I am rebuilding an old log cabin and I think it used to have a timber frame porch because the plate has been mortised (it has a overhang front porch to make the upstairs bigger) the brace pockets are 18" from the post mortise. My question is how long will my braces be?

Using a square sheet as a template.
-Mark 18" from corner in both directions
-Lay brace stock on template diagonal from each mark
-Mark brace along edge of sheet as well as brace ends square to sheet.
-Add 2 or 3 inches for tenon parallel from sheet edge.
This is how I do it. Hope this helps

The formula for the hypotenuse of a right triangle is A squared + B square = C squared.

When you know A then it is C = the square roof of A squared and B squared.

Plugging in your numbers (18x18) 324 + (18x18) 324 = square root of 648 = 25.4558"

Point 4588 inches converted to fractional inches is done by multiplying the decimal by 16 for 16ths.

So enter into your calculator point 4558 times 16 = 7.2928 rounding down we see that it 7/16's.

Your brace length on the layout line is 25 7/16" long. If I have done it correctly.

Jim Rogers

Ya but Jim, who likes all that figurin anyhow?
It's always nice to be able to put things up and scribe them, especially angled pieces.

In theory Jim's answer is correct, but in practice it could vary a bit. For most purposes however, you are fine using math. However my preference would be something along the lines of Thane's procedure, or just a straightforward shoot and scribe.

If you want to do it easy, do it Jim's ways, I guess is my best answer!

Everyone skins the fox a little different, I used to hang them on hooks, hooked behind the tendons just above the heal.

18" divided by .7071 equals what Jim gets or just about, 25.4560, fewer buttons to poke on the machine. I like the scribe thing, too.

thanks. this all helps a lot

I only know how to square rule timber frame. I need to learn how to scribe but I just haven't had the time yet. thanks for the response

thanks, this website is very helpful

Hello,

A scribin & a cypherin... I always just make up a pattern from masonite or thin plywood, fit that twixt post and beam 'n mark out the brace from that being sure I'm using a sharp pencil when I do it. Simple and direct with no abstraction involved, but that's me, being of a literal mind-set.

Greetings,

Don Wagstaff

Cecile, how does this patron take into account out of square timber, be it the post, tie, brace or all? It seems to me such a simple pattern would be abstract.