Ok....on to other questions....I have decided to do the monolithic slab ($3500 bid vs $7600 on the latest). They will give me a 3 or 4" concrete sill I can do whatever I want with. I'll probably opt for a 3" WO sill atop that, bolted to it and tenon my post into that. On my last frame, I used 2' really wide angle brackets to attach it to the foundation (rail ties)...seems to me the stub tenons on plates/sills aren't normally pinned though...mass takes care of it?

Anyway...to another question...and ramble.

I am planning on 8x8 posts and an 8x10 horizontal beam. Braces will shorten the free span to about 11 ft or thereabouts. I went to the mill yesterday and talked shop and saw what an 8x10 looks like in person. And then began to question it all. Will a 7x10 or 7x9 beam work just as well and then go for 7" posts? Or shall I just stick with it even if its overkill? 8x8 posts are MASSIVE from a wood shop perspective. Of course chopping down things will also save me a bit of money. Incidentally, the entire lumber bid for this (the fun part, not the stick built innards for insulation unless someone has a good alternative) will be well under 2K. WO will be between $.50 and $.65 per bd ft cut depending on the length...apparently the nicer stuff I'll need for the 18' beam will run a bit more ($.65), whereas the 4x6 bracing and whatnot will be cheaper. I suspect the 3x7 rafters will be in between. I will fill in with some red elm (I plan to sticker it and have it set a bit before working with it as it likes to move...that wood is free though from my back yard). How does this price fare geographically with what you pay? I live in WO country...Caledonia (MN) Stave is right nearby, and the oak for my project will come from Northern Iowa.

Also, the only frame I ever built was with 4x4 RO. It moved a bit, but was fun and easy because it was small dimension lumber and meant to keep firewood dry albeit 8x22 three bent, two bay dry. Or course this will be more work, but from a mental standpoint, I have done it all before. Point being....how does one work with timber if she starts to move? Fast? And how important is it that the center of the tree is balls on center. Reuben guaranteed me there'd be no centers out of sides, but how about a bit of diagonal as the trees aren't perfect? I plan to assemble the bents at the mill where I am building it, and then transport them to my place three miles a way by horse so as to avoid DOT Issues. Fun, easy, Percherons are nice.

Lastly....who here is a pro who'd look over my plan just for looksies sake? I did it on sketchup, and have pulled each member out for dimensioning. I think this ought to do as a "working" drawing.

Thanks and again, sorry for the ramble.


AJS