Photo: my first tonogodhime stack (description in post)

I posted a photo in the gallery, but I'll describe it here too since images don't always load for folks. It's a tonogodhime stack: alternating pairs of logs at right angles, making a square log-cabin-like stack. Each layer is basically two logs side-by-side, and the next layer rotates 90 degrees and sits across them. No frame, no wire, nothing holding it except the weight and the alternating directions. I kept it low because I'm still figuring out my spacing. It feels surprisingly solid.

Looks tidy (description helps). Are your base logs sitting right on soil or did you put anything under them?

Right on soil. I scraped away the thick leaf mat first so the ends aren't buried, but I didn't add pallets or gravel.

How many layers did you do? I've seen people build them like little towers and I'm not sure what's normal.

Three layers for now. I might go to four once I see how it settles after some rain.