# How to cut sections for interlocking timber



## Cresswellp (25 Jun 2012)

Hi,

I am planning to build a summer house and like the look of the log cabin style. e.g - see attachment.


The main construction uses stacked tongue and groove timber, interlocked in the corners. That's a lot of sections (2x each) to cut out of each of the lengths if I were to use a jig saw etc. What is the best and quickest way to do this?

My research so far has led to looking at using a table saw with a stacked dado set which i could adjust to run each end through uniformly. But the timber will be 28mm thick and I'm struggling to find a table saw that will accept a dado set that wide...

I'd appreciate any advice...

Thanks,

Pete


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## No skills (25 Jun 2012)

Thats some long timbers to be trying to run on a mitre fence through a table saw, or are the interlocking bits seperate from the main lengths that form the walls??

How about a morticer machine instead?


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## No skills (25 Jun 2012)

Sorry! welcome to the forum


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## MickCheese (25 Jun 2012)

If you are keen to do it yourself then I would suggest a radial arm saw. Moving the wood over the blade would not be very easy.

Mick


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## Dusty (25 Jun 2012)

Why not use a router and a simple jig made from MDF . I know some of the sheds versions are plant on bits to give the effect but very flimsy ......

Kind regards Sam


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## Cresswellp (25 Jun 2012)

Thanks for the suggestions Mick and no Skills.

Just to be clear, I'd be buying tongue and grooved timber so it's just the 28mm square notch out of each end I'd need to cut. So when I was thinking of the dado set, only this small section would run over the blade. But I haven't done this before so I'm sure it sounds a lot easier than it is!! 
Did you get that from my last message or was it unclear? 

The morticer cutting a square hole is an interesting idea, since the cut is on the edge of the wood do you think this would still work and cut accurately?

Regarding the radial arm saw, can you get dado sets to fit these that would cut a 28mm square out, or would it be a case of two cuts and chiseling out the middle?

Thanks again,

Pete


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## Cresswellp (25 Jun 2012)

Thanks Sam, the pesky corners would still need chiseling out right?
Or if I use a small enough bit would it be close enough to fit together do you think?

Cheers,

Pete


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## Phil Pascoe (25 Jun 2012)

Make sure you soak all the cut ends in a good preservative, otherwise you'll have a pile of rot on your hands within 2 or 3 years!


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## Teckel (26 Jun 2012)

As was said already..a radial arm saw and a couple of passes over it. Set yourself up with a stop block from each end of the plank and that will get an accurate cut for your 28mm.


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## Chems (26 Jun 2012)

So the main construction is standard, and the t&g board goes on after to give the illusion of interlocked corners. The t&g isn't the actual structural wood like the real interlock cabins are? 

I don't think you'll do it on any sort of machine where you need to move the wood, it'll be to much labour and space hog. What I'd do is get all your stuff cut to length for the two sets of sides. Then stack them up, clamp them all up and like someone said above make a MDF router jig and just plow down the line of them to get your notch. You'd only need to set up your jig 4 times for each set of walls. It may take a bit of setting up but the actually cutting won't take long at all. Heres my impression of what this will look like just encase I didn't do a good job of describing it:


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## Benchwayze (27 Jun 2012)

+1 for the router. Every time. 
Sash cramps to hold the timber, and a suitable mdf jig. 

Making a pie would be more difficult.


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## SteveW1000 (27 Jun 2012)

Hi I use to make planters that assembled like this. I build a channel with end stop put the wood in like Chems picture two battens across the top to guide the router and way you go. Two points with this method, you need to clamp the timber in place well as there is a tendency for it to move while the cutter is working and depending how deep the notches are you're going to have to take several passes to remove the timber.

Steve


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## Markymark (15 Jan 2014)

Hi

Did you complete this project? Did you find a supplier for the interlocking timber sections as I am thinking of creating a granny annexe using the same product.

Thanks 

Mark


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## Rhossydd (15 Jan 2014)

Markymark":z30g2u48 said:


> Did you complete this project? Did you find a supplier for the interlocking timber sections as I am thinking of creating a granny annexe using the same product


Given the OP was last on in 26/6/12 and only ever made three posts in two days, I doubt you'll get an answer.

I tried to find a supplier of this sort of 'log cabin' T&G myself a year or two ago, but had no luck at all. I got the impression that it was all machined abroad and only reached these shores in the form of complete kit structures.
I'd love to be proved wrong and hear of a supplier though.
I guess another approach would be to get a batch custom machined, but the set up costs might be too steep to make it economic for anything but a large project.


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## MMUK (15 Jan 2014)

I'm sure I've seen the half round for sale in timber merchants before now. Although to be a proper log cabin, you'd have full logs and split them down the middle on site.


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## Markymark (16 Jan 2014)

Thanks

It does seem a closed shop on this stuff. There are some major players in this country and I cant believe for one minute that they buy in kits. I feel most of this wood comes from scandinavia. 

I'll keep looking and in the meantime if anyone can spread any light.


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## Rhossydd (16 Jan 2014)

MMUK":2qls0q87 said:


> I'm sure I've seen the half round for sale in timber merchants before now.


The OP wasn't talking about round 'real' logs, just look at the photo posted, hence the quotation marks.

The product he's after is a heavy duty rectangular T&G wall section that interlocks vertically by about 20mm or more. It comes in 22,34,44mm standard thicknesses. You'll find garden buildings made with this sort of material in better garden centres, prices start at at around £1,500, so very much a premium product.


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## Markymark (16 Jan 2014)

Rhossydd":3p8b6zwx said:


> MMUK":3p8b6zwx said:
> 
> 
> > I'm sure I've seen the half round for sale in timber merchants before now.
> ...




Thats the stuff I am looking for. The interlocking Tongue and Grove. I hear it comes in radically different grades. Some garden buildings seem to have warped that much you can post letters in between the gaps. The others seem stable and don't twist and warp so much. 

Apologies may be I should of been more clear. Heavy Duty round faced T&G wall sections please.

M


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## Rhossydd (16 Jan 2014)

Markymark":3t1lh0bt said:


> Heavy Duty round faced T&G wall sections please.


I think you need to be very specific here.
The section in the photo the OP shows is a flat faced profile with a, close to, V shape between the sections when assembled. Theses are the style that comes in the fixed 28/34/44 thicknesses.
There is another style of 'log cabin' construction that uses a round (oval to be precise) faced interlocking profile, but this style is less widely available in the UK, than the flat faced section.

I've not seen any examples of this type of building that exhibit any warping myself. A 54mm interlocking section that warps enough to see through would be pretty impressive.


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## Markymark (16 Jan 2014)

I think at this early stage just a supplier of interlocking sections would suffice. I can't be too picky.


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## Deejay (16 Jan 2014)

Morning Mark

http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/mvf/st ... 0mm-x-47mm

Any good?

Cheers

Dave


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## Rhossydd (16 Jan 2014)

That looks like the stuff, although not a standard sort of size.
"Dung walling" who would have searched for that as a description of tongue and grooved log cabin material ?


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## Markymark (16 Jan 2014)

Deejay":35isuxjw said:


> Morning Mark
> 
> http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/mvf/st ... 0mm-x-47mm
> 
> ...


Morning Dave 

Great Find. Thanks for the link. As they say on my backdoor.

Mark


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## srp (17 Jan 2014)

Try http://www.southern-timber.co.uk/gbu0-p ... dding.html if you want a rounded profile. The Mole Valley stuff is just plain t and g, just a bit thicker than normal.


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## MMUK (17 Jan 2014)

Ah, I see. I'm sure Snows Timber near Glastonbury sell extra thick T&G for this purpose.


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## Markymark (17 Jan 2014)

srp":2fzakvmr said:


> Try http://www.southern-timber.co.uk/gbu0-p ... dding.html if you want a rounded profile. The Mole Valley stuff is just plain t and g, just a bit thicker than normal.




Thanks Srp


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