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Log Cabin Siding

There are at least two ways to construct the sides of a log cabin birdhouse: You can mill each log individually and construct the building one piece at a time, or you can cheat. I decided to go this latter route and built each wall as a single unit. This is a relatively simple table saw process.

To prevent weak cross-grain problems at the corners you want the grain to run horizontally. So start out by edge gluing two 24-1/2″ lengths of Install a 1/2″ dado head in your table saw to create the interlocking corners where the logs meet. The Full-size Pattern provides the key details and dimensions. Transfer them to your work pieces and use your miter gauge to keep the sides at 90° to the blade while you form the notches on two sides at a time, as shown in Figure 2.

A Shingled Roof

If you’ve built a dollhouse, you know how long it takes to cut and install shingles. I figured out how to get the same effect using a dado head in my table saw. The resulting profile is shown on the Full-size Pattern.

Begin by installing a 1/2″ dado head in the saw and setting it to a 10° angle. As you’re using nominal 1 x 6 stock, set the fence so it is 5-1/2″ away from the farthest tip of the blade: this will line up your first cut with the outside edge of the board. Adjust the cutter height so the lowest point of the angled cut is flush with the top of the saw table.

After a test pass on some scrap, make your first cut in an 18-1/8″ long piece of stock, which you can crosscut later to yield both sides of the roof (pieces 2).

After each cut, reset the fence so the next cut just touches the first. Continue until you complete all seven rows of shingles (see Figure 3). Since the angled cut is a hair shy of 3/4″, you’ll be left with an attractive ridge cap. When you’re done, replace the dado head with a standard blade, set the angle to 45° and trim both edges, as shown on the Full-size Pattern. Set these pieces aside while you finish milling the sidewalls.

Assemble and Trim the Walls

As this cabin is destined to become home to a family of chickadees, the front doorway must be sized accordingly. Choose one of the four sidewalls as the front of the house, then refer to the Full-Size Pattern to locate a 1-1/8″ diameter hole near the top. Clamp a piece of scrap to the back face while you drill the hole, to prevent tearout.

Test fit the four sides together. They shouldn’t be overly tight: in fact, a little play is a good thing as the house will expand and contract quite a bit outdoors.

Glue the sidewalls together with waterproof polyurethane glue. Try to keep the glue toward the inside of the house, as it expands as it dries and is difficult to remove from the intersecting log corners. Gently clamp the assembly, making sure it’s square as you apply pressure.

After the glue dries, raise your table saw blade to its full height and set the blade angle to 45°. With the birdhouse clamped firmly to an auxiliary fence on your miter gauge, trim the front and back gables to 45° (refer to the Full-size Pattern). A 10″ saw blade won’t be tall enough to cut all the way to the peak. Simply reset the saw blade back to 90° and, with your miter gauge set at 45°, complete these four cuts (Figure 4).

Attaching the Roof

To preserve the delicate edges of the roof, I decided to forgo clamps while gluing the two slopes together. Instead, I made a hinge along the peak with masking tape, applied polyurethane on its underside with a pencil. Then use a sharp knife or a carving bit in a rotary tool to score shallow V-grooves just inside the pencil marks. These will prevent the glue from squeezing out on the visible side of the walls. Gently clamp the roof in place, using glue to secure it. When the glue dries, use a chisel to clean up any squeeze-out on the inside faces to ensure a toxic-free environment.

The Floor is a Clean-out

Trim the floor (piece 3) to the size shown in the Material List, then reset your saw blade and chamfer its front edge to 10°. The door is 1/8″ shy on the sides to provide both ventilation and drainage.

Install the floor with a galvanized T-hinge (piece 4), setting the hinge so its flap is flush with the bottom of the back wall (see Figure 6). Doing so will automatically place the floor about 3/4″ up from the bottom or the sides. This prevents moisture from wicking up into the house. Predrill for the hinge screws (pieces 5) to help prevent splitting the cedar. Cut the cleat (piece 6) to size and secure it with a single stainless steel screw (piece 7). To clean out the house, simply remove the screw, and the floor will swing down automatically.

Wrapping Up

Sand the birdhouse thoroughly before applying a finish to the outside only. Wood preservative usually used on decking is a good choice, as it’s specifically designed for rugged outdoor use. Oils are not a good option as they may be harmful to the birds, and varnish will eventually flake and wear off. Be prepared to recoat the house once a year.

If the finished house has a dark hue, make its home in the shade of a deciduous tree to prevent overheating in late spring and summer when the chicks are young. A round galvanized pole attached to the back wall with pipe clamps is a sound, predator-safe (as in squirrels and cats) approach. I don’t recommend suspending the house, as some species won’t nest in a swaying birdhouse.

You may install your birdhouse in any season, as birds need a safe refuge at several different times of the year. And if you give it to someone as a gift, you’ll be doubly rewarded as both your friend and the birds will be delighted with their new birdhouse.

Click Here to Download the Drawings and Materials List.

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Our lantern also offers a great opportunity to indulge in some dramatic “art glass” for the translucent panels. You can buy colorful glass in almost any shade at stained glass supply stores.

First, Make the Frame Posts

Step 1: Face-joint and plane enough stock for the four posts (A) to W thick, then joint one edge of this piece. Rip the posts to 7/8″ square, then cut them to length. Note: If you intend to form the mortises with a hollow-chisel mortiser, cut the posts 1/2″ longer than finished length to make sure the hollow chisel doesn’t tear out the 1/8″ of stock between the mortise and the top end of the post.

Step 2: Lay out and cut mortises in the posts as dimensioned in figure 1. (We’ve found that a router or spindle mortiser works best on cedar.) Note: If you left the posts 1/2” longer as detailed in the previous step, start the top mortise 5/8″ from the end, then trim off the extra 1/2″ from that end.

Step 3: Tilt your tablesaw blade to 25° from perpendicular. Using a miter-gauge extension and stop block, chamfer around the bottom end of each post. Remove just enough material to form a point in the center without shortening the length. You could also do this with a miter saw and a stop block clamped to the fence.

Machine the Rails, Then Assemble the Frame

Step 1: Surface plane enough stock for the eight rails (B) to 3/4″ thick, then cut the rails to dimension.

Step 2: Using your miter gauge and tablesaw, cut tenons on the ends of the rails as dimensioned in figure 2. Round over the tenon edges with a rasp or file to fit the mating mortises. Next, miter-cut the tenons as shown. Note: When making this cut, keep the saw blade low so you don’t nick the inside shoulder of the rails. Now, mark the inside face and bottom edge of each rail.

Step 3: Rout a 1/4″ rabbet 1/4″ deep on the inside edge of each rail where shown in figure 2 to accept the glass pane. Next, dry-assemble the rails and posts to check for fit. Mark the points on one post where the rail rabbets intersect it. Disassemble the parts, then transfer the points on that post to the remaining three posts.

Step 4: Set a fence on your router table to rout stopped rabbets into each post. Mark start- and stoplines on the fence. To prevent the cedar from splintering at the ends of the stopped rabbets, first cut a kerf with a hand saw across the stop marks on each post. Rout the 1/4” rabbets, then square up the ends of each with a chisel.

Step 5: Sand the rails and posts to 220-grit and lightly break the edges (excluding the tenon shoulders). Then, using a polyurethane or other waterproof glue, glue and clamp the rails and posts in two stages. (We glued up two post-and-rail frames, then joined these two subassemblies using the remaining rails.)

Prepare the Roof

Step 1: To make a blank for the roof (C), cut three 3-1/8 x 12″ pieces from 1-1/2″-thick stock. Note: This extra length will allow you to trim away any snipe left by the thickness planer. Increase the rough length if you need to. Joint the edges of each piece, then edge-glue and clamp them.

Step 2: After the glue has cured, face-joint and plane the blank to 1-1/16″ thick. Rip it to 9″ wide, then crosscut one end to square the blank.

Step 3: Bevel-cut facets on the square end and both edges of the roof blank. To do this, tilt your tablesaw blade to 14° from perpendicular. Attach a tall auxiliary fence and feather board to your saw. Set the fence so that the bevel cut will leave a 7/32″ square edge around the bottom of the roof as shown in figure 3. Then, hold the roof blank vertically against the fence and feed it carefully across the blade. Note: On some tablesaws, the blade may not cut the entire width of the bevel. This will leave a small point at the top of the facets. Remove these points with a sanding block, taking care to keep the lines crisp.

Step 4: Crosscut the rear (unbeveled) end of the roof blank to complete the 9″-square roof.

Pro Tip

Western red cedar smells wonderful in the shop, but it has some peculiar traits worth noting. First, this super-soft wood damages easily. Lay a piece of cedar on a few harmless looking wood chips, and you’re liable to incur a rash of small dents on its surface. To prevent accidental marring and gouging, clean your bench top frequently, and remove unnecessary tools from the work area. Also, don’t wear jewelry while working this material. A ring or a watchband brushed carelessly across a cedar surface can easily leave an unwanted scratch or indentation.

Cedar’s other idiosyncrasy shows up whenever it comes in contact with moisture and steel. Condensation on the heads of steel nails or screws, for example, will soon make ugly black stains on this wood’s surface. Even the corrosion-resistant coatings on most deck and other outdoor-rated screws fall victim to cedar’s acidic tannins if there’s moisture around. The only failsafe solution is to use stainless-steel screws.

Assemble the Roof To the Frame

Step 1: To make the four buttons (D) that hold the roof to the frame, first cut a 1/2 x 5/8 x 12″ piece of stock.

Step 2: Drill and countersink a shank hole (through the 5/8″ thickness) near both ends of each button blank where dimensioned in figure 4. Next, cut the rabbets across the ends. (We used the tablesaw, and cutoff box making multiple passes.) Then, crosscut the 1″-long buttons from the ends of the blanks.

Step 3: Set up your table-mounted router as shown in figure 5. Install a 1/4″ slotting cutter (with the bearing removed) and elevate the cutter so the top cutting edge is just a hair more (1/64″) than 5/8″ from the table surface. Set a fence so the bit cuts a 3/8″-deep slot when you push the lantern frame against it.

Step 4: To cut the button slots, place the frame top on the router table and position it so the bit centers on the length of a rail. Set the stop block. Clear the bit, turn on the router, then slide the frame forward against the stop block until it touches the fence.

Note: Don’t move the frame sidewise along the fence; the arc formed by the cutler will accept the button. Slot the remaining three rails the same way.

Step 5: Insert the buttons into the rail slots you just cut. Next, invert the frame and center it on the underside of the roof so that the overhang is equal on all sides. Mark the centerpoints of the button shank holes on the roof, then drill 7/64″ pilot holes 5/8″ deep.

Pro Tip

The safest way to make the buttons (or any other small part) is to work with stock at least 12″ long and do all of the machining on the ends or edges of the blank. Then, as the final step, cut the parts to width or length. When you’re done, you’ll have a few inches of leftover waste stock, but your fingers will have been spared close encounters with the blade or bit.

Build the Supports

Step 1: Machine the stock for the vertical support (E), the horizontal support (F), and the wings (G) as dimensioned in the Bill of Materials. Note: We added the wings to cover up an electrical junction box. Measure your junction box to make sure the wings (when assembled to the vertical support) will cover it. If necessary, adjust the wing dimensions. Eliminate the wings if you don’t have a junction box.

Step 2: Tilt your tablesaw blade to 30° from perpendicular and install a tall auxiliary rip fence. Then, cut the chamfers on the ends of the two support parts where dimensioned in figure 6 and figure 7.

Step 3: Using a dado head or crosscut blade, cut a dado in the vertical support to accept the square end of the horizontal support. (See figure 6.) Note: To ensure a snug fit, sneak up on the final dado width, test-fitting the horizontal support as you work.

Step 4: Using the drill press, counterbore and drill the two shank holes for the connector bolts in the vertical support. Next, dry-fit the horizontal support into the dado. Using the holes in the vertical support as guides, drill 9/32″ holes into the end grain of the horizontal support. Next, drill the two cross-dowel holes in the bottom face of the horizontal support.

Note: The size and location of these holes depend on the actual dimensions of your cross-dowels and connector bolts. Use the hardware you have to determine these dimensions rather than those on our drawings.

Step 5: If you plan to connect the light to a wire lead (without a junction box), bore a 1-3/4″ hole 11/16″ deep in the back of the vertical support to allow space for wire connections. (We used a Forstner bit.) Skip this step if you intend to mount the light over a junction box.

Form the Wire Grooves

Step 1: Assemble the horizontal and vertical supports using the crossdowels and connector bolts.

Step 2: To attach the roof to the horizontal support, first countersink and drill 5/32” shank holes through the roof and countersink on the bottom face where dimensioned in figure 3. Next, turn the support assembly Upside down and position the roof on the horizontal support so the end of the support aligns with the starting point of the bevel. (We placed a spacer block between the back edge of the roof and the vertical support to square the parts.) Mark the centerpoints of the four shank holes on the horizontal support, then drill these four 7/64″ pilot holes. Now, temporarily screw the roof to the support.

Step 3: Center the ceramic lamp fixture on the bottom face of the roof, then drill a centered W hole through the roof at the rear edge of the fixture where shown in figure 8. Drill through the roof and 3/16″ deep into the horizontal support.

Step 4: Disassemble the roof from the horizontal support, then disassemble the two supports. Rout a 3/8″ groove 3/16″ deep from the hole you just made to the unchamfered end of the horizontal support. (We used a table-mounted router, fence, and straight bit. For safety we used a push stick with a long bearing surface and handsaw handle.)

Step 5: Lay out and drill a 3/8″ hole through the vertical support that intersects with the groove you just routed in the horizontal support. (See figure 8.) Then, rout a groove in the back face of the vertical support (same dimensions as before) from this hole to the 1-3/4″ recess or to the point where the wires will emerge from the junction box.

Assemble and Finish, Then Install the Glass

Step 1: With the supports and roof disassembled, finish-sand all surfaces, then lightly break the edges. Reassemble the supports, then thread the lamp cord through the back of the vertical support and into the hole in the roof. Next, screw the roof to the horizontal support. Now, wire the light fixture and attach it to the underside of the roof.

Step 2: To finish our lantern, we used a blend of two parts spar urethane to one part mineral spirits. We applied the mixture liberally, allowed it to soak in, and then wiped off the excess. After 24 hours, we repeated the application again.

Step 3: We took the lantern frame to a glass shop, selected the glass, and had an employee cut the panes to fit into the 1/4″ rabbets. If you cut the glass yourself, note that the panes butt together along their vertical edges. To allow for this, subtract twice the thickness of the glass from the width of two of the panes.

Step 4: Install the panes in the rabbets, then secure each pane temporarily with two thin strips of wood bent just enough to hold them firmly in place. Next, apply a bead of clear silicone caulk to the vertical (butted) seams. Note: Apply the caulk to the inside of the seams only—not between the glass and wood. Now, attach the glazed frame to the roof using the buttons.

How To Hang a Custom Light Fixture

The method you use to hang your lantern depends on the type of structure you’ll mount it on. To hang it on a porch or deck post or on wooden siding, simply screw the vertical support to the mounting surface using two #8 flathead woodscrews. Position the screws behind the glass panes to minimize their visibility, and countersink and counterbore the holes. Glue a cedar plug in the counterbore and sand it flush.

If you’ll be mounting the fixture over a junction box, we suggest you attach it directly to the box. Use a pair of roundhead machine screws, threading them into the lugs on the top and bottom of the junction box. For this lantern, buy a pair of extra-long screws, since the screws provided with junction boxes are usually less than 1″ long. Carefully transfer the lug hole centerpoints to the backside of the vertical support. Drill access holes for the screws through the back face, then counterbore the holes on the front face of the support so you can plug the holes and seal the screws. Make the counterbore large enough in diameter so you can install a washer under the screw heads.

Click Here to Download the Drawings and Materials List.

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Not so with this design. It measures only 4 x 4 feet, disassembles in minutes with wingnuts and can be built in a weekend for less than $300.

Although this greenhouse is small, it can be used to start an entire garden’s worth of seedlings or grow a year’s supply of herbs. I use mine for tomatoes and cucumbers — plants that are tough to grow outside in our short, cool Denmark summers.

Stick-build the Gables Using a Template

– Place the back wall adjacent to a piece of plywood and draw the gable shape. Mark the angles (approximately 60°) on the rafters (pieces 12) and make your cuts.

– Join the rafters at the peak and to the top plate. Use exterior glue and galvanized screws. Make the job easier by pre-boring all screw holes and by clamping the workpieces together prior to driving the screws.

– Mark for the two angled cuts on the door header and make the cuts. Then glue and screw the header to the rafters.

Building the Roof and Wall Panels

I used 1″ x 4″ pine for building the wall panels. Rip 6-ft. lengths to obtain all the long verticals (pieces 5 and 6), cross braces (pieces 7), door and door frame (pieces 8 and 9) and roof framing (pieces 14 and 15).

Break all sharp edges with 120-grit sandpaper, removing any splinters. Then cut to the lengths specified in the Material List. Next, cut all the horizontal framing members, including pieces 1 and 2.

Rough-cut pieces 3, 4, 10, 11, 12 and 13, making them all an inch or two long. It’s easiest to take exact measurements for these parts, and make final cuts, during assembly.

Assemble the two sidewalls and back wall (all three are identical) using galvanized screws and mending plates. For the front wall, lay out pieces 1 and 5 in position on a flat surface. Lay a piece of plywood adjacent to the wall top.

Mark a centerline on the plywood. Then lay the boards for the rafters (pieces 12) in position and carefully mark them for the angled cuts. You’ll know the parts are placed correctly when the rafter boards and centerline intersect.

The angle at the top plate should be approximately 30° and the angle at the peak should be approximately 60°. Make your rafter cuts and position them on the plywood once again. Now lay the door header (piece 13) in position and mark for the angled cuts.

Follow by measuring for pieces 8 and 4, making final cuts only when you’re sure they’ll fit snugly. You can then assemble the front wall using screws and mending plates.

Take exact measurements for the door only after you have assembled the front wall. Cut door pieces 3, 9 and 10 to length, allowing for a 3/16″ gap around the door perimeter. Assemble the door using screws, and attach the door hinges. Cut duplicate rafters (pieces 12) for the back wall and assemble it in the same way you did for the front wall.

Now assemble the roof panels using galvanized mending plates and screws. Bevel the top edges of the roof panels so they meet smoothly at the ridge. Make test cuts in scrap wood to find the proper angle.

Finish the door, wall and roof panels with a good primer and two coats of exterior enamel. When it’s dry, install the door stop (piece 17) and a latch in the front wall.

Adding the Glazing

The panes for the greenhouse are not made of glass — it would be too heavy and dangerous to move around. Instead, the frames are covered with plastic film, which is a less expensive but very efficient solution. The least expensive solution is to use the heaviest mil polyethylene you can find. Although it will eventually become brittle and cloudy due to the sun’s UV rays, it should get you through two or three seasons.

If you want something longer lasting, use greenhouse film. It is clear, strong and guaranteed to withstand the sun’s rays for up to four years. Greenhouse film is more expensive than the polyethylene you can buy at a home center, but it’s still less expensive than glass or acrylic. The cost of glazing for my greenhouse was approximately $100. Attach the film with staples, and then cover the staples and edges with trim.

Making the Platform

Cut decking boards and sleepers (pieces 18 and 19) to 55″ lengths and assemble them using galvanized screws. Evenly space the boards, allowing gaps for water to drain through to the ground.

Use pressure-treated wood for all decking boards as they will be subject to moist conditions and would otherwise rot.

Erecting the Greenhouse

You are now ready to erect the greenhouse. With the assistance of a helper or the use of clamps, join the front wall to a sidewall with three hinges and secure it to the platform with a fourth hinge. Use bolts and wingnuts with all platform connections to make disassembly quick and easy.

Assemble the back wall and the remaining sidewall in the same manner and attach it to the platform. Then bore holes for joining the walls at the non-hinged corners and fasten these with bolts and wing nuts. Carefully attach the roof panels with bolts and wing nuts as well. Although the structure is quite stable at this point, I recommend the added precaution of staking the platform to the ground. Simply bore holes in the platform corners and drive landscape spikes through them.

Add the plant containers next. Square plant containers will make the best use of the space and can be built from leftover scrap wood. Make them as large as possible so the soil does not dry out too quickly and so plant roots have plenty of growing room. Don’t forget to bore holes in the container bottoms to promote adequate soil drainage.

Where to Place Your Greenhouse

Locate your greenhouse in a sunny spot where you don’t mind losing a small patch of lawn. You can place it near a fence or building as long as the exposure is southern. A sheltered location will protect your greenhouse from winds and help it maintain warmer temperatures.

Click Here to Download the Drawings and Materials List.

Lars Dalsgaard is a woodworker from Denmark.

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