Timber Framers Guild Forums Tools Timberframe Design Plane before or after cutting joinery.

The first bits of timber have arrived and I'm soon to begin cutting braces. But I've hit a mental stumbling block. Mr Benson says (The Timber Frame House) to cut the joinery first and then to plane all the timbers in one go. Mr Sobon says that the timbers should be planed first or the joints won't fit as they should. The wood is direct from the sawmill so currently sporting a very rough finish. From previous experiments I know that I'm going to have to remove about 1-2mm / face to get a nice smooth finish. My feeling is the Jack Sobon has it right here and that those 1-2mm will add up quickly (In the worst case we could be up to 0.5cm different from the plans for a girt which connects two posts.

Also, I'm planning on not planing those surfaces which will end up hidden (facing the external walls). Does this potentially introduce any risks? I would be taking all measurements from the outside surfaces to ensure alignment anyway. Is there a risk for the wood if I leave it "uncleaned" like this?

Thanks in advance for your takes on these questions.

If you are using the "Square rule" method and measuring from the outside as you say, then planning before or after doesn't matter.
The joint will be where it will be.
If you plane it first you have the risk of making marks in it as you cut the joints.
If you plane it after you then can remove any marks made by cutting the joints.

Jim Rogers

Square rule or mill rule, so long as all joints are housed or set to reference face (which accounts for 'ideal' timber size) you can plane after. I'm sure you'll get multiple responses on what is the best way.

For your outside and 'up' faces - assume those are references, and if you leave th unplaned, there should be no issue. It's very common to frame this way.

But it will show up on those inside brace faces, joist housings or other drop in members, any blind housed members. If you are hand planing (like with a power planer I assume), then you could light, or feather out on those ends of the inserted memebers, whatever the depth of the housing is.

Thanks for the comments. I should really have been able to straighten it out in my head, but sleep deprivation seems to be taking it's toll! The plan is then:

- Leave non-visible faces unplaned (those directly touching the exterior walls).
- House all joints to the ideal timber.
- Plane all surfaces to be planed in one go shortly before raising.

Now to start cutting! I can't express how exciting this is. :-)

It shouldn't matter when you plane. Once the joinery is cut, you might as well clean them up while they are on the horses. Depending on species and if the material is green, you may see more changes in shrinkage than on what you are taking off with the planer.