Meet the Norwegian Timber king!
Ole Ivar Lierhagen has spent decades turning solid logs into charming log homes. In Brumunddal, Norway, he has left his mark by building sustainable, beautiful buildings that breathe history and quality.
With a Logosol F2+ in his toolbox and a heart that beats for log houses, Ole Ivar has a lot of exciting things to share!
From hobby to lifestyle
Ole Ivar started building logs at the age of 20, when he built his own cabin with the help of an older mentor. His interest in forests and timber has always been there, although he cannot pinpoint exactly when it started.
– It was a bit of a coincidence, but me and a friend started building log houses, and then I got stuck,” he says with a smile.
Barkelaft: Norwegian log house building tradition at its best
Ole Ivar specializes in the traditional barkelaft technique.
– It’s similar to the Dala knot in Sweden, he explains.
The technique involves a pin in the knot that locks the logs together – a solid craft that withstands both time and weather.
The Logosol chain sawmill F2+ : A faithful partner in the building workshop and in the forest
When we mention the F2+ saw from Logosol, Ole Ivar lights up.
– It is perfect for sawing straight edges, something we need for the log houses we are building. I’ve just started sawing with it and the results are always good, he explains.
In addition to sawing the logs for the walls, Ole saws many other parts of the house.
– “Everything from flooring to roofing panels and wide posts of 8 to 10 inches are made with the saw,” says Ole.
When we ask Ole-Ivar what he thinks is best about the F2+ saw compared to the saws he has used before, we get an immediate answer.
Its portability is a big advantage:
– “I can easily take it wherever I need to work for the moment, and then I just switch from electric saw to chainsaw and go. I can lift it onto the trailer and take it to a house that needs repairing and saw out the logs I need immediately or take it out into the forest and saw up new logs,” he says.
Courses for the future
In addition to building logs, Ole Ivar teaches at the Crafts School in Dovre.
Ole-Ivar has been working there as a teacher since 2017 and holds courses for people of all ages, from 16 to 80.
– It’s great to see the participants’ commitment. Log house building is a tradition we need to preserve,” he says.
A regular log house course at Hanteverkskolan is 40 hours long and also attracts participants from all over Norway and Sweden.
Ole-Ivar measures the log in the corner of the log sauna he
building this spring – ready for its premiere in June!
The load-bearing structure of a mountain stable – a solid foundation where the roof and walls are often completed by other carpenters.
Sauna project – A combination of craftsmanship and tradition
Right now, Ole Ivar is working on building a sauna with a spa.
– I will be filming the process of sawing material for the sauna and how I build it, it’s my big project until the summer, says Ole-Ivar. We look forward to following and being inspired by it.
Ole-Ivar in his favorite discipline Singlebuck at Stihl TimberSports World Championship in Gothenburg 2023.
Timbersport and world records
As if building log houses wasn’t enough, Ole Ivar has also competed in Timbersport at the highest level.
– “I’ve been to 13 world championships and now I’m the team leader of the Norwegian national team,” he says. Favorite sport? Single buck, (the event where you saw through a 42 cm log), with an impressive personal best of about 13 seconds!
Ole Ivar has good advice for anyone involved in sawing:
– Create a good workplace and use the right tools. A good log turner can save you both time and back pain. The sawing itself is easy and usually straightforward, it’s the log handling you have to put some planning behind, he advises.
With a hefty dose of experience, infectious enthusiasm and a Logosol sawmillas a tool, Ole Ivar Lierhagen is an inspiring example of what can be created and achieved with passion for wood. We look forward to seeing more of his projects in the future!
Follow Ole-Ivar here on social media:
Instagram @logcabin_builder
YouTube @Norwegian log building
Ole Ivar saws several parts for log houses with his F2+ sawmill
The F2+ takes the F2 to the next level! This sawmill is sturdier, heavier, and designed for customers who need an extra-robust machine for handling large logs. All key components are reinforced to withstand the stress of heavy timber, and to accommodate larger logs, the log beds have been extended by a full 20 cm.
