Cutting the Frame

Here's a model of our frame:
All together, there are about 180 timbers that go into making this frame. So far we've cut 36 braces, 2 principle posts, 3 common posts, and 5 joists and purlins. Jason is working on laying out a connector right now.

Cutting one of these timbers is quite a process. After milling the lumber, Jason brings the wood over to the shop where he sets it up on sawhorses for cutting. Then, with the help of a timber plan, he begins to lay out each cut. He carefully measures and draws the cuts on the timber. He checks every measurement several times. Some timbers have five or six cuts, some timbers just have one or two. Depending on the complexity of the timber he's working on, this stage can take quite a long time.

When he's done laying out the timber, he begins to cut. Some of the cuts he makes with saws and other power tools. The finer cuts he makes with chisels.















I have learned to chisel braces.











We only have a few braces left to cut! Yippee!!











Once the pieces are cut, we sand and oil them.

When the oil is all soaked up, we stack the pieces outside, where they will wait until we're ready to put the frame up in August.