chris. Thanks for your help. If you get a chance check out the
www.heritagebarns.com and look at their picture they show of a typical English barn. Or if you happen to have a copy of tf guilds red book page one "the evolved American frame" or in Jack Sobon's historic American timber joinery "tie below the plate design " page three(A great book by the way). All of these illustrate the example I speak of, though I have seen also many example of your swing beam barns. It is just puzzling to me why some of these barns were able to rid the support of the intermediate post while others were not?? . You are right the old mill buildings are wonderfully crafted. I also think that tying below the plate , while it is attractive in some respects, it already undermines the basic needs of a proper truss , the rigid triangle. Thanks again for your input. Sincerely tb
