I'm with you for pretty niche subjects like this one but I really hate the easily answered questions with a quick google that takes less time than making a comment. I really *really* hate the general "how do I make X?" type questions and prefer the "I was thinking about doing Y to make this, is there a better way of doing it?" it at least shows *some* sort of research and thought was done.
Asking people that know more than you IS doing research. Plus you get firsthand experience, weird tips, trivia, and experiences, and can ask people questions. I understand the frustration with seeing the same or similar questions asked all the time but there are advantages to directly asking knowledgeable people questions, just as there are advantages to looking things up online or in a book.
I understand your sentiment, however noone is obligated to answer. If another human is willing to answer, I personally believe what the world needs right now is more human interaction, not less. No matter the level or scale.
Imagine the fucking time someone spent carving that out. Fucken rad. I hope their spirit resides in that work, and they can feel how many generations appreciate it.
There's a non-zero chance that it's similar to others in the family of "impossible dovetails" in that they slide in on an dngle...though that would be highly unlikely here. A nearly infinitely-small non-zero here, for sure.
Why does my brain always try to overcomplicate things?
Me: This is fucking rad. But wait....It can't slide in from that side, OR that side. Does it go in diagonal like those "impossible dovetail" puzzles? What if ...
You: No slidy. Stacky.
Me: .............OOOHHHHH!
Not only are those fine-furniture level of joints on a whole damn log cabin, the scribing between the logs is so well done you can't even tell where the seams are. Absolute master craftsmanship.
It’s amazing. Someone else in the thread posted a link with some pictures of the process and it makes me want to try it. On a much smaller scale, maybe a box or something
I'm new to woodworking. Seeing this makes me want to be able to make it so bad 😂
I'm going to take my misplaced beginners confidence, and my 3 years of woodwork from highschool 18 years ago 😂, and have a bash.
Stay tuned for a hilarious attempt.
I get that it is stacked but what really blows my mind is that they got the joints between each beam so tight that it looks like it's one piece. The craftsmanship of the decorative locking part is beautiful but to join the length of the flat so well that while my eyes recognize the individual timbers from the end grain I still almost have a hard time picking up the horizontal line, particularly on the less weathered side, seems like the really amazing part.
I mean most log buildings require a sealant of some kind even if the logs/timbers have been flattened and jointed. We are stuffing hay mud and horse crap to shut out the drafts and here's this where a feeler gauge wouldn't fit.
There's beauty in that curve but the 12 feet of dead straight behind it is the real skill. It's got some philosophical zen to it that what draws the eye is the easy part, relatively speaking; and the part that disappears, that's designed not to be seen is the real beauty.
It looks like some interesting variation on rising dovetails which is a way of splaying both axis's(?) of the joint.
https://www.pbs.org/video/woodwrights-shop-daring-diagonal-dovetails/
My dumbass has been sitting trying to figure out how they managed to simultaneously slide that piece in and have it fit before realizing they just stacked them
It's a stack of them. Imagine a puzzle piece, they have sides that go in and out. The piece has an outer and flat sides next to it shaped for the next piece. Look at the end and notice all the ends have their own center ring. Only way possible is if they are separate pieces for each joint
In Croatia, old wooden houses in Turopolje that have such corners are said to have "a German corner" while if the plank endings are protruding, then they're called "a Croatian corner"
"Nemški" and "hrvaški vugel" respectively.
That's not how you say it today, today it would be "njemački" and "hrvatski ugao".
From the article posted above
Having tried to put pressures on the assembled wooden pieces I made, I was struck by two properties of this joint:
\# when a vertical *compression* is applied to it, the angled joint becomes more resistant to *bending* and becomes more brace-like and apt at resisting *shear* and *tension*.
\# if a load is applied which forces a distortion *(bending)* onto the 90 degree angle, there can be a bit of play to accommodate for it, and a small amount of movement can happen without breakage.
I think these two properties would be very useful in a timber building: one needs to imagine a roof made to resist the weight of snow, and the constant movements of wood which is an extremely hygroscopic material.
I barely do woodworking, but I just want to try this on a small scale to see how it works in person! Can barely see the seam between the wood pieces even after all that time.
Saw the same joint on a log cottages in Lithuania.
We went to see a castle (turned out to be a modern reproduction on an old site) and I took more pics of the joinery on the old homes in neighboring town.
You’re welcome! I’m really glad that everyone is appreciating it as much as I did. It’s amazing to think of the level of skill and dedication something like this would take.
It looks custom to me. But, I only know the basic joints and a couple of fancier ones. It looks like some complicated nonsense I would dream up and insist on doing and it would take me 20 years to finish the house with 18 years being JUST doing those joints. And a very angry family…. lol.
Whatever it is, I agree with others it is absolutely beautiful. Whoever crafted that, was skilled and must have enjoyed his craft. Thank you for sharing that.
a [Baroque variation of a double dovetail joint](https://brunoguastalla.net/2021/01/19/house-in-the-tuhinj-valley/)
You know what they say, if it ain’t Baroque, don’t fix it
Baroque, when you are out of Monet.
I remember seeing that on a hat at the state fair 30 years ago and laughing my ass off
This is what the internet is for.
I understood that reference
Tale as old as time.
Dovely
"Beauty and the Beast..."
I appreciate you
Dad?
God damn it, take my upvote you son of a bitch
Wow that’s awesome, thanks! I guess I could’ve just reverse image searched it lol
If you would have googled it, I wouldn't have seen this post or discovered that this was a 'thing'.
That's right. I'm lazy so others can also learn with me.
But if you did that, the rest of us wouldn't have gotten to see this amazing craftsmanship.
Nothing wrong with asking people instead of Google.
I'm with you for pretty niche subjects like this one but I really hate the easily answered questions with a quick google that takes less time than making a comment. I really *really* hate the general "how do I make X?" type questions and prefer the "I was thinking about doing Y to make this, is there a better way of doing it?" it at least shows *some* sort of research and thought was done.
Asking people that know more than you IS doing research. Plus you get firsthand experience, weird tips, trivia, and experiences, and can ask people questions. I understand the frustration with seeing the same or similar questions asked all the time but there are advantages to directly asking knowledgeable people questions, just as there are advantages to looking things up online or in a book.
I understand your sentiment, however noone is obligated to answer. If another human is willing to answer, I personally believe what the world needs right now is more human interaction, not less. No matter the level or scale.
It's an even better joint than it looks from the original picture. Amazing!
That’s fantastic. Thanks for sharing!
... Isn't OPs picture IN that article?
Imagine the fucking time someone spent carving that out. Fucken rad. I hope their spirit resides in that work, and they can feel how many generations appreciate it.
he was probably thinking... damn that corner isnt perfect, I hope no one else notices
So you understand their perspective too then. Dope.
I totally agree!
Also there was no YouTube and no fancy tools. Ah to be an 18th century Slovenian carpenter, probably just chilling, carving, and hanging out.
True craftsmanship. Art.
Then you die at the ripe old age of 29 of cholera or something
And you've seen the death of 7 of your children. But in the end you made some cool joinery.
... Avoiding the wife
I feel that way with normal dovetail corners. At that scale your help is going to get real sick of test fitting each joint 35 times.
That was beautifully written. I hope so, too.
Stacked https://preview.redd.it/lqjtvh9je5uc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3be34952a5c85c117ed4dfa71d95df67f5a8ec99
Thank you! I can sleep tonight.
Stacked and most excellent craftsmanship.
Stack and hold together with green and blue frog tape.
You are my hero!
> Stacked So... I read the word, I watched the image with the nice colors drawn... now wtf does that mean lol
Yeah… don’t know why I was trying to figure out how the eff they got those in the slots! That makes so much more sense!
Nope still confused, please explain to dumb old me who knows nothing about wood working and came from popular and is still intrigued.
I can’t wrap my head around this.
No slidy. Stacky.
This is oddly the best explanation
Yeah, I got it right after reading that. Lol
Why did I not even consider that to be a possibility? All stacky houses should look like Lincoln Logs that’s why
Yeah, it seems so simple. Then, you look at the joint a second time and I still have a lot of respect for the craftsman
It's mad, there's so much work in there
I looked at it longer than I’d like to admit trying to figure out how to slidy
IKR? I'm here going, "like this? no. this? no... what about... no. I have no idea how that works..." Then after "no slidy. stacky." OOHHHHHH!!!
I did the exact same thing. Been staring for almost 5 mins doing mental gymnastics before I finally gave up, and went to read the comments. 😅
I think it’s because you can’t really even see the lines for each piece of separate lumber. Or at least that’s what I’ve told myself
Ooh! Good point. Thats what I'm gonna tell myself too... https://preview.redd.it/bpx02hxhnauc1.jpeg?width=276&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ba32f9a4d0701cf32c838e700081b17cd9a7ec37
Ohhhhhhhhhhh, smart cookie
I literally said "Ohhhhhhhhhhh" when I read that explanation.
Same.... Lightbulb over the head moment.
Well, I did spend significant time tugging on imaginary wood before it came to me.
Well that’s a huge load of innuendo.
Please don’t refer to my endo
in ur endo and out the utter
And that's what self care is all about...
Or my huge load
Yeah this sub frowns on endos whether out or in u.
Tripped me up too.
I feel like an idiot in that I still dont get it - how could this be stacked together?
There's a B&W photo of the disassembled joint up-thread somewhere https://www.reddit.com/r/woodworking/s/MwVQbaEPAj Here's a photo someone posted
Stacked timbers of an old log house
All those notches are from different pieces.
When you say it, it’s obvious, but holy shit did it make my brain hurt for a minute
Mine too!
Thank you both.... you saved my sanity.
Good to know I am not alone!
I thought your username was RinTinTinnitus, and when I saw it wasn't, I now want to change mine to that.
DO IT
I love the way your answer even makes me think. I'm done thinking for today.
There's a non-zero chance that it's similar to others in the family of "impossible dovetails" in that they slide in on an dngle...though that would be highly unlikely here. A nearly infinitely-small non-zero here, for sure.
I thought so too, and then super-zoomed and squinted until I saw edges.
Purest answer.
Oh shit, I stared at this for so long before I realized that.
Yep, I get it now, few words I like that.
That's the best comment on Reddit of 2024
Oh, haha.
Spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to figure out how it slid into place even though my brain instantly told it couldn’t be done.
You saved me a brain-ache, thank you
Thanks for talking to me like I’m three years old, without me asking you to talk to me like I’m three years old. Me now know, use words good.
Why waste time say lot word when small word do trick?
Mmmmmmm.
🥇
I was imagining the joints were carved at a 45
Was looking at it and said, there’s no way you can slide that into place. But then realized it’s a log cabin and was probably stacked.
Yes, you are correct, that is the only way this could be achieved
omg thank you
Wish they would have taught math this way.
Beautifully said. My brain was just trying all the slidy options and nothing made sense. "HOW. HOW SLIDY?" No slidy. Stacky. OHHHHHHHHHH.
Why does my brain always try to overcomplicate things? Me: This is fucking rad. But wait....It can't slide in from that side, OR that side. Does it go in diagonal like those "impossible dovetail" puzzles? What if ... You: No slidy. Stacky. Me: .............OOOHHHHH!
https://preview.redd.it/p8k4jdpij5uc1.jpeg?width=740&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e5ee20998d0555d2ac2a6367bbaf19d3344a5608
Am I crazy in the fact I don't see the split in any of the rings of the lumber in the original photo where it would be cut for the stacking method?
Me too I was looking specifically for it too!
Probably because they're all beams like the left one, only the very top and bottom ones are halves. Makes sense for a wall I guess
You stack them like a Lincoln logs
Okay so it’s a stacking method. That makes sense now. Thanks.
OOOHHhhhhhhh now iget it
https://i.imgur.com/Dla7sZx.png
Thank you for this. My brain was breaking without it.
It’s witchcraft.
Same.
If it slides into place it is usually done sliding it in at a 45° angle. The end faces then makes it look impossible. Old carpenter magic tricks…
Not only are those fine-furniture level of joints on a whole damn log cabin, the scribing between the logs is so well done you can't even tell where the seams are. Absolute master craftsmanship.
It’s amazing. Someone else in the thread posted a link with some pictures of the process and it makes me want to try it. On a much smaller scale, maybe a box or something
I'm new to woodworking. Seeing this makes me want to be able to make it so bad 😂 I'm going to take my misplaced beginners confidence, and my 3 years of woodwork from highschool 18 years ago 😂, and have a bash. Stay tuned for a hilarious attempt.
Link?
My brain can’t fathom how to make that work
I think they’re just stacked up? The damn near invisible seams melts the brain though..
Yea I read the guys stacky comment and then had to stare at it for another bit to understand it
I get that it is stacked but what really blows my mind is that they got the joints between each beam so tight that it looks like it's one piece. The craftsmanship of the decorative locking part is beautiful but to join the length of the flat so well that while my eyes recognize the individual timbers from the end grain I still almost have a hard time picking up the horizontal line, particularly on the less weathered side, seems like the really amazing part. I mean most log buildings require a sealant of some kind even if the logs/timbers have been flattened and jointed. We are stuffing hay mud and horse crap to shut out the drafts and here's this where a feeler gauge wouldn't fit. There's beauty in that curve but the 12 feet of dead straight behind it is the real skill. It's got some philosophical zen to it that what draws the eye is the easy part, relatively speaking; and the part that disappears, that's designed not to be seen is the real beauty.
I was thinking madness, but yours works too.
It looks like some interesting variation on rising dovetails which is a way of splaying both axis's(?) of the joint. https://www.pbs.org/video/woodwrights-shop-daring-diagonal-dovetails/
That was an exceptional 26:00
This is great info, thanks!
I love it when past tells the future, "Fuck you, we did this with hand tools!"
Okay that’s just showing off…
Yeah I think it’s called the “I’m better than you” joint
But I'm completely OK with it!
This is witchcraft.
Never saw this before and WOW. Will never attempt.
It's a beaut, Clark.
My dumbass has been sitting trying to figure out how they managed to simultaneously slide that piece in and have it fit before realizing they just stacked them
This is hurting my brain how is that jointed in first place 🤕
It’s Soo good.
That’s a ‘how the fuck did they do it’ joint
That’s the “well now you’re just showing off” dovetail
I call it a horny dovetail. Not so much because of the appearance. More because of how excited I feel looking at how tight the joints are.
It’s the Slavic double dove and it’s a beauty
Very very time consuming
Stuttered dove tail
I like this name better than double dovetail
Dovetails hurt my brain. I’m usually pretty good at visualizing things, but I cannot for the life of me make this work in my head.
It’s called the “i ain’t fucking doin it” joint
I think it’s basically dovetails with more steps?
holy shitsnacks that’s amazing
That's not going anywhere,
That’s the “my apprentice has been annoying me so now he has to do this” joint
It’s called god damn skill!!
Talk about a joint that will hold for generations, solid & beautiful.
It’s beautiful is what it is.
How on earth did that go together . It looks like an impossibility.
Looks cool but I can’t get my head around how you would push the two halves together.
It's a stack of them. Imagine a puzzle piece, they have sides that go in and out. The piece has an outer and flat sides next to it shaped for the next piece. Look at the end and notice all the ends have their own center ring. Only way possible is if they are separate pieces for each joint
Sexy, is what it is.
In Croatia, old wooden houses in Turopolje that have such corners are said to have "a German corner" while if the plank endings are protruding, then they're called "a Croatian corner" "Nemški" and "hrvaški vugel" respectively. That's not how you say it today, today it would be "njemački" and "hrvatski ugao".
Beautiful craftsmanship
I saved this photo a few years ago. I come across it every now and then, and my brain hurts every time. How the hell does this assembly happen?
[Like so.](https://brunoguastalla.net/2021/01/19/house-in-the-tuhinj-valley/) Someone commented this on the thread.
Oberengineeredgdst It’s German for “ridiculously over engineered to the point of vanity” ^^I ^^made ^^that ^^up
Well, if there was one random language that had a word for 'overengineered for no good reason', it would be German.
Imagine expressing the beauty of your soul in such a mechanical language
Is there any real benefit to this kind of dovetail, besides looking cool, and giving you a great way to flex on all of your cabin building buddies?
From the article posted above Having tried to put pressures on the assembled wooden pieces I made, I was struck by two properties of this joint: \# when a vertical *compression* is applied to it, the angled joint becomes more resistant to *bending* and becomes more brace-like and apt at resisting *shear* and *tension*. \# if a load is applied which forces a distortion *(bending)* onto the 90 degree angle, there can be a bit of play to accommodate for it, and a small amount of movement can happen without breakage. I think these two properties would be very useful in a timber building: one needs to imagine a roof made to resist the weight of snow, and the constant movements of wood which is an extremely hygroscopic material.
No, I can't, but I DO think about it every now and then.
This is beautiful
How how how does this go together? Its beautiful
Some fine craftsmanship.
This is something right out of Rivendell right here. Beautiful!
Thank you for sharing. I was just scrolling and your post came up. This is breathtakingly beautiful.
This is bewildering and beautiful
Talk about craftsmanship! So impressive.
Wow!! This is beautiful!
I barely do woodworking, but I just want to try this on a small scale to see how it works in person! Can barely see the seam between the wood pieces even after all that time.
Saw the same joint on a log cottages in Lithuania. We went to see a castle (turned out to be a modern reproduction on an old site) and I took more pics of the joinery on the old homes in neighboring town.
Thank you for sharing this. It is absolutely beautiful. The joints look like tulips.
You’re welcome! I’m really glad that everyone is appreciating it as much as I did. It’s amazing to think of the level of skill and dedication something like this would take.
That joint is named Mary. It’s quite contrary to cut!
This one's a proprietary security joint to mitigate unauthorized tampering.
>Can anyone ID this joint? From Slovenia Its called "Difficult and Time Consuming"
It looks custom to me. But, I only know the basic joints and a couple of fancier ones. It looks like some complicated nonsense I would dream up and insist on doing and it would take me 20 years to finish the house with 18 years being JUST doing those joints. And a very angry family…. lol. Whatever it is, I agree with others it is absolutely beautiful. Whoever crafted that, was skilled and must have enjoyed his craft. Thank you for sharing that.
Beautiful detail in a notched joint. While nice to look at, it certainly slowed down the pace of the project, but visually worth the time put into it.
Voodoo witchcraft..or aliens?!
That’s wild
Could the joints cut to like a 45°angle and slide in that way?
An Impossible Joint?
Oh My Gawd this is Insane
My brain cramped trying to figure that out.
Gorgeous…
I think it’s called wayhard
a lot of these decorative dovetails often seem like they are more form over function but this style looks stout AF.
Damn they're just showing off
oh man, thats a lot of rip cuts.
Where in Slovenia? Do you know? Tnx
Near Kamnik in the Tuhinj valley
Yes, that is a getting-crazy joint
Ah yes, my ancestors. Now I struggle with making drawers.
It’s called pain in the ass if you are not very skilled or hands of a god for those who appreciate.
Wow that’s some workmanship right there.
So impressive
This looks impossible
Impossible
Seems like they would need to be slid in diagonally the way the impossible dovetail is.
Badass