Timber Joinery

[Erminia Scharnberg]

VermontTimber Works custom designs and fabricates beautiful timber frame homes, post and beam barns, heavy timber churches, cathedral ceilings and more. We are not automated, so we have the flexibility to create structures to our clients exacting details.

The element that most defines a timber framer is the quality, integrity and strength of the joints that hold the beams together. A properly made joint will stay tight for generations. All wooden beams will shrink and check as they dry, as this is part of the unique nature of timber framed buildings, but the joinery should account for these natural ways timber moves and remain in place and stay solid over time.

Steel connector plates are used to increase beam strength so the beams can support extremely heavy structural loads. They also give a frame character, as they give timber a look that resembles what may be found in an old factory building.

An example of how a steel tie rod can be used is to act as the bottom chord of a truss. As a bottom chord, the steel tie rod provides extra structural support (carries tension & prevents walls from bending out) while giving the truss an open and light feeling.

I realize that people who are simply shopping for the least cost and quickest turn-around time, or perhaps a contemporary timber design may not be interested in my building methods and traditional structures. But I also believe that there are folks out there who truly appreciate and value the craftsmanship inherent in a traditionally joined framework, one that will separate them from the mainstream timber frames and manufactured log structures that dot the suburban landscape. One where traditional designs, the same hand-tools that shaped timbers 150 years ago, and the historic timber-joinery details are just as important to you as the end result.

You will see the words "traditional" and "handcrafted" pop up quite often on this website, and as they relate to my work, have these core elements in common: a) skeletal timber-framework designs and log wall profiles replicating those of 18th-19th century America, b) timbers fastened together with mortise & tenon pegged wooden joinery strongly rooted in historical precedent, with same criteria applying to log wall corner notching methods, and c) all wood joinery crafted with non-power hand-tools.

During the time it takes me to craft your timber frame or dovetail log cabin, two issues are ever-present in the work-ethic that I bring to each and every project: attention-to-detail, and craftsmanship. The required time frame allotments (per project) allow me to spend the quality time during joinery layout and then with the hand tools that I believe is absolutely necessary in upholding the standards and concepts of a truly handcrafted timber frame or dovetail log home.

Please contact me for a 31 page booklet containing background info on myself & previous projects, behind-the-scenes details offering insight into my personal business philosophy as it relates to you and I, the 10 factors that dictate how I price my work, specifics concerning the services & materials you will receive from SPTJ, a VERY detailed budget worksheet, and a design questionnaire. No shiny glossy pictures, just LOTS of helpful and (hopefully) interesting information! Booklet cost is $12.

Everyone approaches their craft/trade a bit differently, and those in the world of timber framing and log building are no different. There are some that believe in contemporary designs and use a more modern, mechanized approach, with an eye on high production. And there are those that choose to align their building philosophy more closely to the historical roots of early American heavy timber carpentry. I proudly fall within this latter group. The 200 year old structures of the past have left a lasting imprint on the building philosophy that I bring to each and every project, strongly rooted in the designs, hand tools and joinery inherent in the vernacular frameworks common to 18th & 19th century American settlement areas, including the Western Reserve area of Trumbull County, where my family & I reside. Named after the governor of Connecticut, Jonathan Trumbull, and the town that bears the family name there, Trumbull County was originally settled as part of the Connecticut Western Reserve and formed into a township in 1800.

The same hand-tools that crafted the mortise & tenon joints in the timbers of an old barn, and shaped the dovetail notches in an early settlers log cabin, are some of the same tools that fill my shop and craft timber joinery: antique & restored Disston handsaws, 150 yr old timber framing chisels, an 1870's hand-crank beam drill, wooden planes, draw-knives, auger-bits, and axes, all at one time owned, cared-for, and utilized by a proud craftsman of long ago.

We are working on something like that but it will not be printed. Take a look at the post at -and-beam-knee-brace-connection/ and scroll down to the middle of the page to see a download link of an example of what we are working on.

Can you discuss the relative strengths and merits of different woods and trees? Is southern longleaf or yellow pine suitably strong as a beam? And does it pose any particular problems, twisting, excessive shrinkage drying after being cut green?

SYP is suitable for timber framing. Both of my personal frames have them. They are stronger than most other species in the SE. They do twist, bow and move more than other species but that can be accounted for in some cases.

Revised edition, 2014, perfect bound, 67 pages including numerous drawings and photographs.

This illustrated catalog discusses the joinery in American traditional timber-framed buildings of the past, showing common examples with variations as well as interesting regional deviations. It was written and drawn by architect and timber framer Jack Sobon under a grant from the National Park Service and the National Center for Preservation Technology, and it appeared previously in a series of six articles in the Guild's quarterly journal, Timber Framing. Timber Framing Editor Emeritus Ken Rower has here assembled the articles into a compendium that includes a bibliography and index to joints and useful terms.

You will probably end up with a different definition for different types of joints but I could imagine a set of components where you pass pairs of lines into the component and set timber dimension and tolerance parameters etc.

Nice job for two pieces!

How could we implement the different corner junctions of an assembled frame according to priorities defined for example with a Boolean button (priority / no priority)?

The exterior shape of the frame could be defined by a polyline for example?

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Also think about what output you need from this project. If your goal is to manufacture on a 6-axis robot then what input does this need for programming? Is it programmed from solids or planes, lines and arcs?

Of course, different cultures developed different timber building systems and timber experts believe the differences between European and North American joinery techniques were primarily influenced by the environment. North American settlers had relatively easy access to very large timbers. Europe had run out of large timbers long before and developed joinery that reflected how builders were compensating with smaller trees.

Timber frame joinery is the intersection between two or more timbers for a strong and aesthetically pleasing connection. There are many types of joinery used in a timber frame structure. The three most common types of joinery used in timber or post and beam buildings are:

These joints have adjoining pieces that connect at an angle, which help transfer loads from horizontal to vertical timbers (think of a peg going into a hole). This joint typically has a 45 diagonal piece called a brace or strut that helps stabilize the beams. Because mortise and tenon joints are pegged, they can be stronger than lap joints which use nails or screws.

A joint made by halving the thickness of each timber at the joint and fitting them together (think of them as overlapping). These joints are used on outside corners or where beams intersect and are commonly nailed or screwed. You do not typically find lap joints used in historical European structures because steel for nails was a limited resource.

This is a flaring lap joint. The dovetail flare tightly interlocks the two pieces of timber and prevents them from slipping apart from one another. Dovetail joints are ideal for special modifications and work well for a high-tension application. You typically would find this joint at a collar tie or joist location.

When it comes to a system for timber frame joinery in modern times, most timber frame companies are split into two camps: machine-cut or hand-cut timbers. Woodhouse is a little different because our system adopts the best features of each. We start with machine-cut joinery to ensure accuracy and efficiency, which reflects in our competitive pricing. We are also craftsmen. We hand-finish our joinery for the superior quality and beauty that you want in your authentic timber frame home.

Traditioned-based heavy timber carpentry is truly a handicraft, deeply rooted in the past, yet remains relevant and uniquely adaptable to a modern functionalism and aesthetic. It is timeless. This simple premise, amongst others, guides my hands and heart through each project, be it large or small, fancy or plain.

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