Making jig is almost becoming hobby. It is not wood working.
Good reference book for the jig by ILBA call “Big Boys Jig book” This is series of the jigs developed by member of International Log Builders Association and organized by John Boys. Super helpful book for jig lover. You need to become member to have this, please contact http://www.logassociation.org/index.php
Here what I am sharing today is the knife plate jig modified from log building one. Adapted clamping system also sliding mechanism. Only tools I have seen available to do this job is from Muffel and it cost almost $8,000. My hand made one is about $400 all together.
Parson may able to cut slot by hand very accurate if the cut require only width of chainsaw blade but if it require slightly thicker, it is not possible to do by free hand. Our jig makes our hidden knife plate cut very reliable.
Made visit to job site to survey the height where the post sits and lay out the angled deck.
Site is even hard to walk and stand, this challenged foundation is done by young builder James Boak. I can see the road he is going to take now and he will become extreme good builder one day that only can be achieved by going through the challenge after the challenge.
Now it is my turn to make the frame, with my best and meet with his young passion to build the best!
Truss made out of light material, definitely require the calculation and confident. Engineer Ron Wedman, steel fabricator ADAM Integrate, frame of course build by Daizen!
I got call from Raymond in March. We met at the Abbotsford show in 2008. Project site was in Princeton, it was a bid too far to drive down to discuss opportunity but I had good feeling at initial contact and I decide to take chance to visit.
He had ranch, recently purchased. Beautiful property, looking down the hay field. Over look the river if we clime up the hill. He was happy for the property they got but not sure what can be done to make the living space into more their style. They needed to see the wood in, that is why he called me up. After explore the choice he had, we decide to replace the wall that gives them a view of the property, with timber and glass.
I was exploring the way to place the glass right into timber. Instead of putting window frame. So this was perfect opportunity to explore and journey began.
The challenge on this project was to fit frame in without damaging the existing finish. At the first visit, I did careful survey but only enough for me to place the concept of the design, I had to drove down one more time for actual measurement. We aimed to fit right in to existing so I did not allow even 1/8″ for the clearance, but because we had one short wall in between which is jogged, this became the adjustment cushion to do. It was also fortunate that who ever build this original stick frame, it build good and solid.
Frame itself took only a few days because we use 80 feet wide giant machine to cut frame but it took us much more time to deal with detail that to have glass fit in.
Material need to be very stable and grain orientation better to have vertical grain facing to visual side since timber frame become the window frame.
when we arrive the site, Raymond already managed to had walls out with telescope supported the truss. I knew he could handle this work but I become aware of Raymond talent again after seeing this. He is business owner not the carpenter, 63 years old, his shape is better than me. While I was on site setting up, we had lunch and suppere together, went to hot tub every night and I questioned him a lot and it was very valuable ideas he shared with me. Great time.
Frame put up and in place include all beams in 1.5 days. Up till this is done, I was very nourvous about my measurement but it did fit and no extra finishing work would required, he can just sand the wall surface and paint with new magic color that Susan has been trying to decide. The rest of half day to place the glass into frame, thanks for all the crew worked on this, it did fit great, squareness of the frame did not even required extra 1/8 gap we place in a slot.
Next day, we spend morning to fit all the trim and head back home. We stop at Arrison lake for fishing on a way back, we saw dozen of fish shoring and both of us got fish to bite the fly but we did not able to manage to bring to the shore, it was big!
My review on this project is that we still have room to explore the way to install the glass. We have cut the slot to place the glass from out side and covered with trim but this seems so much of time to deal in our shop. If we develop the tools or let giant machine to deal with slot a bid more, it may be good way but placing trim inside and out is definitely efficient way, perhaps better looking from inside as well. View from inside seems a bid too clean.
Glass was tripple glazed double low e glass with smart spacer. Total width is 1″. Smart spacer height is 7/16, we allow 1/8 gap filled with gascket so total slot depth was 5/8.
1/16 closed cell double side adhesived form between glass to timber and trim for inside and out side and we left Raymond to cover this 1/16 gap to calk.
Kiyo and I just came back from raising Richie frame. Frame went up in three days, weather was not great but had one good day to raised most.
It was good set up, very good client Richie and his son Karsten and contractor Jay who I respect as very hard work timber framer, we all worked very hard to set this up and get done in short period time.
I felt many things during set up, I thought we worked hard without any jokes and just kept working, I was wondering if I was doing all right but I seem do this every time, always concern to spend time, want to get it done quick.
Kiyo is my apprentice he said he was not able to enjoy the set up, not because of hard work, he did not know if he was great help, this was his first frame to set up. We went over many things during drive back and we know what we can do better again next time.
But, what matter is, either we get job done, build good frame and client are happy. We got job done, we believe it is great strong frame and Richie and his family are happy! This is right size of house frame for me, and Jay said it is clean design that I agree. Price was right, we could worked on without interruption and I am happy about result.
First day, unload lift with fork lift, build bent on floor without any equipment. Me and Kiyo is not as strong as others, it was a bid hard for us.
Day 2, rain, no crane, Jay wanted to raise it without crane but I resist, so half day working.
Day 3, crane came! Put all bent up to plate.
Day 4, all purlins and rafters were up left to home around 1:00 PM. Total 167 pcs, 9,000 bdft, so 55 pcs, 3,000 bdft a day for set up.
This is renovation project in Sun Peaks, design by Karl Willms. Building is not too old but style seems a bid old. Almost every house in this Ski resort uses timber in some way, often see full timber frame in this area. Our project was not big so we focused on quality, furniture quality to see if that makes difference in appearance. I presented locking mechanizm with wood joinery that is not used in any aspect, just came up on my head, but I have done similler kind of joinery in a past.
The challenge was to fit in existing roof, but it went easier than I thought. Mibroc guys are always great to work with, support us greately. Our crew Kiyo and Eiji stayed late a couple days to get this done, I was up set up main frame only one day and left the rest of work to crew, too cold!
I have not seen it completed picture yet but our work is done.
Shuswap has been good weather up till we started putting this frame together this summer. Traditional style timber frame, all frame will be covered to protect from the weather and fully exposed inside house. It took almost 8 month by the time we started design the frame to complete set up on site.
I was very pleased with fiber quality and drying result. All tight grain, no loose knot and dried evenly with RF kiln, moisture content between 12% to 14%.
Main feature of this frame is hammer beam truss and beam with corbel and steel integrate in. House is not finished, no picture for the steel yet.
After a lot of study from past hammer beam truss, anyone knows the structural system, they will not say yes to design and build this truss without tension support system in place. Tension rod for this truss were very ordinary which is okay but I would wanted to put a bid more thought and twist the idea a bid but my idea was not supported this time…..
All fits well, some place needed to be adjusted a bid on site but nothing major. I am not 100% clear but I think there were about 400 pieces in this frame and it took 8 full days to complete assemble.
This trellis bracket can hang the huge weight as long as wall can keep the bracket in place. Steel are not decorative, it is structural. Timber looks a bid dirty, but this is patina effect. Timber are sand blusted and prepared patina finish. Actual aged look finish goes on top of this, recipe are complicated, John did hard resurch and test to acheive the result client a happy with.
Impel rod were installed behind steel where moisture can capture. Impel rod will release the chemical once moisture content raise more than 20% to prevent wood to rot.
Installing curved brace and fitting steels went well without any trouble. Though, I simulated the process of lay out, cutting and placing for a couple of days before I went to the site.
The most important factor that need to be consider is the twist in a curved timber. I can not assume the flat on curve timber are really flat, they are twisted. To deal with you, lay the piece on saw horse and set flat in level on both X and Y direction. If you find all the surface is level after, it means piece is flat, but you will see if you set one side level then other side will not, so find happy medium.
Then lay out all with level, square on line does not work! I used several trick to lay out this also drill the hole in a corner without jumping drill bid all over the place, but I did not had opportunity to take picture.
Light house shaped cabin, design by Karl Willms. No public road to the site, transported all materials and raised all by human power! No gas burned, only cans of beer runs the crew for hard work.
No one in a team complained, we all seemed enjoyed the time, part of this is because all the work and result were, slept out side, no electric, all work acheived by old fashion, end of the day, tired body gave good satisfaction each day.
After this raising, it gave me idea that I may want to continue doing this kind small cabins after I retire.
