Working on my first timber frame (gazebo) and when I dry fit the braces alone into either the post or the plate, they fit fine. However, when I dry fit the brace, post, and plate together all of my braces seem to be right around 1/2" too short.
First, I don't really know what I did wrong. Second, wondering what the best way is to address this? I could cut 8 new braces or shim the brace mortises I suppose?
Thanks for any education and/or suggestions.
*Note the pictures are of the frame upside down.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/66106/braces.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1630370598)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/66106/braces1.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1630370598)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/66106/braces2.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1630370599)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/66106/braces3.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1630370599)
My guess is, did you measure mortise placement from the face of the timber, neglecting the depth of the housing?
The measurements you see in the pics were taken from the face. I do have housings.
Is the bearing point supposed to be 30" from the inside of the housing to the inside of the housing? I suspected my layout was wrong but based on my sketchup drawing, which included housings, I was correct. 🤷♂️
If each leg of the right triangle is the correct length then the hypotenuse must be too short.
Did you cut them (the braces) the right length?
If you have housings and they are 1/2" deep then the hypotenuse should have been laid out on the 3/8" offset layout line, not the surface of the brace.
Jim Rogers
Thanks, Jim. The braces were made correctly, I think. I was looking at a previous post of yours and it makes me think that that my housing is in the wrong place.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=7436.0
The bearing point of my brace is 36" from the plate, but that is measured from the face of the plate. Your post makes me think it should have been 29.5" from the face or 30" from the inside of the housing.
Is that right?
Quote from: tadamson on August 31, 2021, 10:31:39 AM
Thanks, Jim. The braces were made correctly, I think. I was looking at a previous post of yours and it makes me think that that my housing is in the wrong place.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=7436.0
The bearing point of my brace is 36" from the plate, but that is measured from the face of the plate. Your post makes me think it should have been 29.5" from the face or 30" from the inside of the housing.
Is that right?
In your quoted post you mentioned the topic where I describe how to layout a brace. In that post I mention that you have to correctly identify your starting point or your brace "Leg" dimension. If you haven't done that correctly that could be why your braces are out 1/2". You have to include the housing into your timbers.
A simple solution to your gap would be to put in a shim. If you don't want to see the shim then you'll have to cut new braces.
Good luck with your project.
Jim Rogers
Also, I have a youtube video showing how to correctly measure your centered brace housing depth.
It is shown here:
Centered brace pocket/mortise layout and measuring - YouTube (https://youtu.be/nstMeBwdbsg)
Sometimes the dimensions of a brace aren't exactly what you want them to be, sometimes even a half inch off. for this reason, I cut every housing specific to each brace.