Dovetail Log Cabin Building Course Overview

In this detailed nine hour video course you will learn full scribe dovetail notch log building from zero to a finished cabin. You will be able to build your own smaller or larger log cabin by following the course and using only simple hand tools. The main idea when creating this video material was that any person with or without experience in woodworking could repeat what we are doing and build his or her own log cabin in what we think is a proper and nature friendly way of building. This video course will be useful both for experienced and non-experienced builders.


The course covers all stages of building a log cabin and it is split in eight parts:

  • PART I – Foundations. 16 minutes. You will learn to how to make simple but strong stone/rock foundations which are very suitable for log buildings.

  • PART II – Sill Frame. 1 hour and 25 minutes. You will learn to craft a frame with floor joists. Dovetail notch with a windlock for the frame and dovetail joints for the floor joists. The log walls will sit on this frame.

  • PART III – Gathering Moss. 7 minutes. An extra part covering the details of gathering natural moss, a very important material used to insulate the gaps between logs.

  • PART IV – Main Structure. 4 hours and 36 minutes. The longest and most important part of the course. You will learn to draw the dovetail notch with a wind lock and scribe the logs. This part also covers making window and door openings with the traditional fixing system.

  • PART V – Rafters and Gable Ends. 1 hour 20 minutes. In this part you will learn to craft and install traditional main rafters with decorative ends as well as doing the gable ends from logs.

  • PART VI – Constructing and Insulating The Roof. 46 minutes. You will learn how to do the rest of the roof structure in an ecological way starting from ceiling boards, insulation rafters, insulating itself, battens, fascia boards to laying roof material.

  • PART VII – Installing Windows and Door. 14 minutes. You will learn how to install the door and windows in a traditional way. Insulating the gaps and doing the casings for the door and windows on the outside and inside.

  • PART VIII – Insulating and Laying Floor. 24 minutes. In this part you will learn how to craft floor boards and lay the floor. As we all as preparing the floor joists for the insulating and doing the insulating in an ecological way.


The video quality for all parts is 4K which means that you will be able to see all the details. There will be a table of contents for each part with time markers so you can navigate through the videos.

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Meet the tutor

Andrew - Master carpenter, timber framer, log builder and professional forestry worker. Andrew is one of the most experienced carpenters and traditional log house builders in our region. His love and patience to the craft, his skills, accuracy and attention to detail, are exceptional. He is also dedicated to using his hands and hand tools as an extension of his mind and soul. Andrew also works in forestry, knowing when the best time when to prepare logs for his buildings comes – that is, when they are sleeping in a deep winter by the new moon rising. Trees felled at this time become strong and durable, becoming harder and harder as time passes, says Andrew. Knowing the nature and the knowledge our ancestors knew is a real treasure nowadays and Andrew has captured them in his skills. Andrew says: “Carpentery transforms nature into the culture. Transforming logs into the beams, and beams into the houses, and the houses into homes. It has been so in the past old days and so it should have to be also today”.

There is also a short message from the tutor Andrew about this specific course: “When I first started building log houses 30 years ago there were difficulties to find useful and detailed learning material about log buildings and different notch styles. At least here in Latvia it was not easy. I went to a library and got all the books I could find but there still were quite a lot of unexplained things. I built my first log building for a friend by using his help and only while building the house we figured out the details of my first notch which was classic full scribe cross notch with a wind lock. From then I fell in love with log building and continued to learn. What I wanted to say is that I would have been happy that there would have been more detailed and easier to access learning material back then when I had to build my first log building. So I am very happy to be able to create and spread a video course about my favorite notch which is full scribe dovetail notch with a wind lock. I hope that this detailed course will help you to start or expand your journey in the world of log building. I hope that it will be useful and detailed enough for even an unexperienced people who are eager to build something by using their own hands. I wish all the best to everyone who will learn and follow this course and I wish good luck with your projects whether it is big or small!”


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We have also prepared extra materials for downloading. In these files you will get all the needed information so you can source the needed wood material (we have included the best days when to cut trees according to the moon phases), gather the needed hand tools and study the drawings of the cabin. Here is a list of the extra materials:


  1. A fully detailed 3D drawing of the cabin which can be opened by a free software – SketchUp. You will be able to open this 3D model of the cabin either in web or desktop version of the SketchUp software and play around by turning the model of the cabin, switching on and off different layers of the drawing, measuring different parts of the cabin etc.;

  2. Architectural blueprints of the cabin. You might use these blueprints to better understand the dimensions and proportions of the cabin. You can also get a building permit using these blueprints if you would consider building the same size cabin. You can also take these blueprints to your architect and modify them to build a different size cabin or house;

  3. Drawings with measurements of the main joints used in this cabin. The drawings include most important measurements. Also remember that you can upscale the drawings if you want to build a larger project;

  4. List of tools needed when building a similar project. This file includes all the tools used in this project. We have also marked the tools which are mandatory because it is possible to do without some of the tools from the list;

  5. List of wood and other materials needed to build the same cabin as in the course. This list includes quantity and dimensions of the materials used when building the dovetail cabin. The list also includes information about the best days when to cut trees if you are starting from the very beginning including cutting trees and sawing or hewing them.

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How to apply

First option

First option is an online-only course which is available through our website here. It is one-time purchase, available forever. You will receive login details and other information after sending the payment. The video course and all the extra files will be available to you at any moment through our website by logging in with your email and password.

Course price - $295 US dollars

Summary of what is included:

  1. Eight detailed 4K quality videos with English subtitles for streaming online at any time and location;

  2. Different extra materials (3D file, blueprints, drawings, materials and tools lists);

  3. Consultations if you can’t get to understand something on your own and we will help you as much as we can.




Second option

Second option includes the first option (online version of the course) plus a physical copy – all course materials including video files written in a wooden usb flash drive which is put in special handmade wooden gift box. The course is still available online through our website here too. It is one-time purchase, available forever. You will receive login details for the online access and other information after sending the payment. The video course and all the extra files will be available to you at any moment either on your wooden usb flash drive or through our website by logging in with your email and password.

Please note that it is possible to give the course as a gift to another person. Enter the email address of the receiver of the gift and we will include instructions in the wooden gift box on how to access the online version of the course through our website. You will be able to enter the email address of the recipient of the gift once you fill in the orders details. The receiver won’t receive any emails from us so that the surprise is not spoiled.





Course price - $395 US dollars (Free Shipping Included)

Summary of what is included:

  1. Special handmade wooden gift box with a wooden usb flash drive inside. All course materials including nine hours of videos in FULL HD (1080P) quality are written in the flash drive and available to view and study at any moment;

  2. Free shipping by FedEx (approximately 3 day delivery) to any address in the world;

  3. Eight detailed 4K quality videos with English subtitles for streaming online at any time and location;

  4. Different extra materials (3D file, blueprints, drawings, materials and tools lists);

  5. Consultations if you can’t get to understand something on your own and we will help you as much as we can.



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