Wiki's and FAQ's

Ready to test-drive a wiki for us?

Let's start with the Glossary, which ought to be fairly controversial.

http://tfwiki.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Main_Page



We're using the same software the underlies Wikipedia, so it should be a familiar environment for most of you.

You are free to edit any entry, period.

You are not required to register, although we do track IPs, so if you misbehave we'll lock you out pretty quick, and reverse the offending edits.

The benefits of registering? Your edits will include your username, and your peers can e-mail you off-line. I recommend registration.

Ken Rower and I are the ultimate arbiters of content and behavior, but we expect to have no work to do.

The power of the collective knowledge and experience of our contributors will make this Glossary far more complete and valuable as a resource than it would ever be as the creation of just a few.

This advice from the MediaWiki site:

"Editing rules, editing conventions, and formatting

The number one rule of wiki editing, is to be bold. Dive in and make changes. Other people can correct mistakes later, so have confidence, and give it a try!

There can be all kinds of editing conventions, rules, and philosophy governing the editing of wiki pages, but the "be bold" rule overrides these!

In general try to write clearly and concisely and make sure you are always aiming to do something which improves the wiki contents. An edit might be to contribute whole paragraphs or pages full of information, or it could be as simple as fixing a typo/spelling mistakes.

When you need to use some type of formatting e.g. new headings or bold text, you do this using wiki syntax, see Help:Formatting for some of the common types of formatting used."

That's enough overhead for now.

Jump in; let's see how we do.

-Joel

Hi Joel,

I have now added a new glossary term (Wealden) to the TFwiki but struggled awhile to rember how to get there. Directly underneath the Forum link on the main page menus is the Glossary List (downloadable in pdf) link.

Do we need a direct menu link to the TFwiki Glossary ?

Regards

Ken Hume

Thanks K,

I had no idea there even was such a thing as a Wealden.

The Wiki link will go live from tfguild.org immediately after the next Scantlings goes out. Until then, please hack your way over there as a favored beta tester, with my gratitude!

Joel: You also mentioned a FAQ in the title to this topic. Any thoughts on how to proceed on that front? Have you looked at Mo's prototype on Google Docs? I noticed that there is a FAQ link on the top of every page of the forum, but it relates to the mechanics of using the forum, not the content. Perhaps we could hijack that link? CB.

Hi Joel,

I have now added some more glossary terms and have found that this can be quite addictive.

Is there a guide note that informs posters of the typical format to be employed when adding glossary items especially in respect of reference items.

There does not appear to be a navigation aid to return to glossary items A-G when editing in items H-Z.

Regards

Ken Hume

Hi Joel;

I could use some guidance on how much we can stray from timber framing in the glossary. For example, roof pitch is fundimental, but should we go into the variety of historic roof pitches which have been given names such as pediment pitch and gothic pitch and "square roof"? This leads to the names which have been given to roof shapes such as mansard, monitor, hip, etc.

What about types of barns like swing beam, swisser, English, Yankee, etc.

Can I include lumbering terms such as cant, balk, deal, plank, batton, flitch, etc. Most terms from related trades are probably too far removed to be included here, though there are terms like wrought (past tense of work) which can apply to wood as well as metal.

Is it a goal to create a sophisticated reference which lists the word origins, dates of use, etc. or keep it simple, like the title "timber framing for beginners" implies.

If the goal is to keep it simple, I think it would be interesting if there could be an appendix for advanced users where dictionaries and glossaries of interest to building historians and related trades could be listed. These could number in the hundreds.

Is there a way to include drawings with the glossary? Illistrations often make graphic discriptions much easier to understand.

Ken is right, this could be addicting!

Jim

The goal is NOT to keep it simple, but to make it expansive, and ultimately, the definitive glossary of terms, maintained by our community.

Hi Jim,

I think that all of the names that you lised above are relevant, especially since some of them are new to me. I have discovered that, even if a person might struggle with trying to define short succinct terms of reference for a glossary word, the neat thing about the Wiki is that some bright spark can come along at a later date and add or refine the input so just entering a relevant glossary word alone is sufficient in the short term.

Put them in before you forget them !

Regards

Ken Hume

If it seems like you're adding too much information for a simple glasary entry, make a new article, and link to it from the glossary entry! Jim, you seem to want to write an article on roof pitches - so go for it. And another on Barn Styles. And another on lumbering terms. Don't worry if you feel like you don't have enough information for a whole article - just start one as a placeholder, and the rest of us will help you fill it in. CB.

The sky is the limit!

One of the best glossaries I know of is in R.W. Brunskill's Timber Building in Brittain. It can only be improved on by adding missing terms. Rather than copying each entry (a copyright issue) could we ask Mr Brunskill to add the entire glossary to this one?

How can we deal with illistrations? They are essential.

I'll try to add some terms tonight.

Jim

Hi Jim,

Brunskill's glossary might not travel that far, even in the UK. It might be better to grow our own from the seeds sown by Joel McCarty and Kenneth Rower. UK academics can get quite possessive of "their" terms and definitions for same and it might just be that their terms do not necessarily truly reflect the common everyday usage of vernacular carpentery language. The CBA illustrated Glossary (see FAQ Wiki) is probably a better reflection of traditional UK vernacular terms.

What is the authoritative US glossary or are we engaged in the process of manufacture of same ?

Regards

Ken Hume

If anyone is interested, Here's some info on formatiing text in the wiki world.

CB.

Hi Jim,

I have just created a trial "Wealden" illustrated glossary and am now just about ready to post same. Joel and Ken Rower are currently working on the details on how illustrations and digi pics can be posted.

Clark,

The link to the Wiki formatting page is very useful and it reminds me of the primitive days of using "Word Perfect" [for DOS].

Regards

Ken Hume

Word Perfect?

Nearly as ancient as a Wealden I am thinking.

Hi Joel, Jim, Don et all,

I have now managed to post my Wealden House - illustrated glossary. Go to the "W" section in the TFWiki index then click on the small [1} at the end of the WEALDEN entry which then causes the illustration to pop up.

I posted this at 640 x 480 (165kb) to keep the pixels under control but would welcome comments re the best size format to ensure reasonable performance on dial up connections.

Regards

Ken Hume

Comments please.

Hi All,

I have upped the resolution to 800 x 600 and at (256kb) this should still be reasonably quick to download. Feedback ?

Regards

Ken Hume

Joel:

The header at the top of the FAQ page says "Forum", but it should say "FAQ" or "Frequently Asked Questions"

Ah Yes, WP: "Reveal Codes" :-)

Ken, I think the link should be more obvious. What about turning the actual heading term (WEALDON in this case) into a link? Either to the drawing, or to a more detailed article on the topic that includes the drawing. CB.

Good stuff. Eminently viewable.

I want the image files to reside on tfwiki.org, but I haven't been able to figure out how to do this, yet.

I'll check it out.

Hi Clark,

I just checked out the illustrated glossary link to see if I could make the link improvements that you suggest but the [1]illustration link established this morning has already been removed and the WEALDEN definition changed.

It seems that I might just been wasting my time today and probably I'll stop before I suffer any more humiliation.

Why do I bother ?

Regards

Ken Hume

Standby.

Image was there a minute ago, and I know of no conspiracy to remove same.

Ken:
If you want to remove other's edits of your definition then contact the person who edited it and discuss your concerns.
If you select the history tab you can see who changed it and when, and there is an undo button there.....

Jim Rogers

Hi Jim,

I just checked out the history tabs as you suggested and am slightly concerned if I make undo changes that a game of edit ping pong or worse still edit wars might ensue.

If we are to avoid future confrontations (real or imagined) then we probably need to have a code of etiquette and understanding.

How do we handle this ? Thanks for your help.

Regards

Ken Hume

This is all new for everyone. So we get to make it up as we go. If you feel strongly about it, send Ken Rower an email and work it out. Or you may feel it's a minor disagreement, and not worth the trouble. I'm guessing that he deleted the link to the image accidentally? This is all still experimental after all...

Hi Clark,

I agree with your sentiments, comments and advice.

Joel has just advised me that he has a PLAN in hand and so I think that we should await his advice before proceeding too much further.

When is the EDIT button coming back ?

Regards

Ken Hume

That is a wonderful graphic... and now I know what a "prick post" is. And all this time I thought it was a message from an unruly forum guest!

(prick post is on 2nd flr, left.)

Hi Mo,

Have you made entries on the TFWiki under the name "Fountain" ?

If yes can you contact Joel by email ASAP to confirm your contact details.

If not you then who is Fountain ?

Regards

Ken Hume

While bumbling around on the TFwiki page I found a list of definitions which did not mesh with the wiki list. Just found it interesting. I am more in agreement with the wiki pages. As an example "purlin" they are only found between rafters.

http://www.dreamingcreek.com/glossary.htm

I also found a list of disadvantages on the wiki page, which I found almost disturbing. Sorry no link. Tim

List of disadvantages? Can you be more specific?

I had the Guild's wiki page and Timber Framing wikipedia mixed up, but, be as it may here is the link. Click on #5 Disadvantages. I think they are all bogus. Tim

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timber_framing

Test Post

Want that definition added to the Wiki? :LOL:

djswan - just click 'edit' and do so. open source your knowledge. do eeet!

Hi,

I just checked out the link to the Wikipedia pages on Timber Framing and this is escellent and was particularly pleased to find Hume & Son listed on the Timber Engineering pages.

The pages would appear to have been posted by Alex Schreyer. Can anyone provide additional information on this person ?

How does one alter / amend this kind of posting ?

Regards

Ken Hume

again- from the looks of it click 'edit' by the external links and go to it. to add a link, my guess is to match the phrasing of the code and include the url you want to. there's a sandbox to play in to try things out. does anyone know better?

You will need to create an account on Wikipedia.

Edit away! Let me know if you need an assist.

Hi Joel & Toivo,

Thanks for those tips and kind offer of assistance. I read the "about" page on Schreyer's Wiki and he appears to be a very impressive character. His bachelor's thesis was written about the wood / metal interface and following my post made on this site a little while back under "heavy duty scarf joint" I have taken the opportunity to contact him direct to try and learn more. He is a Phd student and lecturer based at UMASS in Amherst and it would be good to encourage him to post in our "on line fold".

Regards

Ken Hume

I have not been able to get past the first page in the tfwiki for many months. Can you?

Thanks;
Jim

I've lost track of where it is, can someone post a link?

http://tfwiki.org/

It was hacked and lain waste to some while ago...

And I guess I don't understand why the idiots even wasted their time, as if somebody is going to click on their porn links when they momentarily misdirect your attention from an underused wiki ???

Hi,

I spent a good part of yesterday trying to decypher a Worcestershire timber frame cut list from 1605. This contained a complete list of all the scantlings needed to construct a 3 bay timber-frame. Some of the terms used initially got me confused.

For example the term "laces" was used instead of "braces" which at first sight doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. However I then realised that we still use this French term today in the form "sou-laces" which equates nicely to "under-braces".

Another term that I got stuck at was "galliframe". This one does not appear to have a present day equivalent but might be the olde English way of saying "gallows frame" which thus would most likely equate to a "queen post and collar" assembly.

I have now been challenged to produce a 3D model of the frame that could be constructed using this timber list.

Regards

Ken Hume

Ken, I wonder that galliframe might have a relation to a style of boat building.

Ken, I just checked a Shakespeare online concordance and gallows and galley are inline with modern English, in a standard non-dialect sense.

So who might be the greatist carpenter?

click link for the answer

http://www.opensourceshakespeare.com/sea...exact&works[]=hamlet&keyword1=gallows-maker&sortby=WorkName&pleasewait=1&msg=sr

Edit the link failed. From Hamlit "The gallows-maker; for that frame outlives a thousand
tenants."

Hi Roger,

That's a very scary thought and I thank goodness that we have now stopped this barbaric practice here in the UK. I am old enough to remember criminals (and innocents) being sent for "the drop".

Regards

Ken Hume

Hi,

One of the best peg making dies that I have seen employed by traditional carpenters was an industrial 150lb weld neck flange where the weld neck bevel (where it is usually welded to a pipe) was brought to a sharp edge by turning in a lathe. The peg was then driven through the flange so that the sharpened edge of weld neck cleaned off any oversize bits.

Regards

Ken Hume

Thank you for the information guys.

great.!

*gasp* this thread has become spam land!

What is the current state of the guild wiki? I couldn't help but notice that it is currently offline. Is it to be restored, or is it gone? Such a thing would certainly be useful.

I notice too that the disadvantages section of the Wikipedia article on timber framing is strange, with some odd complaints.
It seems to refer mostly to the German tradition (Fachwerhäuser), but it appears to be written by someone who doesn't really like it that much. Interestingly I checked the German Wikipedia article on Timber Framing, and it has no such list of disadvantages. In fact it speaks highly of the practice in Germany, the clever adaptations to bring old buildings and methods up to modern standards, and speaks well of its survival into the future and practical use as a viable method in the future.

Hi -

Does anyone know if it possible by code to build a small 1 story house, timberframe, using 4 x 4's ?

Thanks!

greatbigdeadfish:
Start a new thread about this subject.