Carpentry and Woodworking - Recondittioning old log cabin

I am reconditioning the logs (interior) in an old log cabin. There is all kinds of build up on the logs that needs to be removed. It's hard to tell what all is on the logs, but it needs to be scraped off for restaining, urethaning & chinking. There is shellac (?) in some places, grime build up in others, and other places appear to have had a chemical stripper applied which was never removed. I have been hand planing, hand chiseling, belt sanding, and orbital sanding the logs. Can anyone suggest a tool that might make the job go a little easier?

A large paint scraper might help.

If you are intending to renew the surface of the logs to apply a semi-transparent stain you will have to remove quite a bit of wood to have the finish appear even.

As far as a tool for making the job go easier all I can think of is a high output pressure washer.
Problem is the inside of your cabin would be a little damp to say the least.

I'm going to copy this to the woodworking forum where our expert wood guys reside.

Do a net search on cob blasting.

fred

I think you should stop your sanding and contact a preservationist. That's what I did for my tiny lakefront log cabin in NY.

The preservationist will take core samples of selected logs and take them to a lab where the layers will be picked apart and examined under a microscope, fully tested and identified. Without a survey of this type you really don't know what you are up against, and can't possibly put a time saving cost effective reconstructive plan in motion.

My core samples showed several thick layers of polyurethanes over shellac and varnishes with lots of carbon (from smoke - cigarette, wood stove, fireplace, etc) contaminations; and a that a couple different species of woods were used in construction, and that there was even once a fire inside.

These results allowed me to know what had ruined the patina of the logs and what options I could use - and could not use - to restore them. The preservationist also inspected my footings, the mortared joints between logs, the roof, and found some settlement and drainage issues I was unaware of.

With this information I hired a painting contractor who used the recomendations of the preservationist - a very potent paste remover. It was applied in a thick coat, was covered with a paper, and was left undisturbed for at least 24 hours. The paper was then removed, the logs cleaned with plastic scrapers, and then the paste residues were neutralized.

It took over two weeks to strip away all the layers of crud and another week to get the stubborn sections. Once cleaned and properly dried the painter refinished the logs with a sealer and stain recommended by the preservationist.

I know that there is a great deal of satisfaction from doing it ourselves - but sometimes a little outside professional help goes a long way.

I know that there is a great deal of satisfaction from doing it ourselves - but sometimes a little outside professional help goes a long way.
Truer words were never spoke. :)

Tom