Monthly Archives: August 2010IPE armstrong fair (Booth is up)August 30, 2010 – 10:42 am
We will be in Arm Strong IPE fair this year. This is not home show but lots of people comes through so I will try to see if this will work or not. We were fortunate to got permission to use the frame for the Notch Hill community hall. Show Sep 1 to 5. http://www.armstrongipe.com/
Jig (Knife plate)August 26, 2010 – 11:55 am
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.
Challenge is what makes people differentAugust 26, 2010 – 11:35 am
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!
Non cracked timber (Kirf cut)August 12, 2010 – 2:38 pm
Timber will check because of drying ratio is different from across the growth of rings (radial) or along the growth of ring (tangential). If timber contains the heart of tree, it call boxed hear, if not it call Free Of Heart Center (FOHC). Depends on this grain ratio but boxed heat timber will check guaranteed and we try to use FOHC as much as we can. Because of the budget is limited, we often use air dry timber, moisture content below 19%. These are mostly locate the interior BC, many of trees killed by fire, dead stand for while so it is dry. But these logs are not big, depends on log source, we have to use boxed heart timber. Boxed heart timber, usually will check toward nearest face of the timber from the center. 99% this will be side of the beam. When timber check, it will check along the wood grain. All the tree has twist, it is just matter of how much. Timber grade system allow more than what we expect even in structural grade, so we have our own grade to apply for the frame. However, when timber check, check follow the grain, timber will twist as much as grain is twisted. This is the reason why you see some of the beam twisted. To prevent this, we apply kirf cut. This is the cut from the face of timber being covered, it need to cut all the way to heart of the timber. More the timber is green, all the check will focus on this one cut and will not show any other check on side. But air dried timber, often check is already proceeded, so some of the check can not be eliminated but it will not twist. Here is one picture that shows our inventory. This timber had been dried for 6 month now, starting moisture was 20% now it is 13%. Dimension has been reduced but you can see how much this cut has been opened up. If we plane to square and use this timber as structural member now, it will be stable. Timber will check and that is in engineering consideration already so this kirf cut should not sacrifice the strength of the beam. Actually, it will increase the strength as the beam because the side check will be in nutral axis which is the strength of the beam what relying on.
Is the guys too small or material too big?August 4, 2010 – 1:53 pm
We are hand cutting gluelam project. Nothing complicated, very simple but communication process with engineer for this project was tripple or even more compare to our regular complex work. Why? I am not sure but I may made engineer upset by my email. Hi every one, watch your mouth, do not say what you want to say, especially to engineer. No, he is good guy, I am sure he did piss off to start with but after, he was reasonable. Why you want to use this big gluelam to start with though? Heavy load to support but it has a lot to do with luck of using timber in a past or some relative had bad experience. If we specified timber grade carefully thes member could be timber. Perhaps, we could do something interest to turn timber into bridge truss? May be this was best option….
Light framed trussAugust 4, 2010 – 1:29 pm
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! Post 6×6, Rafter 4×8, Tie beam 3×6 21 feet span
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