Finnish log house — materials
A rough list to take to a sawmill. The frame is cut green — full-sawn timbers straight from the log — and pinned with dry oak pegs: as the timbers dry they shrink onto the pegs, and the drawbored joints pull tighter. The mill cuts every stick to its section and length; the framer cuts the joints.
Each length is the piece’s cut length plus 6 in for squaring the checked ends — the dovetails are cut on the log’s own length, rounded up to the foot. A piece longer than 24 ft is ordered in two or more lengths joined by a scarf (A2-16), except a post or a rafter is not scarfed. Board feet are full-sawn: width × depth × feet ÷ 12. Sizes follow the model, which is proportioned from measured drawings, not engineered — a frame that will carry a load is sized by an engineer first.
| Section (in) | Length (ft) | Pieces | Board feet | For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 × 12 | 27 | 2 | 432 | purlin |
| 8 × 10 5/8 | 27 | 1 | 192 | purlin |
| 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 25 | 12 | 1,706 | wall log · plate log |
| 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 19 | 10 | 1,081 | wall log |
| 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 16 | 14 | 1,274 | wall log |
| 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 11 | 2 | 125 | gable log |
| 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 9 | 26 | 1,331 | wall log · gable log |
| 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 8 | 4 | 182 | gable log |
| 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 7 | 24 | 956 | wall log · gable log |
| 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 6 | 2 | 68 | gable log |
| 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 4 | 16 | 364 | gable log · wall log |
| 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 2 | 10 | 114 | gable log |
| 7 × 8 | 23 | 5 | 537 | sleeper |
| 7 × 8 | 14 | 1 | 65 | sleeper |
| 7 × 8 | 9 | 1 | 42 | sleeper |
| 6 × 7 | 19 | 10 | 665 | loft joist |
| 6 1/2 × 5 1/4 | 18 | 2 | 102 | half log |
| 4 × 6 | 14 | 26 | 728 | rafter |
| 6 1/2 × 2 1/2 | 8 | 2 | 22 | jamb |
| 6 1/2 × 2 1/2 | 6 | 12 | 98 | jamb |
| 6 1/2 × 2 1/2 | 4 | 1 | 5 | head |
| 6 1/2 × 2 1/2 | 3 | 6 | 24 | head |
| 6 1/2 × 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | threshold |
10,117 board feet of green timber in 190 pieces.
Pegs: 0 of dry oak, 1 in by 10 in, estimated joint by joint — order a tenth over.
Boards: floor planks about 385 sq ft at 2 in thick (≈770 board feet); roof boards about 383 sq ft at 1 in (≈383 board feet). Add for waste.
Not in this list: stone, brick and mortar; siding, trim, windows and doors; roofing; nails. Nothing here is priced.
Cut list, piece by piece
| Piece | Qty | Section (in) | Cut length (in) | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wall log | 8 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 71 1/2 | A4-32 full dovetail into the west wall · A4-34 tongued into the south door jamb |
| Wall log | 8 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 183 | A4-34 tongued into the south door jamb · A4-32 full dovetail into the east wall |
| Wall log | 10 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 288 | A4-32 full dovetail into the west wall · A4-32 full dovetail into the east wall |
| Plate log | 2 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 288 | A4-32 full dovetail into the west wall · A4-32 full dovetail into the east wall |
| Wall log | 6 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 72 1/2 | A4-32 full dovetail into the west wall · A4-34 tongued into the north window jamb |
| Wall log | 6 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 184 | A4-34 tongued into the north window jamb · A4-32 full dovetail into the east wall |
| Half log | 2 | 6 1/2 × 5 1/4 | 203 | butted on the south wall · butted on the north wall |
| Wall log | 10 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 216 | A4-32 full dovetail into the south wall · A4-32 full dovetail into the north wall |
| Wall log | 6 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 92 1/4 | A4-32 full dovetail into the south wall · A4-34 tongued into the west window 1 jamb |
| Wall log | 6 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 92 1/4 | A4-34 tongued into the west window 1 jamb · A4-32 full dovetail into the north wall |
| Wall log | 1 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 92 1/4 | A4-32 full dovetail into the south wall · A4-34 tongued into the west window 2 jamb |
| Wall log | 1 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 92 1/4 | A4-34 tongued into the west window 2 jamb · A4-32 full dovetail into the north wall |
| Wall log | 1 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 92 1/4 | A4-32 full dovetail into the south plate log · A4-34 tongued into the west window 2 jamb |
| Wall log | 1 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 92 1/4 | A4-34 tongued into the west window 2 jamb · A4-32 full dovetail into the north plate log |
| Gable log | 3 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 67 5/8 – 92 1/4 | cut to the roof's slope under the boards · A4-34 tongued into the west window 2 jamb |
| Gable log | 3 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 67 5/8 – 92 1/4 | A4-34 tongued into the west window 2 jamb · cut to the roof's slope under the boards |
| Gable log | 2 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 14 | cut to the roof's slope under the boards · butted on the south purlin |
| Gable log | 1 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 33 | butted on the south purlin · A4-34 tongued into the west window 2 jamb |
| Gable log | 1 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 33 | A4-34 tongued into the west window 2 jamb · butted on the north purlin |
| Gable log | 2 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 14 | butted on the north purlin · cut to the roof's slope under the boards |
| Gable log | 8 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 15 1/2 – 116 3/8 | cut to the roof's slope under the boards · cut to the roof's slope under the boards |
| Gable log | 2 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 16 3/8 | cut to the roof's slope under the boards · butted on the ridge purlin |
| Gable log | 2 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 16 3/8 | butted on the ridge purlin · cut to the roof's slope under the boards |
| Wall log | 6 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 40 5/8 | A4-32 full dovetail into the south wall · A4-34 tongued into the east window 1 jamb |
| Wall log | 6 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 71 3/4 | A4-34 tongued into the east window 1 jamb · A4-34 tongued into the east window 2 jamb |
| Wall log | 6 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 40 5/8 | A4-34 tongued into the east window 2 jamb · A4-32 full dovetail into the north wall |
| Wall log | 1 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 92 1/4 | A4-32 full dovetail into the south wall · A4-34 tongued into the east window 3 jamb |
| Wall log | 1 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 92 1/4 | A4-34 tongued into the east window 3 jamb · A4-32 full dovetail into the north wall |
| Wall log | 1 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 92 1/4 | A4-32 full dovetail into the south plate log · A4-34 tongued into the east window 3 jamb |
| Wall log | 1 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 92 1/4 | A4-34 tongued into the east window 3 jamb · A4-32 full dovetail into the north plate log |
| Gable log | 3 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 67 5/8 – 92 1/4 | cut to the roof's slope under the boards · A4-34 tongued into the east window 3 jamb |
| Gable log | 3 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 67 5/8 – 92 1/4 | A4-34 tongued into the east window 3 jamb · cut to the roof's slope under the boards |
| Gable log | 1 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 33 | butted on the south purlin · A4-34 tongued into the east window 3 jamb |
| Gable log | 1 | 6 1/2 × 10 1/2 | 33 | A4-34 tongued into the east window 3 jamb · butted on the north purlin |
| Purlin | 2 | 8 × 12 | 312 | A4-33, projecting 1 ft past the west gable · A4-33, projecting 1 ft past the east gable |
| Purlin | 1 | 8 × 10 5/8 | 312 | A4-33, projecting 1 ft past the west gable · A4-33, projecting 1 ft past the east gable |
| Sleeper | 7 | 7 × 8 | 90 3/8 – 261 1/2 | free, short of the wall · free, short of the wall |
| Threshold | 1 | 6 1/2 × 2 | 33 1/2 | on the stone pile under the south door · same |
| Jamb | 2 | 6 1/2 × 2 1/2 | 80 1/2 | seated on the south door threshold · under the settling gap |
| Head | 1 | 6 1/2 × 2 1/2 | 31 | nailed to the south door jamb · nailed to the south door jamb |
| Jamb | 2 | 6 1/2 × 2 1/2 | 61 1/2 | seated on the north wall · under the settling gap |
| Head | 1 | 6 1/2 × 2 1/2 | 29 | nailed to the north window jamb · nailed to the north window jamb |
| Jamb | 6 | 6 1/2 × 2 1/2 | 61 1/2 | seated on the east wall · under the settling gap |
| Head | 1 | 6 1/2 × 2 1/2 | 29 | nailed to the east window 1 jamb · nailed to the east window 1 jamb |
| Head | 1 | 6 1/2 × 2 1/2 | 29 | nailed to the east window 2 jamb · nailed to the east window 2 jamb |
| Head | 1 | 6 1/2 × 2 1/2 | 29 | nailed to the east window 3 jamb · nailed to the east window 3 jamb |
| Jamb | 4 | 6 1/2 × 2 1/2 | 61 1/2 | seated on the west wall · under the settling gap |
| Head | 1 | 6 1/2 × 2 1/2 | 29 | nailed to the west window 1 jamb · nailed to the west window 1 jamb |
| Head | 1 | 6 1/2 × 2 1/2 | 29 | nailed to the west window 2 jamb · nailed to the west window 2 jamb |
| Loft joist | 10 | 6 × 7 | 212 | A4-35 housed into the south wall · A4-35 housed into the north wall |
| Rafter | 11 | 4 × 6 | 156 1/4 | A6-20 seated on the south plate log, a 1 ft tail · butted on the north rafter at the ridge |
| Rafter | 11 | 4 × 6 | 156 1/4 | A6-20 seated on the north plate log, a 1 ft tail · butted on the south rafter at the ridge |
| Rafter | 2 | 4 × 6 | 156 1/4 | on the purlins, its tail free · butted on the north fly rafter at the ridge |
| Rafter | 2 | 4 × 6 | 156 1/4 | on the purlins, its tail free · butted on the south fly rafter at the ridge |