Timber Framers Guild Forums General General Forum Questions Newbie needing some advice on tools and timing....

This may seem a strange request, but I am starting from scratch trying to locate some information. With the arrival of Hurr. Katrina, home prices went through the roof here in upstate SC. So, to escape the 30 year mortgage trap my family and I have decided to build a timberframe home and frame our outbuildings.

I have 68 acre farm with about 30-33 acres in second growth timber. Some decent white oak, a 15-30 poplars reaching 50 - 100 feet I am willing to fell, and a lot of red oak. The design is a simple single story colonial with the attic used as extra sleeping space, 6-8 bents, rafter to post roof construction. Later on a duplicate structure will be built beside and attached to form a modified dogtrot sort of arrangement. However I am in need of tools and knowledge. Allow me to tell you what I have in hand and get input as to what I need to get or replace.

I am having a hard time locating a hewing axe and really do not know what to look for, what is a fair asking price, or who is a good manufacturer. I did buy one off of ebay recently for about $15.00 that is stamped "T. Steen" and looks to be cast iron with about 1 - 1 1/2 inches of steel inlay left. 10 inch face and needs to be resharpened.

I have a 1and1/2 inch framing chisel in need of reworking. I have a two handed curved-handle 4" wide adze in need of sharpening, various t-handled augers in need of sharpening, several drawknives (very sharp) and a halfway decent spud.

Could I trouble you to ask you for assistance in this matter? I thank you in advance for your help! What to get. Where to get it. How to sharpen what I have in hand. Where to locate a chisel sharpening guide. What timber is suitable to use. ANYTHING you all have to offer I certainly will be grateful to hear.

Thanks from upstate SC,
hikingonthru

Chris Broome
> Upstate SC
> USA

I think all of your trees would be great for a timberframe... I have used red oak, white oak, and yellow (tulip) polar in my frame. White oak is my favorite - if I could, I'd build the whole house with white oak. Red Oak is almost as nice. Poplar is much much lighter, much easier to chisel, but not nearly as strong and checks more than oak (it seems to me so far). If I was going to try raising the frame by hand, I'd use poplar.

If you are _really_ serious about building your own home with timbers on your land, I would suggest...

0) buying either (or both) of Sobon's timberframe books. He has the best summary of what types of trees are appropriate for a timberframe house. I would also suggest buying (or borrowing) the 2 books by Benson that are geared toward how-to-build and how-to-finish your timberframe house. (he has a third book full of pretty pictures - borrow that book from your library). Both authors have a great description of how to build a timberframe and what tools you'll need, but they have different approaches to be sure. One (or both?) of Sobon's books has a whole chapter on hand hewing.

1) sign up for a timberframe workshop somewhere - make sure the class culminates in a raising. Look for a timberframe workshop that will show you traditional, as well as modern, timberframing tools and methods.

2) this is going to be hard hard work and take a long long time. I would suggest that you embrace any power tools that you can beg, buy, or borrow. As long as you don't take any quality short cuts, no one will criticize you for using power tools. Unless you require a hand-hewed look, I would hire someone to come and sawmill your timbers (after you take a timberframe class). If you are going to build a whole house and surrounding buildings, a chain mortiser will likely save you many weeks of effort.

3) yes, get that chisel sharp and learn how to keep it sharp! Most of the chisels for $8 at the antique stores are as good as the new $100 chisels.

4) Find someone in your area who is building or has built a timberframe house. All 3 of the owners I met were proud to show me their homes. Take lots of pictures if they don't mind. Here is the project I've been working on...
nearly 2 years into this project

Another option that doesn't get much press = hire an itinerant to help you with the tough stuff. Bring in a pro that charges a lot per week, but will train you by osmosis, help get the bulk of things cut, and get it done with your help. You can make a house in reasonable time and you can still claim the "sweat equity". Are you trying to be a timber framer or make a house? The pro will also prevent the occasional "oops" and wasted wood. You'll have fun and not regret the investment, unless you are totally set on building your whole house by yourself and happy doing it over 4 years.

I've had projects where I worked with owner for only 3 weeks, and others where it took 3 months on site.

A common realization among owner builders is that their time is billed at $0/hr. Great if you can swing it, but misleading when you claim finished cost.

I want to thank each of you for the tips. The process is going to take a long time. I do not require a hand hewn look, but it will end up that way just b/c of economics...I simply cannot afford to hire much, if any, labor out. Just getting the tools is an expense for us. I do participate in an 18th cent. Living History group and was delighted to hear recently that some of the group were interested in helping erect the house as a form of learning an 18th century skill or two. Yay!!! Labor for the cost of feeding them!!!

I appreciate the tips and resources! The webpage looked great...and I was impressed with some of the work you all are doing...cantilevered gables, intricate kingposts, etc.

If any of you has any advice or tips, I surely do appreciate it!

-Hikingonthru

chris, back in the old'en days there was the neighborhood barn raising where everyone in the community showed up to build farmer John's barn and in turn he showed up to build farmer Tom's corncrib, etc., etc. I am going to present an option that I frankly don't know that I could commit to at this time but I like the idea for several reasons and would be remiss if I didn't bring it up, at the very least for conversation purposes. I will be moving my family out to Colorado in August with plans to pursue building my dream home and shop sometime in the next 2-3 years. With good timing and some effort in coordinating things I may be willing to swap an hour for an hour in order to help build each others homes. I must admit it sounds like a daunting task to find time away from family obligations and all in order to slipaway to help. But the economics of it all may make sense. I am a novice myself but do have some experience in framing. If we could put together the right help I am woundering if it were possible to pull this off. There are alot of logistics to making this work and a real commitment on the behalf of all persons that would be obligated in seeing the other homes built. If you see any potential to this lets talk. And for that matter anyone else following this forum, step right up if you have interest in the same situation. I should add that my sole interest would be exclusively in getting a frame up and maybe enclose it with sips.

hi everyone especially hikingonthru:
well this is a very ambitious undertaking, I suggest taking some of the advice above, but having said that, and looking at your first post I recognize a determination amongst you and your family.
Unless you have actually experienced the whole picture of preparing and raising your own frame without the use of many modern conveniences, be ready for a challenge, also having said that I think that you are upto the challenge, and have made some good first steps.

You seem to have the basic (main) tools, but what I worry about is how well you know how to use them (safely) especially the hewing axe, and adze!

Just to give you some idea of a time frame for the construction of a 1200 square foot timberframe structure with aloft area, doing everything with the above tools and I must say being familiar with the tools, and with the help of some muscular volunteers- at the very least 2 years of hard work--just to raise it you will need many helping hands or a (expensive)crane.

I have known people to do what you are doing and take maybe 5 years to complete, and it will be somewhere between these 2 dates. I am trying to be very truthful using my experience as my guide, others may say different but this is my guess. The guiding light usually is how badly you need a home, and the time frame you have to work with

You have the land , trees, some tools, vision, family go for it, you have nothing to loose and much to gain-plan carefully and work safely' good luck and keep in touch

NH

I'd like to add my two cents. I just finished cutting my 9,000 bd ft frame on Friday (1st one). No it's not done, it still needs to be put up and there is a lot of work left to do. At any rate, I did it, and with very little help. I spent alot of money on this project, but can honestly say, I needed everything I bought. I mention this because safety was previously mentioned. I truly believe you need the right tools if you're going to safely and "Efficiently" do the job. I hurt my back lifting these monstrous timbers at the begining of this project and learned my lesson.

Here are some ballpark figures from my experience.
- $3,000 - $4,000 for tools (if new)
- $750 Workshop(Fox Maple)
- $10,000 piece of equipment with forks. (you don't need to spend this much, but I used mine to clear the lot as well).
- $5000 Lumber (I logged it, someone else milled and planed it). I didn't have much left over, besides a lot of boards.

Total around $19,000 or $20,000

I'm not trying to scare you with these big prices, but it is very realistic for someone taking on a project like this. Like I said I truly feel I needed everything, especially for safety sake. Someone could drastically reduce these numbers if they tried hard enough. I got a quote for around $40,000 to cut my frame. I just did it for less than half of that and I own all of the tools. By the way it took me 4 straight months to cut the frame. "You can do it".