Jim,

Thanks for the information on cutting beams. I will cut, stack, and sticker the beams indoors and do the joinery before shipping.

There is a plan out of Tedd Benson "Building the Timber Fram House" (page 184) that I will modify to meet my needs. I plan to increase the knee wall from 1'8" to 3'9" and increase the corner posts to center post on the bents from 12' to 14'. There is a high post cape frame in "A Timber Framer's Workshop" (page 192) that has the knee wall at 3'9" but uses a top plate and a wall plate. Tedd's design doesn't. If I'm a using queen posts into the collar ties with knee braces on all bents is the top plate neccessary? I will use dovetails for the purlins and knee braces on all girts (12' spacing between bents). Once I get the drawings made/modified I will have my brother check out the structural design but want to give him something that is decent to work with.

Also I posted a question about boring machines that you replied to. What do you know about AJAX. I believe they were made in the Midwest - Ohio. Are these decent machines.

Thanks for all the info - Ben