I've very slowly started collecting logs for the cabin. In September, my friend Sean and I claimed two 14' long douglas fir logs while harvesting firewood. Originally, I intended to use these logs for posts, although now I think will use them for beams and flooring planks.




I purchased an Alaskan Mark-III mill and my father and I attempted to mill these logs into 7x7 beams. After spending a day struggling with the chainsaw mill, I decided to abandon that course. My Stihl MS260 chainsaw simply is not beefy enough to efficiently mill logs of this diameter (12" or larger).



Fortunately for me, our neighbors immediately to the east of our property own a woodmizer mill, and have offered to mill our logs for a reasonable cost!! What amazing luck!! Later, I found out that Jon and Hannah, our neighbors have some considerable experience with timber framing and have framed large homes (they are currently building a beautiful log home).

I also purchased a 5x14 aluminum trailer to move around logs and timbers. It has come in handy indeed!

Here are pictures of Jon (neighbor) helping me mill these logs. The woodmizer mill did such a terrific job, that I won't even consider chainsaw milling again, except for extraordinary timbers (extra long or curvy).