Techniques for squaring reference faces

[SWdendro]

Dear Timberframers,

I'm new to the forum and just learning to timberframe!  I'm curious about techniques to square adjacent reference faces on rough sawn timbers in the context of a square rule project.

For example, let's assume that I have a timber that is not square, such that I cannot accurately establish two reference faces and an arris without some additional  hewing/milling of the timber.

Given one flat face as a starting point, but with the adjacent side of the timber not exactly square, I'm wondering about techniques for squaring this face, and thus establishing two accurate reference faces (and the intervening arris).

My thoughts are:

1) To run a handheld planer along the "out of square" face, but to shim the base/sole of the planer such that it would preferentially take material off of the high side of this face.  A few passes at say 1/32" depth should bring the high side down, and thus establish two truly square reference faces.

2) Alternatively, starting from the flat reference face, to run 90 degree lines across the timber to the opposite face, and then connect the ends of these lines with a chalk line.  This would establish a line indicating the square timber-within, and would allow me to pare down to this line with a hand plane (or more aggressive tool if significantly out of square).

Thanks for your thoughts on establishing two very accurate reference faces given slightly irregular and out-of-square timbers.

[timberframe]

Dear Timberframers,

I'm new to the forum and just learning to timberframe!  I'm curious about techniques to square adjacent reference faces on rough sawn timbers in the context of a square rule project.

For example, let's assume that I have a timber that is not square, such that I cannot accurately establish two reference faces and an arris without some additional  hewing/milling of the timber.

Given one flat face as a starting point, but with the adjacent side of the timber not exactly square, I'm wondering about techniques for squaring this face, and thus establishing two accurate reference faces (and the intervening arris).

My thoughts are:

1) To run a handheld planer along the "out of square" face, but to shim the base/sole of the planer such that it would preferentially take material off of the high side of this face.  A few passes at say 1/32" depth should bring the high side down, and thus establish two truly square reference faces.

2) Alternatively, starting from the flat reference face, to run 90 degree lines across the timber to the opposite face, and then connect the ends of these lines with a chalk line.  This would establish a line indicating the square timber-within, and would allow me to pare down to this line with a hand plane (or more aggressive tool if significantly out of square).

Thanks for your thoughts on establishing two very accurate reference faces given slightly irregular and out-of-square timbers.

Square rule timberframing can be fast and easy with reference faces square to each other and flat, but if they're not you can run into problems if you don't square them up.  Squaring them manually at the joint locations (with lots of room for the tail of your framing square to reference on) will work but depending on the equipment you have available it can be difficult and time consuming etc.   I use rudimentary line rule techniques that let me just ignore all of that and carry on with no need to square anything up.  Pretty fast and elegant.  

I did a 3 part video series on simple line rule layout to help folks out with it, and received a lot of positive reviews on it.  Shows you how to lay out and cut square and perfect joints on bent, bowed, twisted and out of square timbers.  You might find it helpful, it's very long!

Last May I followed all the same steps I always do to post a video and for some unknown reason (I just discovered a few days ago) it didn't show up but I think I have the process down now!    I'll fix it asap if the problem repeats itself.  Here is part one, you can skip the review of other systems to roughly the 17:25min mark if you want to get to line rule faster. 

Hope that worked, let me know if you have any questions!

You'll love timberframing!

B

[timberframe]

The other option (if you have access to  a wide power planer) is you can shim under the power planer and get it to plane square to the main face.  Only really helpful if the "out of squareness" is even all the way along.

B

[Brad_bb]

If you've heard of winding sticks(you can use two framing squares, you can use them to see where the twist is in a timber and make the timber planer in the areas of joinery.    You can also use string lines to examine your timber.

[SWdendro]

Dovetail – thanks for the link and for making this great video!  I hope to add line rule to my toolbox as I gain some experience....or if I can't make square rule layout work with my current stock!

I definitely have flat faces, so the "out of squareness" seems consistent along the faces.  I have access to a 7" planer, and the largest timbers in my project are 8x8", so it should work.  I think I'll give this a try first, and see how it goes.

Alternatively, although it took a couple of hours of effort this evening, I was able to get 5 5x5" timbers perfectly square along two reference faces using a hand plane.  Probably not an ideal solution for larger timbers, but at least I know that it's possible!

Brad – thanks for the suggestion!  I was checking out some videos on winding sticks.  Thankfully I don't have too much twist (besides a couple of timbers that seemed to check and twist during the last 8-9 months of drying), but I'll keep the winding sticks in mind for these pieces.   I was able to "eyeball" the pieces I worked on this evening with my square and marking high spots with a pencil, but I think I'll lay out some chaulk lines if I go the power planer route on the larger timbers.

Thanks timberframers!

[mattgancz]

Be careful, your timber can have square edges that do not stay in the same plane.  Winding sticks and a chalk line will help to understand what is really going on. 

As the old adage says, "There are more ways of killing a cat than choking it with cream."  You can use a powered hand planer, or an old Stanley.  I would recommend training your hands to 90-degrees and avoiding a jig if you are not going from production --- which, from your description in another post, you are not.