Timber Framers Guild Forums General General Forum Questions Methods of Timber Framing

I was recently watching a tv program about timber framing. It showed a small TF company cutting and then raising a timber frame. What perplexed me is that this particular company didn't really use a chisel as much as I'd expect to see. Fairly un-precise if you know what I mean. Layout was done with just a pencil and cut to that line with a saw instead of paring to the layout line. Grinders were used to pare down fat tennons. Much of the work seemed rough using only power tools. Is this common in the trade? I was tought by Steve Chappell that precision is of the utmost importance. I do understand that if you can't see the joint and quality won't be sacrificed why waste time on it. It made me wonder if I was being too picky. What does everyone else think?

What did the finished joinery look like for fit ?
To minimize labor time power tools can be used to advantage (this is not an endorsement for power tools)

One can generally trade speed for quality in any endeavor. Trust your instincts on this one, J.

They didn't show any close up joinery. I do know that it was tight from watching them beat the joints together. The frame looked great when it was up, but once again there weren't any close-ups of the joinery. They certainly didn't look like the pictures in some of the books I have (Steve Chappell's, and Ted Benson's).

Beat the joints together? There is also such a thing as too tight. One could force the mortised member to spilt, either during the beating or after. CB.

I'll offer a tidbit that will get me in trouble, perhaps.
Something I tell the students that come to our workshops is that I've seen a good number of old barns that have sloppy joinery. These buildings have been standing for a long time through big wind and who knows what else. They stand because the roof and foundation were kept up, and plenty of well cut frames have gone down the tubes because of poor foundation or no roof upkeep. I encourage the folks who take our courses to work carefully, but I beleive timberframes can be stong without high levels of precision.
It could be that after a certain level of tolerance, it's all for looks.....

Although only a beginner I'd have to agree. I know of some timber framers in my area that work on very different levels of precision. One primarliy builds barns, the other builds very high end homes. One looks better than the other, but I'm quite positive either will fall down.

I recently saw a program (maybe the same one) that showed about a dozen practices that would not fly on our yard. I laughed and made jokes for a while, and then I had to consider that at the end of the day, though it wasn't built my way, it was still a pretty nice looking frame. And it was built by framers who have similar motivations as I.
But please don't trade your chisel in for an angle grinder!
Whit

Whit et al,
If they were climbing without safety harnesses in a large western state it is the same program.
Sent them a courtesy email and have heard naught.

That's the same program I'm referring to. DIY network was the channel, I believe.