Rustic Lodgepole Furniture

The Lodgepole Pine is one of the first trees to invade after a wildfire. It's cones are protected by a seal of pitch that requires fire or heat to release the seeds. This allows the seeds to stay on the tree or on the ground for many years until disturbance provides suitable growing conditions. The Lodgepole pine is a highly adaptable tree that can grow in all sorts of environments, from water-logged bogs to dry sandy soils. The wood of the Lodgepole Pine is used for a variety of purposes, such as poles for lodges, homes, and buildings. Lodgepole pines is an excellent for lumber, plywood, and paneling. It is used to make doors, windows, furniture, as well as railroad ties, mine props, and fence posts. It can reache heights of 150 ft. It's cold hardy to zone 6, for a map look here --> www.arbordayfoundation.org/media/zones.cfm Adaptable to a wide range of soil conditions. Seeds will germinate without stratification.

The Pioneers built log furniture both out of neccesity and for its rich beauty. Today we like the way log furniture allows us to feel at one with nature. There is no right or wrong way to build log furniture, as some people prefer the look as rustic as possible while others prefer a sleeker more finished look. This being said it is important that your furniture stay tight over time. We will discuss this further in the future.
Personally I like my furniture "rustic" and we build what I call "Rustic Elegance". To achieve this style, special tools are required and each piece of furniture is individually built. The wood is hand peeled and sanded, the machining gives a medium uniformity on the tennons while allowing precise fit.
More rustic furniture can be built with simpler tools. For example, using a hatchet to form the tennons can produce an excellent effect. A drawknife can be used to peel the wood and the marks left behind exemplify log homes and furniture from days gone by. The one major difference between sanding and using a drawknife is that the drawknife can cut away many of the neat features that nature has put in the wood.
There are ways to get even more rustic, by leaving the inner layer of bark on or by leaving some of the limbs intact, both present special challanges. If you are lucky enough to find one or two posts for your log bed with a distinctive limb sticking out just right, then you've got an excellent place to hang your cowboy hat or tie.
If you are the type who likes your log furniture less rustic, there are companies who build machined furniture. Building your own furniture of this style may be out of reach. The tools used to create these pieces are not available at the local hardware store. The advantage to this type of furniture is that the people making it can produce it at lower cost and the consumer is still getting a quality piece of furniture made of real wood. This is something that is becoming more rare all the time, which a trip to most any furniture store will confirm. So whether you live in a log home or not and you want a special attachment with nature, building your own log furniture can offer a real sense of pride and achievement which is hard to find anywhere else.
Good luck.

Any type of wood is acceptable for log working projects. Most people work with the type of wood that is common in their area. Oak, cherry, ash, pine and spruce are only a few of the types commonly used by log furniture builders. The only requirement is that the logs are large enough to bear the weight of the person or item it is intended for. Chairs, beds and other furniture will require heavier logs of at least 2 1/2 inch diameter. Many people select wood that is between 3 and 5 inches for these types of projects. Bed posts will generally range in size from 4 inches to 7 or 8 for those doing custom projects. Lamps, shelves, coat racks and other non-weight bearing projects can use any size you would like.

Wood dryness is important when working with logs. Green wood still has moisture in it, and logs will shrink as they dry out. Dry logs are especially important in making furniture. If you work with wood that is not dry enough, your project will shrink and the joints will become loose. To avoid this problem, wood should be at a dryness level of about 15%.

One way of determining if your wood is dry is the weight of it. If you lift the log and it feels light, then it has dried out enough. If your logs feel heavy for their diameter and size, then setting them on sawhorses in a warm breezy area would be one way to dry them. Keep in mind the humidity of your area. If you are using this method in a dry part of the US, your logs will dry out relatively quickly. If you live in an extremely humid region you may be waiting for quite a while. Another way to determine wood dryness is to use a wood moisture meter.

Many people buy "kiln dried" logs from a local source, or cut the trees as "standing dead". These are trees that have died due to fire or other natural causes, and have not fallen down. Over time the trees dry out and are ideal for log working.

There are many options for locating your logs. First consider what type of wood is typical for your area. You may want to work with pine, but if you are in an area with mostly oak, you may have to look out of your region. Here are some sources that we suggest.

Your local lumber yard.
Check your yellow pages for "firewood cutters" or "danger tree removal".
National or state forest - request a permit to cut your own "standing dead" trees.
Private individual with "standing dead" on their property who will allow you to cut them.
ALWAYS GET PERMISSION FROM THE LANDOWNER FIRST!
Pole yards
Logging companies
There are a few sources that will ship you the logs, but the price of shipping is usually so high that it is not practical

All you really need to get started is:
Tenon Cutter
Forstner Bit (same size as tenon cutter)
Bench Vise
Drill (see below for size and style recommendations)

#1 Several sizes of Tenon Cutters. Just select it according to the size of logs you want to work with. If you want to make furniture out of logs that are 4 inches in diameter, then you will need at least a 1 1/2" x 4". That means the log will cut a 1 1/2" tenon onto a log up to 4" in diameter.

#2 You will need a Forstner Bit that matches the tenon cutter. If you get a tenon cutter that cuts a 2 1/2" tenon then you will need a 2 1/2" forstner bit to go with it. The forstner bit cuts the "mortise hole" that the tenoned logs fit into.

#3 Many people already have their own Bench Vise, so most people will not need to buy this. You will need a vice with jaws that will open far enough to hold your log securely. It is important that you use something to secure the log when you are cutting it.
You Will Not Be Able To Hold The Log Securely By Hand!! Please Do Not Attempt To Do So, As You Will Cause Serious Injury!

#4 You will need a strong Drill. We recommend the Milwaukee Hole Hawg 1/2" drill (model 1663-20) for logs up to 4", or the Milwaukee 3/4" drill (model 1854-1) for anything larger. The 3/4" drill can be used on ANY size of log.

If you have a drill of comparable size and power, then you do not need to buy a new drill. We recommend these drill styles because we have personally worked with them and know they will do the job.

Tenon Cutter Sizes -- Which Do I Need?
The first thing to consider is "what do I want to make?". For most furniture and railing, a 1 1/2" or 2" tenon cutter is ideal. For smaller projects like lamps, coat racks or hickory furniture, the 3/4" and 1" tenon cutters are great. For larger "custom" projects you should look at the size of the logs you will be working with. If you want to work with logs that are 5 or 6 inches in diameter, you will need to consider the larger 2 9/16" or 3" x 5 1/2" tenon cutter. This will cut a larger log, and needs a larger tenon to bear the additional weight.

When looking at Tenon Cutter Sizes, keep this in mind: The first number is the diameter of the tenon, and the second number is the largest size of log the cutter will take. So a 2" x 4 1/2" Tenon Cutter will cut a 2 inch tenon out of any log that is up to 4 1/2 inches in diameter.
Note; This is just one of the ways to cut tenons, router cutting the tenons requires a completely different set up.

What Size Drill Do I Really Need?
You will need a strong drill. We recommend the Milwaukee 1/2" drill for logs up to 4 inches in diameter. If you are working with logs that are larger than 4" in diameter, then we suggest a Milwaukee 3/4" drill.
The 3/4" drill can be used on ANY size of log.

If you have a drill of comparable size and power, then you do not need to buy a new drill. We recommend these drill styles because we have personnally worked with them and know they will do the job.