If I might say a few things in regards to your chosing to attend a hands-on log building workshop. I believe it is the one best single thing you could do in preparing to build, either handcrafted or with milled log materials. Celebrate the freedom you have to chose to build your own log home the way you want to, and do it wisely!

A big part of learning this age old craft is getting a good set of tools together, and learning how to use, care and maintain them. A much over looked area in aquiring the needed tools is the building of your own reference library. This is a must, and you will see many books on the subject while at the school. What you can not "see" in your minds eye, these invaluable print and video materials will fill in. For many, these references don't have near the significance that they will once you have completed your hands- on workshop!

We want your experience while attending our workshop to prepare you with all the requisite skills needed to build a fine log home/cabin project upon returning home. To do that, we have honed a procedural approach flexible enough to accomodate anyone's skill and experience level. Young and old alike have done very well and enjoyed every minute of their time spent here with us. Its hard, tedious work and the days are long with a lot of information being gone over - in all kinds of weather too!

We want to listen to you tell us what you are looking to do with your new found skills - what are your plans? Take out a note book right now, today. Begin recording questions you have and want an answer to, leaving room for answers later - this is the best way to be sure you get the most out of your experience. Check off each one as they are answered, making notes accordingly. Be prepared to take written notes at all times - as well as have your tools close by and tool belts on. Nothing will frustrate you more than not having these things close at hand!

We cover a lot of ground and demonstrate things repeatedly both for the group and individually throughout each day. We are confident that between your hands-on skill training and application, notes, pictures and text book - there is no reason why you could not return home and begin your own project immediately!

Dress for the weather and anticipate the worst - I can not stress this enough. Nothing will rob you of the joy of being a part of this experience faster or more thouroughly!

Course Outline

* Orientation

* Log building tool display

* Safety and maintenance of tools - a sharp saw is easier and safer to work with!

* History of log construction References to Herman Phelps book"The Craft of Log

Building

* Species of building logs and their physical properties associated to building

* Acquistion of building logs - where will yo find what you need?

* Different methods of getting logs onto the building - you don't need a crane to do this!

* Peeling of logs - Everyone peels logs

* Practice notching and grooving of logs to become familiar with the tools used

* Exterior preserving and interior finishes for a log house

* Science of log construction - saddle notch vs. round notch, over scribing of the

lateral groove, kerf cutting the top of the logs, shrinkage and settling of logs, etc.

* Laying out of the half logs and sill logs

* Explain the selection of logs for projects

* Steps to figuring an individual log to be laid onto the building

* Middle notches and how to deal with them

* Rough notching a log befor you put it onto the building, used for stub walls and

stretching a log

* Stretching a log in a window or a door opening

* Spiral grain, left hand twist of logs

* Blind notching a log wall into another log wall

* Insulating of notches and lateral grooves

* Wooden doweling and steel pinning of log walls

* Electrical wiring of a log house, electrical holed and

cutouts for switches, plugs, and lights

* Plumbing in a log house

* Foundation and floors

* Energy efficiency of a log house

* Marking of window and doot openings, and the cutting of the header logs

* Through the wall ceiling beams "locking them in place"

* Log ceiling beam placement and performing the locking "square notch"

* Lap seated joint for ceiling beams or adjoining ridge -

* Capping the log ceiling beams and cutting out for the sub-floor, bringing the plate

logs to level and pinning of the plate logs

* Posts or screws jacks

* Posting of verandahs, tie-beams, and roof systems

* Installing frame partitions into the log house

* Cutting of door and window openings and installation of the keyway system

* Cuting archways into the log walls

* Cutting the roof lines and flaring the protruding log ends of the corner work

* Log Truss roof system

* Log Post and Purlin roof system

* Log Gable and Lof Rafter roof system

* Log Dormers lean-to or shed type, and gable type

* Log Spans (Class room)

* Log Stairs

* Log Railings

* Numbering of logs for transport to foundation site and loading of logs

* Re-assembly at the permanent foundation site

* Fireplaces and chimmeys: settleing and flashing

* Installing counters and hanging of cupboards

* Additions to an existing log house

Tuition & Accomodations Fees

We are very excited about finally making arrangements to locate the school South of BloomingtonIndiana and near Nashville, Indiana in Brown County!

We started in the Fall of 1991 with classes at West Boggs Park near Loogootee, Indiana and quickly became a traveling school, going where we were sponsored in one capacity or another. Often we were Hosted by former students to help them get a great start on their handcrafted log home project. The dream of finally owning our own land to support a custom log building enterprise in conjunction with teaching a schedule of classes is getting closer and closer!

For now, we are going to be locating a few miles South of Bloomington, Indiana on the at 4575 West Popcorn Road out of a small town called Harrodsburg, a scant 12 minutes from a busy Mall area on Hwy 37 in Bloomington and 25 minutes from down town Nashville, Indiana. Some of the changes we will be implementing right away will be the building of three framed structures for use as a shower cabin, a bunkhouse cabin and a cabin for preparing meals for the students. These framed structures will be replaced with handcrafted log cabins built during hands-on Log Building Workshops starting there this year!

The move to do so is to make it more convenient for the students to attend with a warm, comfortable, and dry place to sleep, a place to prepare meals with stove and refridgeration provided by the school and also hot showers at the end of the day. A small log framed post and beam pavilion to shelter a handcrafted log picnic table will also be done as well as a place to gather around a camp fire most nights. Cabins will be lit at night by kerosene lamps and heated by wood burning stoves.

Students will be free to just bring food they want, their clothes and tools, and certainly a cooler for their own beverages! There are restaurants nearby and also hotels available. It is our hope we can provide this at such a low cost to the students it is more affordable than coming to stay without these amenities.

The cost for an individual to attend a log-building workshop has been $850.00 each. That person can bring a companion at an additional $250.00; in fact, the companion can attend the four-week workshops with you also for the same amount of $250.00.

The tuition for an individual to attend a four-week log-building workshop is $1550.00.

All students are required to bring a set of tools and safety gear we have listed for them on our website, those attending with an accompanying pal can share their set of tools. All participants must have their own safety gear for obvious reasons.

The second person discount is intended for relatives to participate, i.e. husband-wife, father-son cousins and so on. Please call ahead for attendance openings so arrangements can be made.

The cost to each attending participant for hot showers and bunkhouse / cabins, and kitchen cabin, in addition to the above tuition schedule, is FREE. (Place to keep, store and prepare own meals, hot showers and sleeping accommodations.)

(Often what happens is the two attending together split it down the middle so it's less expensive to come in pairs!)

Our four week 2003 Log Building Workshops in Heyburn, Idaho and Charlevoix, Michigan will also be providing kitchen to prepare meals and hot showers - camping may be an option with lots of space and parking available. Information about the surrounding area and services will be made available too.

We have the full B. Allen Mackie video series and a number of the current and best old log building references available for the students to see while attending. Students are challenged to build a handcrafted log picnic table such as above - see this at the school grounds in Bloomington location! It has all the log building techniques used in building a log house or cabin and is great practice to sharpen your skills!