Jack Sobon's Timber Frame Project (Modification)

[CJ]

   Well, it's a Saturday morning in late February in Northern Ontario with tons of snow on the ground and lousy weather on the way, and also, it's the third day after I have officially started on my 14' X 18' timber frame bunkie that I have 'scheduled' to be completed by the end of April or early May(God willing), and I am doing the entire project on my own. This particular build is outlined in Jack Sobon's 'Timber Frame' book. I have just opted to up the size from the designed 12'X16' by two feet larger.
 So, right off the bat, I have started on cutting my braces which are 3"X5" (rough cut) and as I am going along I find that the dimension of the wood is either bang on, a 1/4" over on the 3" size, or under 4 7/8" on the 5". And how will this affect the fitting in the mortise pockets? I am perplexed at this time, because I have no one to lean on as to what I should do? Should I find a planer (tight budget) and have the oversized pieces shaved down to actual? And for the undersized timber, should I ask the mill to replace it with the right size? Three days into the build and here I am with a dilemma. I'm questioning this build already. What potentially seemed like a good idea at the time, realistically I may have bitten off more than I can chew taking this on myself. So I'm reaching out to the community to provide some well experienced advice on how to proceed? Am I making too much of this? What's going to happen as I get further into the build?
 Most of my timbers are rough cut, with the exception of the posts, tie beams, sills and top plates that I have opted to have D2S to eliminate out of square issues to deal with which should help me time wise.
 One last thing, the wood is extremely wet. As I am doing all this work, will this wood twist or warp on me before I get it completed? I sure hope not!! Thank you for any advice you can provide this newbie with. - Cheers!

[Dave Shepard]

For too thick braces, I spoke shave down to dimension, just at the joint. A little undersized on the other dimension shouldn't be an issue, the mortise is wider than the ideal dimension to allow for variations in timber sizes, so a little more gap won't be noticeable. The braces on that frame are 4"x6".

[CJ]

Just an FYI...here's a timber frame cart that I fabricated to help in moving large beams around with no effort at all


   

    

[CJ]

So a brief update from the Season 2 (A COVID Story of 2020) of my build, I managed to get my bunkie enclosed this year after a later than usual start. We all know why and there is no need to go into detail.
I got the gable wall ends completed, as last season I had to Typar them for the winter (which they survived) the elements. That was, in itself, a bonus. Once that was done and my window openings all measured up, I placed my order for triple-glazed (Yes! Triple pane for a cabin) which would see them take two and a half months to arrive. In the meantime, I had hydro brought into the property, which I also did on my own because there is no one to lend a hand. That wasn't completed until the end of July. Better late than never! And it's so nice to have and not have to fire up my little Honda generator all the time.
I laid 1 1/2" tongue and groove planking down for the loft floor. I could not believe how square everything was and that there was no variation in the final board that was the overhang piece. The cut was the same depth all the way across with no sway. I have to say that I am impressed with my own construction not having done anything like this before.
Then, the fireplace where our little Napoleon propane gas stove will be situated. I opted to use stones from the shoreline not far from my property. Due to the constant heavy waves, the rocks along the shoreline are naturally flat, so using them as the fireplace backer was a no-brainer. And, not having anyone who could do it, I opted to learn how and did it myself. It took some time, but I managed to persevere. All that remains is the mortar in between the rocks, but that'll be next year.
October the windows arrived, so I installed them and now the cabin is totally ensconced and free of the elements. By the way, the door in the photo was rescued from a house demolition. A really nice house that was brought to the ground, but not before I was able to salvage this door. Score! I couldn't be happier with the look and how it allows so much sunlight in.
Next season (God willing) the siding (undetermined at this point) will get done, the vinyl click flooring put down, and the fireplace finished and the trim around the windows. I also need to conjure up an idea for a ladder/stairway up to the loft that won't be intrusive and taking up valuable space. 'Til then...

   

 


   

   

   

   

[Jim_Rogers]

Looks good, nice job.

Jim Rogers

[CJ]

Thanks Jim. For a first-timer, from the timber frame to the overall construction and with no real guidance along the way on how to go about doing things, I'm pretty pleased for how this build has progressed. Two years to accomplish this so far. It's taxing when you are a lone wolf, but rewarding at the same time. I'm hoping to have it all completed by next season. The wife and I are at odds as to what kind of siding/finish will end up on the exterior. Happy wife, unhappy husband! !!