Timber Framing

[Dave Shepard]

I finished the last assembly of the barn I'm working on this Sunday. I have another day or two on some details with the sills, and then I'm done with this project. I couldn't get the whole wall in frame, so I tried my phone's panorama feature. It's a little weird, so I took one from the floor as well. There are a lot of new parts in this gable so it took almost two weeks to make and fit all the new parts and make sure everything fits right.

 

[woodworkingboy]

All that careful pre-fitting would seem to make a big difference in how clean the results are. Time consuming, but well spent. Are you working with all dry lumber there?

 

[Dave Shepard]

Anything dark brown is original. It's almost all eastern white pine, except for the brace in the bottom center of the bottom photo, and the two outside posts, which is oak. The new timbers were all sawn last November and stacked outside. They get fake hewn to dimension, then laid over the existing parts and scribed in. The stock for the two splayed scarfs is sawn out over sized, then the scarf is roughed out and left to dry as long as possible before final fitting. For the other barn I built a tent in the corner of the shop and ran a dehumidifier for two months. Once the part is fit to the original piece, I hew off the excess wood and blend the two pieces together. I only tried reusing old wood once, and it was very low quality, and over 200 years old. It was time consuming, and once I hewed it to match, it wasn't old looking anymore. I'll see if I can find a pic.

 

[woodworkingboy]

With furniture work too, pre-fitting is quite crucial. sometimes many times over and over as something goes along. Keeping yourself patient is a big part of it. The crack sound is really something that I hate so much. I start stomping my feet and yelling.....at myself. Sometimes every name in the book.

 

[Dave Shepard]

I found a pic of the one piece that I used old wood on. The part is a door post, and I had some of the original sill that was salvaged so I resawed it to make the repair. The sill timbers were most likely the top logs after they got something better out of the butt, like a 10"x13"x26' purlin post. It was not a lot of fun to work, but there was one reward. If you look at the spiral checking, you will notice it twists in the same direction in the original part and the repair stock, and that the checks line up.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Is it gonna fit out the door???

Ha!

 

[brendonv]

Bumping this to get the juices flowing.

I had plans drawn up for a building to hold the trucks.

I have twelve pines to drop and haul any of the wood i want. Should be enough for the building.

I guess you can mark this as a project thread, step by step.

Finally think i have the time to do this.

 

[Husabud]

Is that a Saltbox style Brendon?

 

[flushcut]

Love it!

 

[brendonv]

Not sure what technicalities would classify it as salt box, but ya probably.

On a side note. My dream house i am going to build some day is a salt box. I love them.

 

[Dave Shepard]

I bet you've got a lot of great old houses down your way to look at for inspiration. Save one of your nicest logs for the brace stock.

 

[brendonv]

You can say im a window peaker.

 

[brendonv]

Dave,

Do i have to saw the brace stock with a boxed heart like the main beams?

 

[Dave Shepard]

I don't. I get a really nice log, usually a butt, and make a whole pile of brace stock.

 

[Marc-Antoine]

I found a pic of the one piece that I used old wood on. The part is a door post, and I had some of the original sill that was salvaged so I resawed it to make the repair. The sill timbers were most likely the top logs after they got something better out of the butt, like a 10"x13"x26' purlin post. It was not a lot of fun to work, but there was one reward. If you look at the spiral checking, you will notice it twists in the same direction in the original part and the repair stock, and that the checks line up.

View attachment 49566

Wow, perhaps not so fun, but nice result. It seems you just put some dye on the second half of the part.
You are the man !

 

[Burnham]

Kickin', Bren. Do it.

 

[brendonv]

Step one.

Rain day. Finish install and light wood stove.

 

[rumination]

Sweet! There's something so comforting about a blazing wood stove.

 

[Cobleskill]

Warms the old bones up. Wouldn't be without one.

 

[woodworkingboy]

I'll be cooking my lunch in the stove at the shop today. Might catch a few Zs next to it after. Nothing like the soft heat. If only someone else would keep it stoked up and clean out the ash now and then, it would be perfect.

 

[brendonv]

Hey dave...

Is there any issues mixing hardwood and softwood in tf ing?

White pine, white and red oak?

 

[brendonv]

Paul,

What kind of wood did you use on your workshop?

 

[Dave Shepard]

Sure, you can mix all kinds of stuff in a frame. I think in one of Jack's books he says he has 17 different species in his house frame. If you are building a frame that will sit on a stone foundation, something like white oak, locust or black cherry is great. Pine is fine, if it is high enough and well ventilated. In Jack's white House book, I think he specs hardwood for the posts, and maybe the braces. Both of my Dutch barns were white pine, except for the braces and door posts, which were oak. Hardwoods take more time to join, and don't let it dry out. I have a pile of broken chisels, mallets, and a couple of aggravated shoulder injuries from working slightly dried white oak last summer.

Do you have a frame in mind? Big, small?

 

[brendonv]

I was going to start with a small one, but why not just put the time into my barn is my current thought. Same joints, just longer/bigger timbers, so what the hey.

If i can mix wood id be good to go.

Im still confused on the brace layout, but ill cross that hurdle when its time.

 

[brendonv]

Dave,

Would you want to see the plans? i can send them via email...