Deconstruction
One reason this abandoned cabin remained mostly intact - even with a roof for many years, was the fact that it was covered by clapboard. This often happened to log cabins as it became unfavorable to notice that a domicile was from crude logs; clapboard was considered more civilized.
The first step was to remove all junk from the inside of the cabin and the remove the clapboards.
The first step was to remove all junk from the inside of the cabin and the remove the clapboards.
Front (north) cleaned.Second floor logs gone, top two here questionable. Second floor joists gone so how to use?
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Back (south) cleaned. The uppermost logs questionable for recovery. Even second floor cutouts for floor joists questionable.
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West side cleaned. Note second log trashed - must be replaced. The upper second floor logs questionable.
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East side cleaned. Again the uppermost log(s) questionable.
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Every log was meticulously labeled. The front was assigned to "north", the back "south" and the other sides accordingly although that was not their true orientation it would be exactly their magnetic orientation at the new site. The system I chose was two directions, first the side on the north, south, east, and west, and secondly the direction that log was "pointed" to. Then the order of the logs from 1 on up. For example, shown here ES 7 means the seventh log on the east side pointing at this end south.
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The Professor, not knowing what he was getting into, labeling the fireplace logs. This "patient" was dying and needed resuscitation or resurrection.
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How does one remove the 20 foot heavy 12 inch by 12 inch oak beams from the top down? A consult with "Two Bears" a member of the Sioux Tribe (shown) resulted in a rather unique, if brute force method.
"Just poke them down", said Two Bears. "But what if they break", said I. "If they break, that means they were too rotten anyway", exclaimed Two Bears. Trusting my trustee Native American side companion, that's what we did. Remarkably, only a few logs didn't make the process in one piece and, yes, those were pretty rotten anyway. So no machinery, no cranes or lifts were necessary.
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