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Needed: books on timber framing

Started by J Beyer, May 08, 2003, 10:21:18 PM

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J Beyer

What are some good book titles on "timber framing?

JB
"From my cold, dead, hands you dirty Liberals"

IndyIan

Anything by Jack Sobon is a good start.  There is one book by Ted Benson that has practical information on building.  Most of his books are full of nice pictures but not much useful info for a beginner like me.


ohsoloco

I agree that Sobon is a great place to start.  The best book by Tedd Benson for a beginner would be:  (the title is something like...) "Building the timber frame home: Revival of a forgotten craft."  That book has a lot of info in it on how to cut most of the joinery in a basic timberframe.

sawinmontana

I agree with Indylan and ohsoloco. Another pretty good book is by Steve Chappell called "A Timber Framers Workshop" He also has a website www.foxmaple.com Another book that isn't to bad is"The Timber Framing Book" by Stewart Elliott and Eugenie Wallas.

Scott

UNCLEBUCK

greetings fellow book readers, i did not know anything about timber framing a few months ago so i read a book by steve chappell called "a timber framers workshop" and when i got all done reading it i felt like i needed to attend a workshop, then i read a book by jack sobon and roger schroeder called "timber frame construction" all about post and beam construction.  all i can say is jack sobon for president !!!  he gets right to it and i am allready to build and would highly recommend jack sobon book for anyone ! it answered all my questions that i had from the first book ! bought the sobon book through  www.storeybook.com its in wisconsin somewhere, good luck everyone ! winter is a comin !!!!!!!! :P
UNCLEBUCK    bridge burner/bridge mender

Jim_Rogers

Here is my book list:
The first is Steve Chappell's book: "A Timber Framer's Workshop", I know him personally. I took one of his courses. And I've been to many of his raisings of his frames built by his students. I'm going to another one in September.
Then I've read both Jack Sobon's books; 'Timber Frame Construction', and 'Build a Classic Timber-Framed House'. I also know Jack personally; I took a course that he taught. This Dutch style house/shed/barn frame that I had in my yard is the style we, as students, built at the workshop. I see or talk to him every couple of months. I went out to the workshop raising a while ago with my wife and daughter to see the students raise another frame. That one was different and won't be taken apart and shipped out. That's what we did. We put it together and it stood there for two hours and we took it apart and shipped it out.
Also, I've read Tedd Benson's 'Building the Timber Frame House' with help from James
Gruber. This book was very good on how to use templates and laying out timbers and order of making cuts. Also, Fine Homebuilding's Great Houses, Timber-Frame Houses. This is a collection of articles that were published in Fine Homebuildings magazine, so there is no one author. The ISBN number is 1-56158-150-x put out by Taunton Books and Videos, Tauton product number 070279. You should be able to find it with all those numbers.
Another one of my favorites is 'Home building and Woodworking in Colonial America' by C. Keith Wilbur. Put out by The Globe Pequot Press; ISBN 1-56440-019-0.
Also, there is one more that I have read, sold by the Timber Framer's Guild store. It's a book of articles written by different authors and it called 'Timber Frame Joinery & Design Workbook'. I've read this one and it's got a lot of information in it.
And just recently I got and read "The Timber Framing Book" by Stewart Elliot and Eugenie Wallas. This book was ok, and I've heard from others that some parts of his work is incorrect and either different or wrong. I heard this before I read it and was curious to see what he said compared to others. As I can see the only thing I don't like is the way he connects plates and or girts and tie beams on top of posts. I feel this joint, the one he uses, is very weak.
Another I just read last spring was Discovering Timber-Framed Buildings by Richard Harris. This is a small paper back book published in England, and is about all the different types of English style timber frames and why they were built the way they were. It's very interesting in regard to the history of timber framing. It has some pictures of timber framed houses still standing in England as well as drawings of very old style joints that are still used today.
Now the list of un-read books on hand: 'Timber Construction for Architects
and Builders' by Eliot W. Goldstein, sold by the Timber Framers Guild. Well that's it for the list of technical books.
I did get last Christmas and just finished reading a book called "Barns" (sub title: Their history, preservation, and restoration) by Charles Klamkin. This book is mostly a picture book and has little to do with timber framing. Although some parts were interesting about how or why certain barns were built the way they were.
I also got for Christmas last year a book about outhouses. But it's very interesting about the history of out houses and how they were built. It is mostly a picture book, but there are some interesting drawings in there also.
Well that's it about books. :P
Jim
PS. I just saw another one in my stack of books, by Jack Sobon. It's the "History American Timber Joinery" A Graphic Guide. This book is a collection of articles written by Jack for the Timber Framers Journal magazine showing all types of joints used in timber framing. You can get it from the guild online store for $10. If you are a member of the guild you can download it for free from their web site (I believe).

Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

UNCLEBUCK

hi there, in regards to my comments on 2 books that i read recently i must change my thoughts about which book is better than the other because today i found myself going back to the first book by steve chappell for answers so i guess i better say sobon/chappell in 2004 !  i guess i must have gotten buried to deep in chappells book with calculations but his book is definately got the answers,sobons book seemed to get me outside and actually doing timberframing and i guess being too far away to attend workshops i will keep both books on a stump close by and have my own little workshop out here in western minnesota, the forum is a great place ,hope nobody took offense to my suggestion of which book is better, thank you  :P
UNCLEBUCK    bridge burner/bridge mender

Jim_Rogers

When I posted my book list, I don't believe I wanted to say which one I thought was better than the other, because each has it's own good points, and each has it's own bad points.
What I tried to do was to keep an open mind and learn from each one I read and to combine all that I learned into my methods and knowledge.
Everyone will have their own view on which is best and that's great and I'm not knocking anyone for their option. I'm just trying to say there is a lot of books out there, many more than I have read, on the subject and each book/author has his point of view that we can all learn something from, and use in making our frames.
 :P
Good luck with your projects. Jim
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

blue_eyed_devil

In my opinion, "A Timber Framer's workshop"  by Steve Chappel is great if your going to build without any practical training.I have not yet read Jack Soben's book.
If you can afford to attend a workshop,just to show you the basics would be very helpful.
If you are planning on building a large frame, you might want to invest in a chain mortiser.They are really expensive, but you would be amazed how much time they will save you.
262 xp,395 xp,built my own chainsaw mill

Jim_Rogers

Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Jim_Rogers

Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Jim Haslip

Further to Jim Roger' information about the Guild 's Historical Joinery Booklet... I believe the download is free to all ... a printed version is $10.OO USD available from the Guild' store on their website www.tfguild.org... regards to all

Jim Haslip

Check out this link for a solid bibliography of Timber Framing books


http://www.tfguild.org/tfgbiblio.html

Regards to all...

Jim_Rogers

Great Link, I never saw that page before :P!
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Jim_Rogers

Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Doc

Pin this one to the top Jim....it will save you a bunch of hunting, and we can add to the list as we find others.

Doc

mometal77

Thanks jim i nearly dropped my plate of food on my lap when that page loaded thanks for the wealth of knowledge..
bob
Too many Assholes... not enough bullets..."I might have become a millionaire, but I chose to become a tramp!

Jim_Rogers

Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

mark davidson

the guild list is good but I have a couple of good ones not included:
C. Hewitt:
Historic English Carpentry

Tedd Benson:
Timberframe(third book)

also, the tfguild has a new design book, which I'm dreaming will be in my stocking
;D

Jim_Rogers

Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

jph

"Oak- Framed Buildings" by Rupert Newman
www.gmcbooks.com

Great photos, quite alot about scribe rule layout that we tend to use this side of the pond.

red

I'm looking for books and found this list 
Honor the Fallen Thank the Living

Chilterns

Another place to take a look at a book list that will help to widen your knowledge and understanding about historic building practices can be found at the VAG Booklist

Over the years I have found that many books contain overlap elements of what can be found in other books e.g. Sobon / Benson / Chappel / etc. i.e. these books are not mutually exclusive and so the decision as to whether to buy an additional book is sometimes judged by the amount of new or additional information that the purchase of another book will benefit the reader given their existing book inventory.

In undertaking any kind of academic course it is worth being aware that examiners will be looking for evidence of "wider reading" and doubtless this is meant to assure the examiner that opinions formed and expressed by a student have not fallen into the trap of believing that everything written by some is always true.

Inevitably building is a process that involves compromise as it is dependent on the availability of designs, materials, labour, tools, facilities, time, climate, finance, legislation, etc. and so it is doubtful if one size will ever fit all !


Planeiron


skatefriday

For those interested in Japanese joinery in particular this PDF is almost comprehensive enough to be a complete book.

Japanese Timber Frame Methodology:
Alternative Solutions to Hawaii's Built Environment
David Y. Yen
May 2012 Submitted towards the fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Architecture Degree

https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/9e307382-edbb-494a-958b-57dccebca9ad/content

I particularly like its description of Japanese layout techniques and the complete build of a Japanese beam and hip rafter assembly.



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