Datasheet

Principal rafters:
Roof
support
timbers
joined
at the
peak
and
attached
to a bent
plate.
Two rafters
together, attached
to
a
bent
plate,
form
a
roof truss.
Horizontal timbers that
connect the upper ends
of
posts
within
a bent
and support the base of
the
rafters.
Bent
girts:
Horizontal
timbers that span
between the
posts
within a bent.
Posts:
Vertical timbers
that form the outer
boundaries of a bent
and support the
girts
and
plates.
Summer
beams:
Timbers that
span
Building a structure a woodworker can appreciate
oodworkers and carpenters often view their
disciplines
differently.
Woodworking demands
exacting cuts and
precision
to
achieve
great
results. Homebuilding, on the other hand, may involve
rough cuts and a little
"persuasion"
to
get
a
good
fit.
Long
before the
invention
of
modern
construction tech-
niques, though,
people
built
structures
using methods
much like we employ in woodworking. Called timber
frames,
these buildings consist of
heavy wooden
posts,
beams, and other
parts
joined
using
precise,
artful
joints.
Timber-framing methods, and some of the structures
themselves, have
existed
for
centuries.
But
timber
framing almost became a lost art in the mid-1800s as
carpenters
turned to simpler stud
framing. Today,
people
have rediscovered these beautiful,
practical
structures.
Perhaps
the best
news is that
any
woodworker can build
a timber
frame. Like
yesteryear's
timber
framers, many
of whom were inexperienced homesteaders with few
tools,
you
can learn these time-honored techniques.
You
probably
won't
tackle a
house
or barn
like
our
ancestors did, but
you
can build a modest structure, such
as a shed. All
you
need is
an assortment
of tools, a few
friends
to
help heft timbers,
and a
willingness to learn.
Here are the basics of how a timber frame
goes
together.
The recipe for
a
timber frame is
simple:
good
wood, time-
tested techniques,
a
few hand
tools, and
manpower.
52
Knee braces:
Diagonal
timbers
between
posts
and
girts
or
plates
between
girts
or
plates.