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Test Fitting

Started by addicted, September 19, 2015, 10:04:27 PM

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addicted

Started test fitting the other day and have been scratching my head ever since. The rafter plate has dried and shrunk since cutting. But it should be even across all mortices. I have a considerable gap between the top of a post and the housing on the bottom of the plate in which it meets with both braces on either side tight against their housings. Remeasured braces and they are still 50 15/16" with 3' legs.  Should I be winching these things together? and how much of gap is a come along really going to close?
I also read one of Jim's previous threads about not drilling peg holes until test fitting. Big lesson learned.
Thanks in advance
Rusty

beenthere

Please post a pic or two of what happened?
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

witterbound

So there is a gap at the top of the post, but not the brace mortises?  Doesn't sound like it shrunk, because that would have affected all of them the same.

witterbound

With the gap, is the height from the bottom of your post to the top of the plate correct?

Dave Shepard

A few things I would check. Is the plate still straight? Has it bowed up? Check all shoulder to shoulder measurements. Make sure the brace layouts are right at 3'x3'. If the plate has bowed up, you can try pulling it together with a come along. If it is too badly bowed, you may have to replace it unless the roof system will be heavy enough to keep it compressed. I don't see why you would wait on cutting peg holes. Typically, there is no reason to test fit square rule joinery.
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Roger Nair

Without a schematic of the layout, every response will be guess work, however, shrinkage from seasoning should not present serious problems with fitting.  The one area where shrinkage could have an effect is depth of mortise, seasoning will decrease depth leading to a bound fit, other than that, seasoning should overall slightly loosen the fit.  I would suspect a layout error.
An optimist believes this is the best of all possible worlds, the pessimist fears that the optimist is correct.--James Branch Cabell

Roger Nair

Btw, the brace length is a little long, appox .02 in.  Perhaps you have an accumulation of error that prevents joints from closing.
An optimist believes this is the best of all possible worlds, the pessimist fears that the optimist is correct.--James Branch Cabell

addicted

https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=21915&pid=190125#top_display_media
This is the problem. Both assemblies, there two of these, have the same problem of a 1/4 in gap between the post and the plate housing with both braces tight. However in the picture the post was not squared up so one brace looks off. The angle of the camera doesn't show the gap on the post but it is still there. I hope the rest of the building does better than this section.
Rusty

witterbound

Did everything fit up tight when you fit it and drilled the holes?

addicted

Hey Witterbound
I already drilled all the peg holes when cutting the mortises and tenons. When test fitting I have to put what I think to be be excessive force with a come along in order to get the posts to meet the their housing. I'm either changing the brace housing or the brace.  Either way the holes won't be where they should be afterwards on the braces.
Rusty

addicted

Hey Dave
The plate did warp over one of the braces where the scarf is located but once the scarf is put together, most of the bow is taken out.
Rusty

witterbound

When we test fitted my frame, we often had to modify mortises, housings, or tenons, particularly on braces, to make everything fit tight and square.  Good luck.

dean herring

I am looking for some help on cutting dovetail joints.
Was wanting to know if it is better to build a jig or learn how to lay out each time.
Thank you
Failure is not an option  3D Lumber

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