Thoreau Shed

[Michael NY TF]

I like the look and proportions of this Thoreau shed.

http://bensonwood.com/gallery/thoreau.cfm

Two questions:

1. Both the crossbeams and the plates are at the top of the post, which look to be 6x6 posts. What joint do you think they are using (or could you use) that would have enough "meat" to work on top of this small a post?
2. In some of the later interior pictures, there is another board just under the top plate running the length of the building that seems mortised into the post. Do you think this is serving some structural function? It appears to be on only one side of the cabin.

[D L Bahler]

This looks like a standard English tying joint.

[Jim_Rogers]

In the second picture you see the crew standing on the bare frame. The first "tie beam" on the gable end has the rafters coming down into the top of it, which would as mentioned look like a standard English tying joint.
The other interior shot (third picture) shows that the other rafters come down to the long wall plate.
It would appear that the walls were raised first, then the tie beams on the two gable ends dropped on to tie the walls together, then the rafters added.

It would appear to me that the third picture showing the interior is not the same building. That shot show many windows.
All the other pictures only show two windows one on each long wall.
I believe there are two completely different frames there. One other exterior shot shows the enclosed frame with all the windows. It is not in the same location as the building with two windows.

Therefore it is hard to say what is what.
Personally the interior shot that shows his hat hanging on the wall looks like a plank added to the side of the posts as they appear to go up behind it to the plate. Don't know for sure, just a wild guess.

Jim Rogers

[Michael NY TF]

Wow, an english tying joint on a 6x6 post. Didn't think this was possible due to lack of meat on the post. Guess I'll draw it and see.

[Dave Shepard]

I don't think it's an English tying joint. In the second pic, you can see the post top tenon exposed in the end of the plate. I don't know how experience Thoreau was with TF, but Bensonwood historically hasn't had much to do with plates. ;)