Sawyer Showcase:
Beavers Leave Behind Perfect Logs for Retiree to Build Off-Grid Cabin
David Saturday says he didn't want the trees to go to waste, so he built his own cabin to his wife's specifications
It was a desire to avoid wasting perfectly usable logs that motivated retiree David Saturday to transform a messy piece of property ruined by beavers and turn it into a gorgeous hand-made off-grid cabin.
“I recently retired a couple years ago, I was actually a union pipe fitter and welder for the last 43 years,” said David, age 64, who shared pictures of his work-in-progress cabin to the Woodland Mills Product Owners and Community Facebook group.
The gorgeous post-and-beam cabin, sided with live-edge slabs, was made entirely with material he cut down with a chainsaw from his land and milled up on his Woodland Mills HM126 Portable Sawmill.
The project started after David examined a piece of his property which was a “total mess” due to the beavers.
“So in the summer I took my equipment and started to clean it up. As it got nicer I told my wife ‘wouldn’t a little cabin sitting on the edge of that creek look cool?’ She agreed.”
Beavers can be surprisingly effective workers, taking down many trees which could be repurposed for this new building project.
“I had a lot of downed trees from the beavers I cleaned up and hated to waste them so I researched mills and decided on Woodland Mills.”
"I am so happy with my mill, I keep planning my next projects. I should have bought one years ago.”
During the day David would mill up trees and make progress on the cabin while his wife would join him in the evenings when she finished work.
“The design was all hers as she is better at that stuff than me. I just said ‘show me what you want and I’ll make it.’”
The cabin became a retirement passion project which David figured out as he went. It was his first portable sawmill project, and while he had done some carpentry and renovating before, he’s never built his own out-building.
“As the project progressed, I just kept adding to it to make it a little nicer. Honestly, we don’t even have a use for it. Maybe just a place to sit and enjoy with some friends. I’m 64 years old so I thought it would be nice to leave to my kids and maybe they can enjoy it for years to come.”
But David says while he got the mill for the cabin he’s been making plenty of use from it for other projects. He’s started making a pavilion for his daughter too and he’s also been making bar stools and tables.
“This was my first project like this but we are pleased so far with how it’s coming out. I am so happy with my mill, I keep planning my next projects. I should have bought one years ago.”
For anyone else considering a retirement project like this, David says you should just get a mill and just go for it.
“I’d say don’t be afraid to try. Start small, get familiar with your mill and don’t be afraid to make a mistake. It’s basically free lumber if you have access to trees and if you mess up that lumber can be turned into something else. Possibilities are endless and there are a bunch of ways to build, whatever your tastes are.”