MAKE LOG CABIN SIDING WITH A WOODMASTER — Twin brothers tell their woodworking story

Todd and Tim James built Tim's new home on the 364 Pennsylvania acres that's been their family's farm since 1956. They made all their own log cabin siding with their Woodmaster.

Todd and Tim James built Tim’s new home on the 364 Pennsylvania acres that’s been their family’s farm since 1956. They made all their own log cabin siding with their Woodmaster.

Tim's design called for log cabin siding inside, too.

Tim’s design called for log cabin siding inside, too.  

Hi, Woodmaster,

This is Todd and Tim James writing. We’re twin brothers. We purchased a Woodmaster from you two years ago. We started a project building a log cabin two years ago. Everything you see in the pictures was done with our Woodmaster.

We build cottages, tables, benches, log beds, kids’ playhouses, tongue and groove boards, log siding, wood trim, hardwood flooring, and more.

Our Woodmaster has paid for itself and we’ve done a lot of log siding for customers. We love it and have had a lot of success with it. We like doing woodworking and we’ve run a lot of wood through this machine!

Tim and Todd James, Everett PA

Here's Todd James with the Woodmaster and its 3-Side Molding System.

Here’s Todd James with the Woodmaster and its 3-Side Molding System.

Tim James and the brothers' Woodmaster 718.

Tim James and the brothers’ Woodmaster Molder/Planer.

Now, this is a beautiful ceiling. The James brothers alternate narrower and wider boards to accentuate the beauty of the wood. Great job! Todd did the stonework, too.

Now, this is a beautiful ceiling. The James brothers alternate narrower and wider boards to accentuate the beauty of the wood. Great job! Todd did the stonework, too.

“We had never done any woodworking”

“We’re twins, 52 years old. Tim started building a house and wanted log siding so we got a Woodmaster and started making our own. Then I started building furniture. It’s getting so people are beginning to see my work and are ordering tables and more. We build log siding hunting shacks for people, nine of them so far.

We’re farm boys and had never done any woodworking. We’ve raised cattle and white tail deer on our 364 acres here in Pennsylvania.

Quite a lovely view from Tim's front porch.

Quite a lovely view from Tim’s front porch.

I spent $15,000 on siding for my doublewide. Then I got on the internet and looked at woodworking machinery. We found Woodmaster and saw you can make your own log siding. We got a Woodmaster and started making it. Woodmaster had the most capability and options for the price. Grizzly equipment can’t make log siding. That’s why we got the upgraded 5HP motor. When you make log siding, you’re taking off so much wood you want the extra power.

I had Woodmaster make me a log cabin siding knife. I sent a sample piece of siding that has a deeper profile than their stock knives. I also got the Trim Package and made the hardwood flooring for my house. It’s a good story…..

The James boys make furniture, too, with their Woodmaster. Todd tells us his furniture business is starting to take off.

The James boys make furniture, too, with their Woodmaster. Todd tells us his furniture business is starting to take off.

“If he’d known, he’d have charged me a lot more”

A fellow I know had six or seven pickup truck loads of logs sitting in the woods so long they looked like they’d gone all rotten. I offered him $50 for everything. I showed him a sample after I’d sawn, ripped, and planed it into flooring. I used Woodmaster’s 3-Side Molding System to cut the tongue and groove. He said if he’d known the wood would turn out that nice he’d have charged me a lot more!

Todd calls this his kids' playhouse. How'd your kids or grandkids like a playhouse like this?

Todd calls this his kids’ playhouse. How’d your kids or grandkids like a playhouse like this?

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Pennsylvania, of course, has a long hunting heritage. Tim and Todd build log cabin hunting sheds — 9 so far and counting.

Pennsylvania, of course, has a long hunting heritage. Tim and Todd build log cabin hunting sheds — 9 so far and counting.

Tim works in manufacturing; I’m doing woodworking full time now. We got your Model 718 with an upgraded 5HP motor, a high production C2 molding head, a spiral cutterhead, and your 3-side molding system. I use our Woodmaster primarily as a planer, sometimes as a sander. I use the ripsaw, too.

Tips to make a wood floor look great

For flooring, I’ll make floorboards several widths. I may put a 7” board through the gang ripsaw attachment and rip it into two boards — one 4” and one 3”. I lay down a 4” board, then a 3”, then a 2”. That breaks up the contrast and really makes the floor look great. I put up ceiling boards the same way — an 8” board, then a 6”, then 8” and so on.

Woodmaster was less money than other machines even with all the extra attachments. If I’d bought separate machines for each function, I’d have to get a separate planer, a sander, a ripsaw, and a siding machine. My shop wouldn’t hold them all. Woodmaster is 4 machines in 1. Tool changes are easy, I can swap out heads in 20 minutes max. The heads swap easily.

Beautiful workmanship and an extraordinary surface on this handmade table.

Beautiful workmanship and an extraordinary surface on this handmade table.

“I can make up to $300 in a day”

Guys bring me lumber to plane into log siding and I charge them 20 cents a board foot. And they’re bringing 75 or 100 boards for me to run. I can make up to $300 a day just making log siding.I’m very happy with all this equipment. If I get busier, I might buy a bigger Woodmaster. I’d keep one set as a planer and the other for other jobs.

Nice little business —  lot of fun, too

I’m having a lot of fun doing this. My brother and I have put probably 10,000 board feet through the machine. I run it every day. This is turning into a nice little business, covers all I need. It keeps my mind occupied as I build things. That makes my day!”

— Todd & Tim James, Woodmaster Owners, Everett PA

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