couple more pics of my timber frame advancing inside

Kelvin · November 09, 2005, 08:11:12 AM

Try to post a couple of pics of the house coming along. Got 3 floors plus coupla to do, so we just started on 3rd floor, floor. Our flooring is finished floor and subfloor in one. Dropped drywall into cavaties first so it sits on top of beams. Take a peak!
KP
album marked timber frame house

woodbowl · November 09, 2005, 08:48:11 AM

Whoooh Kelvin, good looking house! Good job. Lots of work too. Is that a 4th story on the tip top?

HARLEYRIDER · November 09, 2005, 07:15:50 PM

I see your taking steps to keep the wood flooring clean...does that mean your going to sand and finish it yourself? if you are, I'm a 15 year hardwood floor (and only wood floors)veteran...fire away with any questions you have

Kelvin · November 10, 2005, 07:51:44 AM

Hey cool. What is the best finish? I've always used 3 coats of oil based poly from home depot stuff. What would you use? Water based at all? What kind? Also i bought an American 12" wide drum sander with two edgers at a state auction sale. i looked up the new price, and they sell for $7,500, and the edgers at $1,500 each. This one is really old, but the build is real similar, like they haven't changed much. What do you think this machine should be worth after i'm done with it on ebay? Its so huge you take the motor off to move it.
The manufacture sold me a roll of 80 grit paper and said it would be all i need to finish the floor, that pros finish with 80 grit. Seems kinda rough to me. Is this gonna work on hard maple and oak?
Thanks for any info
KP

beenthere · November 10, 2005, 11:05:36 AM

I finished our oak floors with 3 coats of gym seal 37 years ago, and the oak floors still look great. I was told that two coats was good enough, but had heard that 3 was better, and am glad I opted for doing the 3.

That 80 paper seems a bit course to me too. Especially for the edgers, as they will be cutting across the grain some.

Deadwood · November 10, 2005, 04:54:18 PM

I really like how you added a cupola into your design. I live on a hill myself and if I could, or would, build another home it would be a Timber Frame and it would have a cupola. I know I am only dreaming but I always thought it would be nice to have a writing room in one. I do a lot of writing (working on 2nd novel) so relaxion and views would be nice. As I said, pretty much dreaming as my life is pretty hectic and I got way to much work in this home to start another.

Kelvin · November 13, 2005, 07:26:30 AM

cupola was no problem, just like a dormer, cept it was on top! I used standard ceiling joists due to fighting with the inspectors and for insulation depth. I just doubled up the joists where the cupola sits, and also have interior walls under that which carry load. No biggie Floor is hung on a header just like stairs would be. Simple as that. It may not stay up, but it was simple!
KP

shopteacher · November 13, 2005, 09:03:54 AM

Nice looking frame work. That is going to turn out to be a grand house. I have the construction class at school (and myself) learning a little about timberframing.

Jim_Rogers · November 14, 2005, 08:17:05 AM

Shopteacher:
I don't know what the design is but that tenon in the first set of photos looks way too big.
The standard is that tenons are 1/4 the width of the timber and peg holes are 1/2 the width of the tenon.
That mortise doesn't have enough wood on either side to hold the peg back if there is any tension on that joint.
Hopefully that joint is completely in compression.
Jim Rogers

shopteacher · November 15, 2005, 06:02:11 AM

Thanks Jim,
After we cut that mortise I realized the tenon was to wide. I didn't know there was a standard to go by, course I very little about this type construction. Just got a book by Jack Sobon and Rodger Schroeder so hope the learning curve will decrease a little.
The joint in the picture was for a knee brace going from a post up to the top plate so I think it will still be usable. Thank for your reply and knowledge.

Jim_Rogers · November 15, 2005, 08:11:43 AM

You'll have to reconsider using that as a post, there's not much wood left to hold up the building.
What is the size of the post and how much wood is left there?

Jim

beenthere · November 15, 2005, 08:49:21 AM

shopteach
Is it a possible assignment for the class to see who can discover what might be wrong with the design and layout of this joint? Seems it would be a way to dig a little deeper and learn some basics, and realize that there are some subtle criteria to follow. Just a thought outloud.

Looks like a real fun class to learn from.

shopteacher · November 15, 2005, 07:50:09 PM

Jim,
The post are 6.5 X 6.5 and if I remember correctly that brace was 5" wide and the tenon was 3" long. So on that particular post the mortise has about 3/4" on a side and is 3" deep. We have a 6.5 X 6.5 top and sill plate for the post to fit between. How far should the tennon go into the two plates?

Beenthere: thanks for the suggestion. Outloud thoughts are always welcome. Trying to put this thing together will be the fun part.

ohsoloco · November 15, 2005, 09:52:28 PM

Kelvin, when we refinish the gym floors the only grit we use is 80. Of course, we're using 20" 175rpm floor scrubbers with a soap solution on the floor. We scrub it mainly to get the dirt off of the floor and put some bite on the old finish to give the new stuff something to hold onto.

My house is almost all oak floors, and I'd really like to refinish them. Problem is, the high traffic areas no longer have any finish on them. I'd really like to use a wet sand as mentioned above to keep down on the dust, but don't know if this will be a problem with the bare wood. I've seen too many rippled floors from those drum sanders, so I'm hesitant to use one on my floors. I'd rather practice on someone else's first...want some help ??? :D

I'd also like to hear your opinion, HARLEYRIDER

UNCLEBUCK · November 15, 2005, 10:23:15 PM

Kelvin youre house is awesome and youre still chugging away at it ! Its getting bigger and bigger ! Are you getting tired yet ? Did you saw all the lumber yourself except for the rafters? That high scaffold work sure is a chore . Do you have alot of helpers or is it still jsut you and your wife doing it all? If you ever get a appraisal on that home and location when youre all done I would be sitting down when they tell you how much its worth $$$$$$$ ! Very nice now get back to work ;D

UNCLEBUCK · November 15, 2005, 10:34:53 PM

Kelvin I almost fell out of my chair looking down your stairs but I caught myself just in time ! :D

Jim_Rogers · November 16, 2005, 08:10:03 AM

shopteacher:
A three inch mortise is normal, but 3/4" on each side is not.......
The tenon should be trimmed back to 2 7/8" so that it won't bottom out when the post shrinks.
What you have to look at is the load being placed on this post from up above.
Will the post have enough square inches to support this load?
What type of wood is it?
Is this a corner post or a middle post? by middle I mean an interior bent post at the outside wall, or a center post in a bent?
Where will the building be going?
What is the snow load for that area? if any? I don't know where you are.
Please do not cut any more mortises this wide or your structure may fail under a load, such as just the roofing, or the first snow that is loaded off center of the roof, such as drifting snow.
You should have your design reviewed right away......
Jim Rogers