Overview
An aspiring timber framer must learn about the strength and characteristics of wood if they hope to master the craft. The characteristics of wood play a role in the decision process at each step, from general strength characteristics in the designing and engineering of the frame to final weight calculations during the raising and installation of the frame. We will leave a discussion of the design values, to the tomes of books and plethora of characteristic and engineering tables dedicated to this topic. Rather the information here is concerned with the characteristics of wood that go into the decision process of the timber framer where it concerns the timber placement and more specifically layout and cutting of joinery.
The Initial Shake Out

Timbers on Cribbing
In our shop, the lead timber framer will place a group of timbers to be worked on cribbing and then shake out the timbers by designating their placement in the frame. The focus at this phase is matching each timber to eventual requirements for strength, function and appearance. Continue reading “Timber Frame Lesson 3 | More about Wood” »