Not exactly boatbuilding, but the tools are the same as old-time shipbuilders used before electric power came along: hand saw and augur, ax, drawknife, and maul. There are trunnel fastenings, hook scarfs, mortises and tenons, but unlike a ship’s planking, the wall logs here are pre-caulked with the excess trimmed flush afterwards. Lots of interesting hand work to admire, and traditionl Finnish dance tunes take the place of whirring machinery. We have
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Skip Wolf says:
Ditto to the comments on the ax work. I was particularly impressed by the fellow taking the head off the small hewing ax and putting it on the other way so that he could work in the other direction. We built a log house about the same size but without the skill or the knowledge that was so evident in this film. We rebuilt a roof on an old house (100+ years) here in New Brunswick in 1981 and found birch bark covering cracks and holes in the boards. Also found tar paper and old coats. I think it was considered pretty good for shedding water back then.
Charles Flanagan says:
How many man hours went into the project?
Jeff Brown says:
I would have lost a finger on the first day!
Pekka Kivalo says:
Birch bark is moisture insulation.
Clay Young says:
Its amazing to watch such precise ax work
Brian Putnam says:
Ax work was great. I think the birch bark is intended as a moisture barrier. Once I saw tarpaper used on timbers laid on the ground for a small farm building.
Elena Soini says:
Great video! Does anyone know the purpose of the birch bark? Insect repellant?
Simo Korpisto says:
The birch bark keeps the moisture away from the log. Ogten you can find a fallen birch log in the bush where the wood has rotted entirely but the bark is still sound.
Martin Lunde says:
Amazing ax work!