Timber Framers Guild Forums General Barns and Traditional Timberframing Square rule or scribe rule?

Tim:
That possibly isn't a valid address for the photo.
You should be able to find the address and that's what you need to post between the image tags.
Jim Rogers

Tim, The glossary in The Pennsylvania Barn gives a definition of a beam below the tie beam as being a cross beam as follows "Heavy member of bent, reaching from end post to end post, positioned below tie beam"

Jim

So, Ken was onto it with cross beam? Where does binding beams come into play?

I was back inside this barn a few days ago. The reductions at the joints were cut with a axe not the adze and across the grain, not with it. (as a side note I picked up a adze such as you mentioned, Will, $3.00 a bit rusty but not bad, it has a 9" long blade and a shallow arch) Again, as a double check I saw no marriage marks. The brace tenons were reduced, I could see how they cut the tenon back, sizing the braces to a consistent number. This is done in some scribe frames where the mortice is cut first, than scribing the next member to the mortice. I could see how this could also be done as square rule. I didn't have a tape with me nor the time for further details. Tim

On NH's tread "Historic Hewing Question" dave felshaw posted a question about counter hewing. I wonder if this is how this barn was built? Re-hewn at the joints and square ruled? I will see how that goes and compare details. Tim

A quick question on snap lines. Did our fore runners use charcoal loaded onto a line for marking lines? Chalk of course was used, white. What other colors can we expect to see on traditional buildings? Red, and was it as permanent as it is today.

I remember faintly, in my grandfathers tools, a chunk of chalk I am guessing used for rubbing on a line instead of a chalk box. Tim

Tim,

I've seen red chalk lines still on old timbers. Every time, I get really excited for some reason.

You can still get carpenters chalk from Dixon. It' a slightly convex cone shape, about 2" diameter base. We use it to mark reference, or designate timbers or any other temporary working mark or label. I've heard it was rubbed onto strings for lining work.



I've heard of the charcoal thing, but don't know any hard evidence. The same for juice from a poke berry. I do know they stain your hand.

Interesting question...

Hi Gabel,

The red marks are not chalk but raddle ! This is an earth / clay based marker.

Joe Thompson can tells us all about this historical practice.

(Note :- add to glossary).

Regards

Ken Hume

I too remember seeing a chunk of blue chalk among my grandfather's tools. It was a bit bigger than a golf ball but only a half shape... it was a semi-dome shape. And it had score marks across it presumably from running over a line.

I've also read about charcoal-loaded lines.

In addition, I remember being puzzled by these "chalk chunks" when I started doing carpentry 20 yrs ago. I'd only ever saw powdered chalk (to fill a reel). My thinking was these chunks were "old school"...the carpenter had to pound them into powder before filling his reel.

Don,

I think they predate the chalk box -- as you run the line out, you would rub the chalk on it to load the line.

You can still get that chalk in red, white and blue.