So I used to be a timberframer. I have given up doing it full time for greener pastures that leave me with more energy to ski, kayak, and mountain bike. After helping Randy three days this week, I am feeling busted up.
Anyways, I enjoy the picture threads here so much I figured I better contribute. Here is a few pictures and an explanation of how I spent the last three work days cutting 8 pieces, all the same.
Here are what the 4 main bents in the great room look like. I am cutting the scissor chord. These are 8×10, free of heart center Doug Fir. Almost everything I did at the shop was kiln dried or reclaimed, but this is green. It is shockingly easy to work compared to what I am used to.
Here is the cutsheet for one end of them. These cutsheets are different than the ones that came from the shop I used to work at (where Randy was the foreman). That shop was too busy so he had another company create them. He is definitely capable, but he has been working on other stuff at the house. I very much dislike these specific cutsheets. All the line weights are the same, which makes it hard to read.
Here is a self timer shot of me scoring the cut lines with a utility knife and framing square. This step is key. Once you start cutting, the score line is everything.
Here is the bottom end after I have cut the locator tenon and birdsmouth spot. Imagine: skill saw with a lot of dust, then much chiseling. You can also see the square timberlock hole layout that I am about to attack with the chain mortiser.
And chain mortising the hole. You can see the pocket for the rafter tail here, too. That was made with a router and a hell of a lot of dust.
Here is the square hole that the mortiser cut. This is not a recommend use…normally at the fully equipped shop, we would have used a chisel mortiser for this, since it is visible and the chain mortiser tends to cause lots of tear out.
Now, to the other ends. This is the long tenon that goes into the bottom chord of the truss. Shoulders this long can be challenging to keep perfectly straight.
And a shot of most of the joinery on the other end done…Two days to cut all of this. Remember, there were eight of them. The blue tape is to ‘clamp’ some of the blowout which I glued back in. I didn’t like this detail with the tools we had at Randy’s shop, but it will look fine in the end.
And lastly, some tools of the trade.
Edited 2/8/2007 8:38 pm ET by jesse
Edited 2/8/2007 8:51 pm ET by jesse
Replies
NOOOOOOOO! I had all the pictures laboriously embedded and then I edited one word and they are gone!!! Lame!!
I must be doing the embedding the tedious way, is there a way besides previewing, looking at the attachments, and then copying the properties of each one back into the original message? ARGH!!!!
Nice work - makes me feel like I'm working with a club and a big rock!
Forrest
In "elevation" there are two numbers in boxes preceeding the size of the member, like 4x8. What are they?
In "cut sheet" it looks like the the dimensions are decimal. Is that normal? Do you use a decimal tape?
In "mortiser" it looks like a shallow recess has been carved on the face of the timber. How did you do that?
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Eddie, the numbers in the boxes are just reference numbers. Each end of each piece has one. As I said, I am not too familiar with these cut sheets but those numbers aren't very important to me...I think they might use them to keep track of the number of joints for estimating reasons?Yeah, decimal numbers. We use regular tapes. Construction calculators are handy to have around.That 'recess' is called a 'pocket'. I cut the edges with a skill saw (mainly so I could see them), then used a router with an oversized base, which we use a lot of.
I meant to say ... nice work and interesting thread."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Yeah, that looks great. Inspiring. Looks tedious, though. Maybe that's why so few people stick with it long enough to get good.
That must really feel like an accomplishment when you see one of those trusses assembled. Then a few of them errected.
Romania wasn't built in a day.
Very nice stuff there. Looks like some nice wood.
Do you start the cuts and mortises with a circular saw, and then finish with the pull saw and chisels? Oh, hold on, it says that's what you do.
Looks like fun.
zak
"When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone." --John Ruskin
"so it goes"
far out... thanks for the thread..
as to the pics.. i could never get "preview" to work so i use the
<< post-view-copy-edit-paste >>>>
and try to limit each post to 3 -4 pics, since they all have to load and a lot of guys have dial-up
great pics.. keep 'em commingMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
jesse,
Excellent work. Is that a Marple's chissel? I like Mayhew's.
Chuck S
live, work, build, ...better with wood
Edited 2/8/2007 9:44 pm ET by stevent1
Chuck, yeah, the blue ones are Marples/Irwin. The wood handled one is a Sorby.
Looks great!
I would love to learn to do that - I have always been interested in timber framing, and I chickened out with the first house I built and welded steel brackets. (I also wasted 3 - 39' long heart pine 15x10s - oh to have those now.)
I am going to build a porch roof frame for my house in the spring, and plans are to cut the timbers. Sketch attached.
Thanks for sharing your photos!
Brian, cool, go for it. Good luck! Hammer beams are definitely challenging.
Edited 2/8/2007 9:30 pm ET by jesse
Brian,
Nice design. Post pics when you do it.
What type of wood do you plan on using?
Chuck Slive, work, build, ...better with wood
I'll send pics when I start - its too cold right now.
As for the wood, undecided...
I have a local source on western red cedar that I will be checking for price. I'd really like to work with that. Old, huge telephone poles...
The local sawmills have lots of pine and oak, often green. If white oak is available, well, I really like it, but the cutting will be tough.
My fil has a 16' 32"diameter red oak log, if we can get it up on a wood-mizer. Its been laying for over a year.
Treat every person you meet like you will know them the rest of your life - you just might!
White oak works super easy when it is green. Way easier than green fir.
jesse,
But please, please, please, don't dry it for 4 years before you use it!
While that will prevent almost all checks and give you nice beams, you will need to sharpen your planners twice before you have all four sides smooth and square. Your cutting edges will last less than a tenth as long as when you're working green plus the time you spend on the bems will increase by a factor of nearly 20. I can plane square and cut all the mortice/tenions in a green beam inside an hour usually, a dried white oak beam I calculate 10 hours at least (and that's if it hasn't twisted or bowed too badly)!
Cool project, thanks for sharing. I definitely be following this one also.
dug
Beautiful, jesse. Thanks for posting.
"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
~ Voltaire
So, how's the skiing out west?
It's been good, after a late start, here in upstate NY, where we ski Whiteface.
Great work, great pics. Friend of ours is a timberframer, member of the guild, etc. I love going to his shop. All those razor sharp huge chisels, in their leather scabbords. Wow!
I'm generally against site built trusses. But in this case I think I could look the other way.(-:Nice work.Are ya gonna make a plywood cutout of the figurine in the first pic ???
Many have quarreled about religion that never practiced it [Benjamin Franklin]
And here I though that you would be suggesting metal plates..
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Gene, it's been horrible the last few weeks. Started off good, then no snow for the last month + warm temps. Things are looking up in the forecast, though.frenchy, it's a Mafell. Boss: Site built? The shop is at least 50 yards from where the frame will be raised. ;-)
jessie,
I don't recognize your chain morticer, It's not the German Mafell, and it's not a Mikita, who makes it?