Brian Morrison

Higgs Murphy

John Nininger

Dai Ona

Priit-Kalev Parts

Slawomir Rombel

Suzette Storey

Duane Sellman

Enviroshake

FraserWood Industries

GRK FastenersHerrmann’s Timber Frame Homes

Husqvarna Canada Corp.

ITN International Corp.

Nicola LogWorks Ltd.

The Sansin Corporation

Timberlinx

Timber Tools

Woodlandia

Wayside Printers

Cannon Bar Works

Lee Valley Tools Ltd.Magard Ventures

Summer Beam Books

Matt Davidsonadzes a log.

CLICK ON PHOTOTO WATCH VIDEO.

Video by

R. W. Chambers.

THANK YOU

John Boys of Nicola LogWorksbrought “Buster” to the conference,which was one of the highlights.

Dominique Fournier and Earl

Laverty during the dovetail course.

Andrew Malakhvetchouk enjoyingthe late-night music jam session.

Duane Sellman tries out the hugeMafell circle saw.


p h o t o c r e d i t : R o b e

r t W .

C h a m b e r s


Video requires QuickTime Player, if you don’t have QuickTime installedyou will be directed to the Apple website to download the software.



Summer 201120

In MeMory of Jerry rouleau

J u ly 2 6 , 1 9 4 8 - M a r c h 1 5 , 2 0 1 1

By Scott Stroud

As many of you know, Jerry Rouleau had been battling cancer for the past two years. Jerry passed

away surrounded by his family at St. Francis Hospital. He is survived by his wife, Valerie; his

sons, Jason and Scott, and Scott's wife, Amber; his daughter, Kerry, three sisters and numerous

grandchildren, cousins, nieces and nephews.Few people I've known have had the opportunity to touch as many lives in such a gracious and

endearing way as Jerry Rouleau. Whether in business or in other aspects of his life, Jerry had a way of

inspiring everyone around him. He was a caring, giving person. You never left Jerry's presence without

feeling better about yourself, and that is a truly remarkable characteristic, one worth emulating.

After having lost his wife, Jan, to cancer 10 years ago, Jerry created Jan’s House of Hope , a fund

raising project that built a 3,100 sq. ft. home on a barge – complete with 3 car garage, car in the

driveway and landscaped yard – which toured seven cities on the east coast. The tour generated

over $15 million of publicity for cancer awareness in a two-month period.

During his career, Jerry spoke personally to over 8,000 industry professionals who have attended

his seminars & workshops. In addition, he was the author of Selling New Homes: Sales & Marketing

Workbook for Million-Dollar Producers, Selling More Homes the Easy Way, The Insider’s Guide to

Selling More Homes, and the eBook, Selling More Homes the Easy Way, Part 2.

Jerry was the founder of BuilderRadio and the Selling More Homes Podcast, which he co-hosted

with me for over three years. Before BuilderRadio, though, Jerry had been involved in the housing

industry for over 25 years as President of J. Rouleau & Associates, offering public relations, sales and

marketing resources and consulting to builders, housing companies and building product suppliers,

including many ILBA members.

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Nature—join the thousands of homeowners who have sealed

their home with Log Jam chinking.

When other chinking pulls away Log Jam holds its seal.

Since its introduction in 1985, Log Jam chinking

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“The Authentic Look of Cedar with Lifetime Performance”

1-866-423-3302 www.enviroshake.com

sppt th dvti wh ppt lg Bidig nw. It’ wi-wi itti!

A Boys Big Book of JigsA Log Builder’s Reference to Jigs, Tools and Techniques

An informative book on jigs and work methods specific

to our trade. Sections include: Scribing and Layout,

Stairs and Railings, Cutting and Drilling, Stairs and Railings,

Holding, Mills and Machines, Lifting, Work Methods,

Accessing Heights, Resources, Cool Tools and New Stuff.

• Available to ILBA members only

• Convenient binder format allows additional

information to be inserted

• Price $95.00 CAN plus shipping

To order, contact the ILBA office at 1-800-532-2900 or

250-547-8776 or email [email protected]

JIG BooK- - - -

on salenoW!

Elevating the Design and

Engineering of Timber Structures

Fire Tower Engineered Timber, Inc., 60 Valley Street, Unit 1, Providence, RI 02909

Phone: 401.654.4600 • Fax : 401.654.4602 •www.ftet.biz

Ben Brungraber, Ph.D., P.E. • [email protected]

Mack Magee, M.S. • [email protected]

Duncan McElroy, P.E. • [email protected]

Joe Miller, Ph.D., P.E. • [email protected]



Summer 201122

c l a s s I f I e d a d s

Building logs for sale - regular and oversize. FirCut to peeler lengths mainly 43 and 52 ft. Treeswere harvested in fall 2010 and some in winter2011. Good straight logs for building - approx200 cu m. Also oversize logs for Timberframestock. Woodlot 454 Golden BC, 250 344 4646.

Chisum Log Mill for sale: $250,000Processes any type of logs into finished tongueand groove logs. A team of 3 people can easilyprocess logs for the walls of a 1200 sq ft homein 2 work days. Delivery, installation and trainingavailable. Can be operated with a generator forremote locations. Contact [email protected] forSpecifications.

Dietrich's professional 3D CAD/CAM softwareIncludes latest version (8) with hardlock: D-CAMModule, DCAD 2D Module, Project Data

Paid $8000, asking $5000 obo. Email

[email protected] or 613-227-4663.

1999 Heartwood Band Sawmill Model 310

Electric Never been used; 6” Double-Cut(cutting travel speed up to 3 feet per secondforward or reverse). Will require 600 Volt 3Phase Power or motor exchange. The onlynoticeable noise this mill makes is the actualblade cutting through wood. Eighty-eight feetof track; operator travels with mill head alongtrack. Numerous track-mounted hydrauliclog handing systems and full programmablecomputer controlled set works. (We purchased2 and only set one up for use.) Purchased in1999, replacement value of this unit today isover $130,000 Canadian. Asking $65,000.00Canadian, will require some site preparation andassembly. To compare this to any of the smallbandsaws is like comparing a hi-way tractor/trailer to a go-cart, this is a serious productionmill. We often can go three weeks betweenbandsaw blade sharpenings! Please arrangefor an appointment to see the twin unit inoperation. Link to this model at Heartwood Saw:http://www.heartwoodsaw.com/Model_310.html

Email to [email protected] or phonetoll free 1-877-932-3992 Lloyd Beckedorf,Moose Mountain Log Homes Inc.

Logworks Helper Pricing program speciallywritten for fast and accurate takeoffs andquotes of log home shells. You can customizeit for the pricing methods and preferences you currently use. Note: you must own a copyof Microsoft Excel® to run Logworks Helper.Developed by Dai Ona with help from JohnBoys. Contact Ann at the ILBA offices for sales

and enquiries. CDN $500.

Established fully equipped Log Home/Sawmill manufacturing business available inSault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Property includesthree buildings on 12 acres. Contact BridgetownRealty Inc., Brokerage, Terry Schug, salesrepresentative, 705-949-8787.

Hop over to LogFrogs.com for log cleats andgreat log building tools, books and toys forbuilders and owners! Get entered to win yourfree builder's pack of Log Frogs and a free onemonth's banner ad on our site!www.logfrogs.com

Back Country Log Homes is located close toSaskatoon,SK and we are looking for one ortwo experienced log builders for this summerand fall. Timber frame experience would be aplus. If interested please contact Jeff by [email protected] or call 306-493-2448.

Send resumes to: [email protected].

Experienced full-scribe log builderwanted for year round, full-time work. Big White Pine logs.Good working conditions, minimal travel, goodpay and benefits. Rural and beautiful Northern Vermont near Connecticut River and WhiteMountains of New Hampshire. 3 hours fromBoston, Montreal and coast of Maine. Outdoorsoriented person with good woodworking andmath skills. To apply send or email resume andreferences. The Wooden House Co., Ltd., 3714North Rd., S. Ryegate, Vermont to Newbury, Vermont 05051 Phone: 802-429-2490, email:[email protected]

Handcrafted Log & Timber Frame BuildersEdgewood Log Structures, a successful Handcraftand Timber Frame company in Coeur d’Alene,is looking for both experienced and apprenticelog and timber crafters. Wages are DOE. Fulltime positions available immediately. Pleasesend resumé to Edgewood Log Structures, P.O.Box 1030, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83816 or call208-683-3332.

Log Crafters Wanted Mid-level (3-5 yearsexperience) or possibly builders capable of takingon a project with our crew or their crew. While dual US & Canadian citizenship or Class1 truck driver's license would be a benefit, it isnot necessary. Applicants must have Canadian

citizenship or Landed Immigrant status. WithMoose Mountain you will be involved inpatented and warranted air and weather tightfully scribed joinery, exciting projects and thepossibility of travel with a company that is over30 years in business. Earnings dependent onskill and experience and level of responsibilitywilling to take on please call to discuss. Callus toll free at 1-877-932-3992 or email [email protected]. Did you know Environment Canada hasdetermined that southwestern Alberta enjoysCanada's overall nicest climate and we aresituated in the most moderate area of Albertaall with the Rocky Mountains at our doorstep. Alberta has one of the lowest costs of living plus

the very lowest tax, what do you want yourfuture to hold? To see the caliber of projects Moose Mountainbuilds, visit our photo gallery at:www.moosemountain.com

Log Builders and Timber Framers Wanted We need 4 to 5 log home builders and/or timberframers at our plant in Chilliwack, BC. We will bebusy for the whole next year. Please contact usvia email at [email protected] or phone604-836-8315 and ask for Gerhard.

Full time log chinker. Full time log handcrafter and timber framer. For both of thesepositions we require years of experience andreferences. Contact - Southwest Log Homes, IncEmail: [email protected]

Legendary Logcrafters Limited is a handcrafted

log home producer in Collingwood Ontario. Dueto a consistent annual growth, our company isadding multiple positions from apprenticeshipsto experienced log home builders. Legendaryoffers highly competitive wages and a verystructured work environment. Please emailresume to [email protected] or fax

705-444-6675 or call 705-444-0400.

Experienced Log Builder Wanted forpermanent full time position. Send resumeswith references to [email protected] or fax 613-756-6186. See our work atwww.coyoteloghomes.ca.

The Log Connection is currently seeking

three to four highly motivated, enthusiasticindividuals to become part of our designteam. Two positions are available for drafterswith a minimum of two years architecturalCADD drafting. Two positions are available foraccomplished drafters/designers with ability tocomplete highly detailed log home constructiondrawings within a specified time period is adefinite asset. Duties will include the creationof working drawings for custom log homesbased on preliminary designs, productiondesign and detailing, shop drawings as well asmodifications to existing designs. Scope of workmay range from medium sized residential tolarge commercial projects. Preferred experiencewould include log home design/drafting.Provide resume and samples of past CADDwork, attention to: Mr. Dave Sutton, The LogConnection, 129 Nanaimo Ave. West, Penticton,BC Canada V2A 1N2.

Log Builder Wanted Log Home Builder careeropportunity available with a progressive, qualityoriented, full service log home company.Edmonton area, permanent full time, year round.1-2 years experience, must have own tools andtransportation, wages are $18.00-$30.00/hr onpiece work. Fax resume to 780-460-2584.

Daizen Joinery Ltd. is looking for full time, HSBCAD operator and K2 machine operator, timberframe production assistant. Please contactDai, 250-679-2750 or email [email protected]

Big Foot Manufacturing Inc. in Tappen BritishColumbia is looking to hire a qualified TimberFramer with CNC experience. We are currentlyexpanding our product lines now that we areentering the North American market. The idealcandidate will be a journeyman Timber Framerwho has experience operating a Hundegger k2.This person will be responsible for processingand fitting final pieces and may be required todo some on-site erection. Please email resumésin confidence to: [email protected] deliver them in person to: Big FootManufacturing, 3380 Ford Road, Tappen B.C.

f o r s a l e h e l p W a n T e d h e l p W a n T e d





Nicola LogWorks Log builder with timberframe experience or timber framer with logbuilding experience to work in Merritt BritishColumbia. Scope of work includes layout andcutting skills in round log Post & Beam, Dovetailjoinery, Timber frame and Scribed Joinery.Options for both temporary and permanentposition(s). Please send resume to: John Boys,([email protected]) or fax 250 483-4045. Mail:Box 1027, Merritt BC Canada V1K 1B8. Phone:250-378-4977. References and resume required.Learn more about Nicola LogWorks:www.logworks.ca

Confort Nature is looking for an experiencedlog builder who will be in charge of production. As a hands-on team leader, he will be responsibleof log shell construction from blueprint readingto quality management. As a small companylooking to develop and always get better, we willgive a lot of place to your ideas and techniques.

We are located in Quebec, 100km north of

Montreal, in the beautiful region of Lanaudière,next to Saint-Donat and Mont-TremblantPark, nearby lakes and mountains. Let's buildsomething together! Please contact us via emailat [email protected] or phone

1-877-424-3525. John Devries Log Homes, a small upscalecompany operating in Rural Eastern Ontariosince 1976 seeks an experienced log crafterpreferably with hands on supervisory experiencethat can read plans and manage projects. Wefoster a dynamic, creative, solution orientedwork environment that emphasizes quality whileattempting not to sacrifice productivity (thatelusive log builder’s Holy Grail) in a structured

but fun atmosphere. (At least we think its fun) Itwould be helpful (but not required) if applicanthas timber framing experience as well. Salarydependent on experience. Plenty of lakes, greatfishing, hunting and other outdoor recreation.2 hours to Toronto or Ottawa (for some seriouscity fun) Call to Martin or Martin to discuss at613-478-6830 or e-mail [email protected]

Wo r K W a n T e d

Traveling Timberwright Professional FinishCarpenter for Scribe Fit and Post & Beamstructures. 30 years accomplished tradesman inthis field. Mobile, with extensive selection oftools. Honest and Reliable. Contact:RALPH CLEGG (604) 740-2404 • BC. Canada

a n n o u n c e M e n T s

FraserWood is a pioneering, full-service providerof innovative timber products and servicescommitted to extending the reach of naturaltimbers in built environments.

FraserWood Industries Mack MageePO Box 175, Garibaldi Highlands BC V0N 1T0tel: 888-898-1385 x 210 • fax: 604-898-1384email: [email protected]

Fire Tower, licensed in 23 states and bringing amodern perspective to time-honored craft, is anenterprising firm specializing in the engineeringand design of new and existing log and timberstructures.

Fire Tower Engineered Timber, Inc.Ben Brungraber, PhD, PE / Mack Magee60 Valley St., Unite 1, Providence RI 02909phone: 401-654-4600 • fax: 401-654-4602email: [email protected] / [email protected] www.ftet.biz

Good Shepherd Wool Insulation News.

We welcome anyone to come visit our newbusiness in Interlaken, NY or call at 607-330-1198. We still operate as Good Shepherd WoolInsulation (www.goodshepherdwool.com) butwith a new LLC suffix. In addition, my wife ownsa Bed & Breakfast you may wis h to stay at whilehere see www.glassmagnolia.com, and I broughtdown my herd of Tennessee Walking Horses andam giving Instructional Trail Rides in the only

National Forest in NY state which has 16,000acres and is 5 minutes away. This is the only herdin the world of 5 or more where every horse doesthe running walk! Show people have bred it outof them to get a showier gait. Stan.

On the 6th of November EstonianWoodhouse Association launched a new portalon Estonian wooden houses. The main goal ofthe portal is to raise the awareness of peopleon the excellence and essence of woodenhouses and on the production of wooden housesin Estonia. Estonian wooden house is aninternationally competitive product with highquality, of which approximately 80% are

exported. Centuries long traditions, nature-friendliness and contemporary solutions arethe key aspects that characterize an Estonianwooden house. Estonian wooden houses portalis also the new web page for Estonian Woodhouse Association – the profiles, contact details andproduct description of our member companiesare also available. At the present time the webpage is in Estonian and in English – it is plannedto add additional languages and information inthe near future. The portal is available from theaddresses: woodhouse.ee and puitmajaliit.ee.

Whitehaven Wood Products Have anExciting Product. Make your SOFFITS a proudarchitectural detail with Handcrafted continuous

wooden soffit vents from Whitehaven WoodProducts. Easy installation, Labour saving,Quality finished look. See us at www.soffitvents.ca or 250-803-4616

s e r v I c e s

Brian Lloyd Construction Consulting• Industry Consulting• Building Inspection• Expert Witness• Conflict Resolution Vernon, BC. Tel/Fax 250-549-3545email: [email protected]

Handscribed Log Home Projects CD DRAWING

DREAMS - a selection of 24 log home projects.

My first 24- a CD Of 24 log homes. $19.99 tax

and postage Included. Call 1-877-832-0165.

www.rsmdrafting.com

Ed Shure and Architect Paul Froncek haveteamed up to provide you and your clients with

beautiful designs that begin with a structural

sensibility. Our 23-year professional relationship

enables us to provide site specific design, as

well as coordination with timber craftsmen,

contractors, engineers & building officials to

insure a seamless (and mostly painless) process.

We have the experience to create log & timber

designs that you will love to build.

Full 3D drawing capability, including:

– walk through presentation

– permit & construction drawings

– shop drawings for hand or machine cutting

– steel & hardware design

– structural analysis

For more info contact:

Ed Shure at Timmerhus Inc.

303-449-1336 or [email protected]

David Hourdequin, PE, owner of D. Remy &

Co. is our first “engineering” member located

east of the Mississippi offering heavy timber and

log system structural design services. His office

is centrally located in western North Carolina.

He is licensed through the mid-Atlantic and

Southeastern US (see his membership listing

under “engineers”). David is an active member

of The Timber Frame Guild and their Timber

Frame Engineering Council. He serves on theTechnical Activities Committee which is currently

in the process of getting the new design standard

“TFEC 1-07 Standard for Design of Timber Frame

Structures and Commentary” adopted and

incorporated into the NF&PA National Design

Specifications. He especially enjoys working on

complex and difficult projects of “high intensity

and short duration.” His hobbies are astronomy,

amateur telescope making, and adventure

motorcycling around the mountains of the

southeast. To learn more about David, check out

his website at www.dremy.com.

Drafting and Design Services - RSM DraftingServices Ltd. is a freelance drafting and design

service that specializes in log and timber frame

buildings. We have been “Drawing Dreams”

since 1977. We have a CD of 24 log homes

available for $19.99 all taxes and shipping

included. Contact Bob at www.rsmdrafting.com.

Email [email protected] or call 1-877-

832-0165 toll free “ Ask me first” Building design

consultants.

h e l p W a n T e d a n n o u n c e M e n T s s e r v I c e s



Summer 201124

f o r M o r e I n f o r M a T I o n

Ann Miks, Administrator

[email protected]

International Log Builders’ Association

P.O. Box 775

Lumby, British Columbia

Canada V0E 2G0800-532-2900 toll-free

250-547-8776 phone

250-547-8775 fax


2011 ILBA Board of Directors President

Higgs MurphyEmail: [email protected]

Vice-PresidentEarl LavertyEmail: [email protected]

TreasurerKevin MaynardEmail: [email protected]

Clerk Daniel WaitEmail: [email protected]

DirectorsRobert W. ChambersEmail: [email protected]

Ron BrodiganEmail: [email protected]

Konrad GalleiEmail: [email protected]

Glen JacksonEmail: [email protected]

Past PresidentRon BrodiganEmail: [email protected]


T r a I n I n G

New ownership, new instructor, new outlookThe Pat Wolfe Log Building School hasrecently transferred ownership. Pat Wolfe’sformer assistant instructor, Brian Morrison, isnow instructing 1-, 4- and 10-week coursesin both the spring and fall. Maintaining theschool’s traditional methods of log home

construction, Brian Morrison brings a newapproach to the quality of homes createdand the professional education delivered.Find out more about Brian and the Pat Wolfe Log Building School online at www.logbuildingschool.net.

T r a I n I n G

FREE Log Selection Calculator Go to www.LogBuilding.org and then click on “FreeInformation.” From that page choose the logselection calculator and download it to yourcomputer. Requires Excel software to open anduse this file. It gives you T-1, T-2, B-1 and B-2 for

any set of logs.




Sales: Mack Magee (401) 489-4567

Manufacturing: 39500 Government Road, Squamish, BC Canada V8B 0B3

Toll Free: (888) 898-1385 • www.fraserwoodindustries.com

An innovative, full-service provider

of timber products and services.Call us today to make FraserWood part of your team.

sppt th dvti wh ppt lg Bidig nw. It’ wi-wi itti!

Summer Beam Books

w w w . s u

mm er b e am b o ok s . c om

specializing in timber framing

and related topics

2299 Rte 488

Clifton Springs, NY 14432

toll free 877-272-1987315-462-3444

Charlotte Cooper, owner

Learn about timber framing

Experience the joy of building

community through craft

Timber Framers Guild

education • inspiration

888-453-0879 www.TFGUILD.ORG

contact [email protected]

tel 250.545.2341

toll free in BC 1.800.663.6432

Proud to serve the ILBA

LOG BUILDING TOOLSSTARRETT & MACKIE scribers; heavy duty drawknives up to 30”; peeling spuds;chopping & finishing axes; broadaxes; adzes; GRANSFORS axes; ENGLISH slicks;ROBERT SORBY, HENRY TAYLOR, FOOTPRINT & PHEIL chisels and gouges;JAPANESE slicks, chisels, saws, ink lines & flex squares; hand-forged Flarens,shovel gouges, flat & scarf slicks, drawknives & draw-gouges; BARR Specialty

Tools; peavies; cant hooks; lifting tongs; log dogs & cleats; log horses; waterstones; Diamond whetstones; NORTHWEST calipers, tenon cutters & long augerbits; ship augers; chainsaw mills & attachments; MAKITA & MAFELL planers, saws& chain mortisers; MACKIE log building books & videos.

MAGARD VENTURES LTD.

Attn: Maurice Gardy

8365 Domagala Road, Prince George, BC, Canada V2K 5R1

Tel: 250-962-9057 Fax: 250-962-9157

[email protected] www.logbuildingtools.ca

FREE32-pagecatalogue



Summer 201126

advti i Thi I

A Boys Big Book of Jigs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Atlantic White Cedar Logs. . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

BC Log & Timber Industry. . . . . . . . . . . . .13

C B R P r o d u c t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Dietrich’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Emseal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

E n v i r o s h a k e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1

Fire Tower Engineered Timber Inc. . . . . . .21

Fraser Wood Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Foard Insulated Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Good Shepherd Wool Insulation . . . . . . . .25

GRK Fasteners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7, 12

Lignomat USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Log Home Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Magard Ventures Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Nicola Log Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Pat Wolfe Log Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Perma-Chink Systems Inc. . . . . . . . . . . 7, 21

Precision Structural Engineering . . . . . . . .21

RSM Drafting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Sashco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Schroeder Log Home Supply. . . . . . . . . . .13

Sherpa Timber Connection . . . . . . . . . .4, 15

SMTC Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Streamline Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

The Sansin Corporation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Summer Beam Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Timber Framers Guild . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Timber Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Wayside Printers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Woodlandia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9, 13

Joining the ILBA

Membership in the International Log Builders’

Association is open to any interested person.

Members get a copy of the ILBA Log BuildingStandards, one year of Log Building News,

membership certificate, voting privileges,

discounted conference registration, a listing in

the Annual Directory, a copy of the Association

Constitution and Bylaws, use of computerized

help wanted and work wanted ads, and all ILBA

mailings and notices. Company memberships

have additional benefits. The ILBA accepts Visa or

MasterCard. For more information on dues and

member benefits, please call the ILBA office at

800-532-2900.

I n o u r n e x T I s s u e

Coming up in Log Building News 74 —

• Experiments With Underscribing

• 2012 Conference

• More Tech Talk

SUBMIT YOUR ARTICLES TODAY – WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

How to Get Log Building News

Articles, photos and letters are

welcomed. The deadline for LBN 74 is

September 25th, 2011.

If you submit articles in Microsoft Word®

on CD or by email, send them directly

to the ILBA office.

Back issues of Log Building News are

available from the Association office.

Call 800-532-2900 to order.

Copyright Notice

Log Building News is copyrighted in

Canada and the United States. Express

written permission is required from

the ILBA and, in some cases, from the

author, before any article or photo

can be photocopied, distributed orrepublished. Contact the ILBA office for

details.

Disclaimer

The views and information expressed in

articles and ads appearing in Log

Building News are those of the

authors of those articles and ads. The

International Log Builders’ Association

assumes no responsi-bility for the

accuracy of the information contained

herein and does not edit or investigate

any article or ad for that purpose.

Log Building Standards

The ILBA Log Building Standards are

available online at the ILBA website,

www.logassociation.org and can be

downloaded to your computer at no

charge as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file.

Advertising

Log Building News welcomes

advertisers. Please contact the ILBA

office for deadlines.

Log Building News is a great way to

contact the best log home builders. The

ILBA is the largest group of builders of

handcrafted log homes in the world

— our members make well over $250

million of logwork each year. Please

contact the office at1-800-532-2900 for an advertising

specification sheet and ad rates.

Log Building News

now in

Full Color Download the

current issue at theILBA website:


log building news - issue no. 73

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