Timber Framers Guild Forums General General Forum Questions Rupert Newman v selfbuild

Got hold of Rupert Newman's book 'Oak Framed Buildings' in a bid to expand my knowledge, and found it to be a very useful supplement. I at last understand what 'kerfing the shoulder' is, and in what order to arrange my scarf joints.

What did dismay however, were interjections of the nature 'don't try this for yourself' and 'leave this to experts'. This I find rather paradoxical in a book with such lucid and informative presentations.

Given that there are a host of owner-builders out there, with many completed structures and many more to follow, why might timber framing be less suitable than other methods, whether with wood, block or steel? They all involve considerable planning, time and resources; practical involvement with all methods involves risk of physical injury, as does any manual work at height or with heavy objects.

As the progress on my own chantier has been abysmally slow to date, I can testify that doing it yourself is trying; lack of experience cannot facilitate efficiency and progress. The foundations are however nearing completion, and I should move on to the woodwork soon. The question is, should I take Mr Newman's advice and quit, simply because I am not a professional?

Hmm...

Should my wife and I not drive because we are not Cheuffers or cook because we are not Chefs. No trimming the grass or shrubs as we are not Horticulturists or Arborists. Maybe we shouldn't even clean the house or take out the trash as we are not professional Maids or Sanitation Engineers. Life might get difficult very quickly if we do not attempt anything we are not professionals at.

I guess the point might be that we need to learn to walk before we run. There are some who will never run beacause they never try and others who try but continuously fall down. Then there are those who do because they must.

Don't give up on your dream.

"Good, better, best. Never let it rest 'til the good get's better and the better get's best."

I would much rather live in a house built by someone who loved what they were doing than someone just getting paid for it. Tom

Thankyou both for that moral encouragement; keeps things in perspective. Its a bit lonely out here and I'm apt to discouragement sometimes.

PS. Tom, I do like your 'live edges'; they feature also on my stairs and bookcase.

Monsieur at crabtreecreek: thanks for the tip on an alternative forum.

Lee

Hang on a moment, I never suggested anybody should quit because they are not a professional. And erecting a large structural frame with a crane is not quite the same as cutting grass. And what about if you love what you do AND get paid for doing it. OK I put a few caveats in to cover my ass because certain activities within framing are very dangerous. But this was not meant to discourage, only that inexperienced people should seek professional advice.Remember framing can be great fun but safety must always come first.

Good luck with your build, I hope it goes well.
Rupert

Caveats, I'll settle for that

I hope you consulted professionals before partaking in surfing and climbing

Perhaps there's more than one of us into framing because its dangerous?!

Cheers, Lee

Sounds like you're itching to tell us more Derek, & I'd be glad for some professional feedback

For my design, I have the simplicity thing sorted; no hammer beam truss, no octagon pendant tower, not even a hip or a valley. Some folks seem to get away with this in a first time build mind you!

At what level were these mistakes apparent; do you speak of ruptured joints, or misplaced mortises; ie. were they really mistakes which professional consultation would have identified, or were they problems of working practice due to inexperience?