diminished haunch knee bracing?

[zelpatsmot]

Is there a reason why I never see diminished haunch knee braces?

I prefer to cut diminished haunches vs full housings....

[Jim_Rogers]

Some people cut them. I believe it could be more work to get the two surfaces to mate up with the angles.
Maybe you could educate us as to the way you do it.

Jim Rogers

[Dave Shepard]

All of my haunches same diminished.  8) That's just the way they did them back then.

[D L Bahler]

I dont always cut haunches
but when I do, I prefer diminished

I think they are more pleasing to the eye, and encourage you to stick with them

[canopy]

This is a question I have often wondered about. Diminishing leaves more strength in the post. Jack Sobon's Historic American Timber Joinery book says there might or might not be a bearing shoulder in the day. And if there was it was typically not diminished. But that doesn't explain why nowadays I never seem to come across diminished shoulders. I suppose the angled mortise is just slightly more tedious to make is all I can think of.

[Dave Shepard]

If you interrupt the fibers, it doesn't matter if the haunch is straight or diminished, you've weakened the post. I would rather cut a diminished haunch than a traditional square rule housing. The diminished haunch lends itself to scribing more than square rule. In square rule you have to do a little bit of mapping to make it come out right. My Dutch barn projects are all diminished haunches.

Both the anchorbeam and the brace use diminished housings.

[canopy]

Can you elaborate on the mapping needed in square rule a little?

[Dave Shepard]

I'll have to get to a computer to properly reply. I'll also have to do a sketch.

[Jim_Rogers]

Mapping is the process of adjusting your shoulders and housing based on the actual size of the post or timber.
I guess usually you don't have housings if you're mapping.
What I mean, again by mapping is for example if you have two posts in a bent. and one post is 7 3/4" wide and it's suppose to be 8" then you have to add 1/4" to the length of the tie beam end that is on that side or end of the beam. So the shoulder to shoulder length would be 1/4" longer than what the "plan(s)" say it should be.
When you map a timber it means that that timber has to go in that spot. It can't be interchanged with another tie beam because it is now an individually located timber.
Square rule framing eliminated the need to "map" timbers. As each timber is reduced to a standard width at the joint to make it to the size of the timber that you or the designer picked as the "perfect timber" this is inside the rough outer timber.
Mapping means you have to keep track of the new size of that timber and you have to usually write it down and as I said you can only use it right where it was "mapped" to.

If I haven't described "mapping" good enough for you, ask a more specific question and I'll try and explain it better.

Jim Rogers

[canopy]

I understand mapping Jim and thanks for the clear example. However, Dave said "In square rule you have to do a little bit of mapping to make it come out right" in regards to a diminishing knee brace. I am wondering what this required mapping is about.

[Satamax]

Well, i didn't know what is a diminished haunch was. Now i know, in French we call theses "embrèvement" and they're everywhere. The old guys, to avoid cutting mortices here, used one between tie beam and principal rafter, which was V shape to keep it from moving from side to side, and kind of dovetailed to keep it from slipping up. They often drove a nail in it, for peace of mind. Some make it a pocket, so it's hiden.

Thanks.

Max.

[Thehardway]

I suspect the relatively cheap supply of sugary food and drinks has led to a rapid decline in the number and quality of diminished haunches... :D

Most haunches I see today are supersized, fully housed and in some cases as big as a house,  but I agree "diminished haunches are more pleasing to the eye".  8)

Laughs aside, I would say it is a matter of choosing the easiest rather than the best way.  Another product of the time we live in where cost and effort are placed higher on value scale than tradition and function.  A product of the "Git r done" generation.

[zelpatsmot]

We simply trade our time for money these days. Its terrible. But unless you can find a niche market, one in which you are rewarded for producing the best possible product that you can, Im afraid you are s o l and you need to pursue time saving techniques.
So, If diminished haunches don't sacrifice strength then sure, I will take advantage of the time saving opportunity.

In my current position, it's unfortunately a very fine line between making a profit, growing my client base, and impressing my future client(s).