Hobbit House (4): From Trees to House Logs

The hobbit house build continues to progress. We've made multiple trips to harvest eucalyptus trees from Ned’s grove in Pangatotara. Now it’s time to remove bark from the trees. Debarking is essential so that the logs can dry properly, and thus prevent rot and insect infestation. I’ve hundreds of hours of experience with a drawknife from my days, nearly four decades ago, living in the Alaskan bush. One of my tasks for our Rocky River log cabin build was removing bark from Sitka Spruce, as shown in the Alaskan photo below:

Now it is an earthbag and cob hobbit house that we are tackling. If we lived in a desert, we could simply proceed with the earthbags. But since we live on New Zealand’s South Island (with very changeable weather), it is essential that we first erect a post-and-beam frame and finished roof, before beginning the earthen stages.  Debarking the eucalyptus logs is the first essential step. 

The following video shows the process and progress. 

Deepest thanks to our international team of helpers, who came to us via the Help Exchange network. Similar exchange opportunities exist for travelers via WWOOF Independents (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms) and Work Away. 

Through these networks, worldwide travelers receive room and board in exchange for an average of four hours of help daily. Our project, building a Cob Hobbit house, had massive appeal.  Sometimes our enthusiastic crews worked overtime and merited extra days off to explore Kahurangi National Park and the Pearse River resurgent.   Photos taken from the summit of nearby Mt. Arthur (1,795 metres (5,889 feet elevation), and the Pearse resurgent.

Please subscribe for the next episodes, in which we tackle the concrete footers, and prepare for the erection of the first posts for the frame. Jeff, the Nomad Builder, joins in to work with Barry.