So I was looking for some commentary on the method I described in my last post... Am I on track? Have I got it down? Please comment.
Incidentally, I find it very surprising that of all the books I've got now, none of them seem to really describe detailed step by step approach to square rule or scribe rule.
It's like a friend of mine who wanted to learn a new CAD program. He got book after book, but they never bring it down the reader's level. I ended up teaching my friend, going step by step and pointing out all the little details and tips that the books never address. The little questions that the readers have that are never addressed. I basically taught it in lay man's terms as if I were the student. So many of these authors have difficulty putting themselves in the student's shoes and inadvertently gloss over details they never give a second thought to.

Brad, you're on track. Definitely. Get in there and do it, then send all your detail questions to the forum.
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It's not easy to write about layout with words... I've tried to produce a number of handouts for my classes, and often feel what I've written is inadequate.

bradbb, Sobons book is quite thorough, and as Mark mentioned, it is tricky to put into words. You could take a class in square rule. As in a former post "many ways to skin a cat", maybe to many.

I have some questions for you. Is this your first project? Other than your experience at Fox Maple have you done any framing on your own? I also spent a week at Fox Maple, 11 years ago. I am assuming you are going to use the timbers you talk about in your blog. There for, the questions on lay out of rough stock. While at F. M. you were taught mill rule, which doesn't work with the stock you have collected. So, what to do? Take another work shop. Have the timber resawn. Do as Dr. Mark suggests. Or maybe all three. Well, I could go on but I have a scrub plane to sharpen, by the way do you have a scrub plane, they work nice for taking down those high spots. Lie-Nielsen makes a nice one. One more thing, you may have to eaze off the anal-retentiveness in some areas when working with these rough timbers, but use it when needed, that is the tricky part. Tim

Yes this will be my first project (my new workshop) since taking the class at Foxmaple, Other than a set of oak bunkbeds I built using the techniques from the class and my chisels. All chiseled mortice and tennons and mill rule on white oak 3X2 stock. That was before I bought my unisaw.
Yes we only learned mill rule at the Foxmaple course. Actually, over the last 6 months I have been learning all of the things we didn't get to touch on at the course. I realize that in only one week, Foxmaple crammed in as much information and hands on as I could handle at one time, hence the name "Introductory course". It was all we could do to learn what was presented that week. It was a solid foundation for continued learning.
My plan is to use square rule where possible. I will be having some of my reclaim resawn to get to the dimensions I need. I'm thinking I mentioned my retentiveness somewhere that you picked up on. I now like to say that it's a pursuit of perfection. It'll never be perfect, but you can pursue it.
No I don't have any hand planes yet. I've got my chisels though for tennons.

I think pursuit of perfection a much better description, one which everyone should follow. Check out the definition, it's ugly. One of the most retained and used tid bits of info I gained at Fox Maple was math, and to trust the math. That is if you can find all the triangles, leave one out and your....left with a redo. .7071 and the companions are used very much. Other people keep coming up with these construction calulators, which are like sugar, but I like to know where the numbers are coming from. How about a nice slick, I use my slick everywhere, hardly touch a chisel. Even with resawn stock mill rule laggs, Square rule, rules. Tim

Good observations all. We have a pretty good sawyer at Heartwood, and once you find one don't lose 'em. In a whole frame we will rarely have a pine timber that is more than 3/16" out of wind or bowed. That can usually be pulled out during assembly on long timbers. If we find one over that we will use it somewhere it won't matter (such an interior rafter that is bowed) and/or use snap-line instead of edge rule; if twisted we'll split the difference like Mark recommends. We often are leaving the timbers rough, so planing's not an option unless it's on an outside hidden face or top. Scribing and mapping are other options if it's really bad and just a few pieces. Last resort is to get rid of the piece, and maybe the sawyer. One thing to remember is that when square rule was developed aesthetics may not have been as important since mostly barns were timber framed, or houses where the frame would be covered or hidden in the attic.

Anyone have a copy of this spiral bound book by Jack Sobon???


The Scribe Rule or the Square Rule: Traditional Timber Frame Layout Systems by Jack A. Sobon (Spiral-bound - 1994)

Currently unavailable


I found it on Amazon but it is not available.

Carlos

Carlos, I have a copy. We rebuild a house frame here in down east Maine where they used the 2' scribe rule method simular to the method mentioned in the book. Tim

Tim

Is it a good book? How many pages? Would it be an infringement on copy right laws to scan it and recieve a "present"? Or would you like to part with it?

Carlos

I only have the one and can't part with it. Have you inquired with Summer Beam Books, via the guild office. I am unsure of how to contact them. They are at the guild conferences. There should be a way to get a "legal" copy. What is your interest in scribe and square rule? Tim