Hello all. I'm finally realizing that my time and efforts over the past couple of years have been focused more on blacksmithing than timber framing, but I'm wanting and ready to do the sructural remodel on my house. Originally planned/engineered using traditional timber frame joinery, my skills make forging custom brackets easier(?) than using wood pegs. I've attatched a sketchup of a few examples of kinda what I'm thinking.
The opinions et al. that I'm looking for are:
- is it better to have bolts pierce the width or depth of the beam?
- design suggestions including pictures/examples of what others have done
-If I should post this elswhere, guidance in that direction would be appreciated
thanks
billyO
It's hard to answer the question about whether it is better to put the bolt through the width or depth without knowing exactly where in the frame it will be. And all the loads that this joint will have to hold/handle.
Usually they (meaning engineers) like to see bolt patterns staggered so that all the holes aren't in a straight line. Lots of holes in a straight line makes the timber weaker along that line.
As far as I can see what you've done looks ok to me.
Jim Rogers
Hi BillyO,
Jim is dead on, you would be hard pressed to have someone commit to approving the structural integrity of self fabricated metal brackets. There isn't any thing wrong with them, but you really need a PE, if you want a "that is safe, use it," statement, and the same goes for their bolting, (fixing,) pattern. I love the detail in your drawing, that is really nice and should look great. I don't like metal most of the time, but when I see someone like you put it into play, I love it. If you are going to use metal joinery, by Gosh, make a statement of your craft. You have done so, it looks great! ;D
Have you consider some of the traditional "wedged draw strapping"? With your talent, it would look fantastic.
Regards,
Jay
One of the main problems with iron brackets is the high heat conductivity of iron. Wherever iron passes through insulation it will leak heat and there are also some problems with water condensing on cold iron which in some cases may lead to moisture damage.
I am sure you can learn timberframing if you are already a reasonably skilled blacksmith. I have taught joinery to a blacksmith friend and a welder friend has taught me welding and in both cases it seems like knowing one craft makes it half-ways easier to learn the next one.
Just my thoughts......
Hello all, thanks for the replies! (please, keep 'em coming...)
Jay - do you have a picture of an example or could you explain the "wedged draw strapping"? I did a google image search and I'm pretty sure that's not what you're talking about and although some of the examples may look good on the right pair of gams, from a professional point of view, I always steer my patients away from most of those styles. (but I digress...)
Jim - thanks for the staggering comment, That's easy enough to accommodate. I remember reading an article in the Red "Timber Framers Workbook" that I got from the TF guild a number of years ago and I thought I read that there's a newer, green edition. Are you familiar with these workbooks, and if so, do you recommend me getting the second edition?
Again, thanks
billyO
Quote from: billyO on November 15, 2012, 07:26:10 AM
Jim - thanks for the staggering comment, That's easy enough to accommodate. I remember reading an article in the Red "Timber Framers Workbook" that I got from the TF guild a number of years ago and I thought I read that there's a newer, green edition. Are you familiar with these workbooks, and if so, do you recommend me getting the second edition?
Again, thanks
billyO
The red book you mentioned was a collection of articles written for the magazine "Timber Framing" put out by the guild.
The green book is another collection of articles written for the magazine, since the red book was published.
I do recommend both books.
Jim Rogers
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Hey BillyO,
Boy you sure do have to be careful how you do a search...put in "wedge draw strapping," and you get high heel shoes? Those shoes have got to kill a woman's tibial tendon - plantar fascia insertion, glad I go barefoot or wear moccasins a lot.
The links above should get your juices going.
I do agree, that with your talent, you could easily learn timber framing layout and joinery, but with your skill at metal working why not bring the to art forms together? The straps from above are real simple, can't imagine what you could do with it. Makes me want to start pound'n iron again. ;) Keep us posted.