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Thread: Timberframing

  1. #31
    Hey everyone. Been a while since I have been by..I'm curious in what you haven been up too there willandhelen. We took the class a while ago, built a log home, then I built a 16x24 foot shed using what I call "post and beam". It's not timber framing as we didn't use pegs and joinery but used connector plates and lag screws. Our posts where eight by eights and our beams where six by eights. Went up pretty fast..just over a week of actual work time. Board and batten outside and trusses with a metal roof. Simple, and while not nearly as elegant as true post and beam it's quite nice.

    The book that gave me the inspiration for this project was Rob Roy's "Timber framing for the Rest of Us". I have (and have read) a couple of Benson's books as well as some by Sobell. I love the timber framing craft, but I didn't have the time to learn the skills to do it. Rob's method is certainly simpler. I think if you took your time and dressed a post and beam home up a bit it could look very nice. I would think quite honestly that Rob Roy and Skip would have gotten along very well.

    So...willandhelen or others who have experience with this. I have a couple of questions. One of the problems I had was that our timbers tended to bow a bit. A few had some twist to them as well. We worked some of it out (crown side up helps ) but it just wasn't as clean and neat as I would have liked. Kinda like the logs in my house How did you handle imperfections in your timbers? Just experience? A better sawyer than I had ?? Have extra timbers and then pick and choose?

    I'm planning on building a larger workshop this fall on some property we have in E. Tenn. So I'm trying to figure this out a bit more and make it better. This one will have SIP panels. Planing on using either Eastern Red Cedar milled on site or having some Eastern White Pine hauled in.


    Keith

  2. #32
    LHBA Member edkemper's Avatar
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    Keith,

    I might offer this help. Whatever you use for your build, make sure the lumber is dried properly (Doesn't have to be kiln dried) and dry when you use it. That will help with bending and twisting. Also understanding how logs should be cut to reduce the bending and twisting by properly milling the logs is a must.

    I'm learning as I go on milling logs and making lumber and have seen what fresh cut lumber can do.
    edkemper

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  3. #33
    Hey Keith,

    Wow...Milton!!!

    I grew up in my younger years in Baghdad on the "Black Water."

    Sounds like a nice little project...Rob is a friend of mine and we tease him about that book sometimes...but it has served many well...Being a Timberwright...I hope you try someday...I think you will like it...I think Rob and Skip knew each other from years back...


    "...I have a couple of questions. One of the problems I had was that our timbers tended to bow a bit...."
    That can (and does) happen...Seasoning (which many recommend??) is not the answer.. as tradtional timber frames (and log archtiecture) are not actually built with "season wood" for the most part...Nobody has (or had) the time to wait decades for them to completely dry...especially in the dominate "folk class" modalities, whether Asian, European or African/Middle Eastern...

    Understanding wood movement, and species/type selection for your cants or bolts is the key and that comes with experience in the traditional methods...So...One must learn or ask those that have done this for a long time...

    "...How did you handle imperfections in your timbers? Just experience? A better sawyer than I had ?? Have extra timbers and then pick and choose?"
    Imperfections (very common) are best handled with "layout method." I stopped using "edge rule" decades ago and started using the much older (millenia old) "line layout" and/or "scribe methods" to fit logs (bolts) and/or timbers (cants) together...

    We have several saw mills at our use and yes a good Sawyer is priceless...For that reason we do it ourselves and/or work with those we trust...I have about 30,000 bf being sawed now by Amish Sawyers I work with in New York...

    Let me know if I can help further...

    Regards,

    j

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