Building a log cabin

March 17, 2021 7:10 AM

A year alone in a forest in Sweden, building a log cabin [YouTube, ~2 hours].

A Finnish version, previously.

posted by Westringia F. (11 comments total)

I know what I'm watching tonight, thanks!
posted by JanetLand at 8:20 AM on March 17, 2021

How can this not be a previously? I know it was mentioned at least in the NEET thread. The algorithm found this video for me two months ago, and Google wasn't wrong about me being interested in this intersection of many interests, but the video's been sitting in my "watch later" queue since then waiting for a two hour time slot. Suddenly a bunch of stuff on YouTube is feature length it seems.
posted by St. Oops at 8:34 AM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]

Spoiler alert --

He doesn't complete the cabin by the end of the video.

posted by seanmpuckett at 8:58 AM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]

The follow-up videos have him getting as far as the door and the main structure of the roof, though not quite complete. At the pace he's going I imagine it'll be functionally complete by June.

I gotta say as the cabin got taller I got a little anxious watching him work at height on slick logs in the rain without so much as a helmet.
posted by jedicus at 9:05 AM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]

That is enormously satisfying. So many neat little touches, like the dude happily sprawling across a bunch of freshly-honed logs. Such careful attention to details, like the right amount of moss applied to cracks.
Can't wait to see how he gets the roof together.
posted by doctornemo at 9:22 AM on March 17, 2021

There's a similar video of a guy building a cabin in Alaska, back in the 60s or so. PBS runs it occasionally when they need filler, it's very soothing.
posted by tavella at 9:41 AM on March 17, 2021 [2 favorites]

Looked it up, it's Dick Proenneke in Alaska.
posted by tavella at 9:44 AM on March 17, 2021 [13 favorites]

Rules: iron/steel may be used as tools, but not as building material. Hence nails are only allowed to construct ratchet-ramps, braces during window cutting, etc. (As far as I see...)

Thanks for this. I'm actually happy to see To Be Continued, because I need more. It has been a while since I watched the classic PBS film too.
posted by TreeRooster at 10:44 AM on March 17, 2021

I watched most of this a few weeks ago (I’d run out of Leo the Boat Builders to watch), and I came away with two thoughts: sound is a real production focus (ASMR for solo build fans?) and there’s some weirdness with how it all progresses (like how did the floor beams get put together and installed?).

Oh three thoughts: It’s Isak from Knut Hamsun’s Growth of the Soil and in a couple dozen summers he’s going to be a comfortable country patriarch.
posted by notyou at 9:34 PM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]

1. Incredible, simply incredible dedication and effort. Just amazing.

2. No hard hat, gloves, safety goggles had me cringing throughout.

3. Seriously, the effort is mind boggling. I get winded just changing my bed linens. Each one of those dressed logs represents more physical labor than I engage in over a month.

4. Looking forward to the next video!
posted by darkstar at 7:06 AM on March 19, 2021

I bought the DVD of Dick Proenneke's Alone in the Wilderness and watch it every couple of years. Good stuff.
posted by neuron at 2:57 PM on March 20, 2021 [1 favorite]