I am looking for information, any information I can find, about various scribing techniques. I want to see how different people solve the same problems, what some people notice that others might not, etc.

I have been trying to find, but cannot, information about scribing techniques from European traditions other than the French. One thing that interests me is how do you scribe roof joinery without a variety of floor layouts? One resource (http://www.en.charpentiers.culture.fr/treesintohouses/thecarpentersart/groundplan) says that carpenters outside of France obtain information about hip lengths and so on without ever drawing it out on the ground, but by "holding up poles" which I can only guess at what is meant by that.

I would love to find any information I can about scribing techniques from other European countries. I have seen visual evidence (and have read accounts) that scribing techniques still exist in places like Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Hungary, etc. or at least did exist post WWII. (In many eastern European countries, it seems this tradition was lost, or rather forcibly destroyed, by soviet communism) I am sure that the Germans at some point in time wrote up technical manuals about scribing joints, just because they made technical manuals about everything they ever did (which is how we can know about medieval architectural geometry, the Germans decided to write it down)

And then I would also be interested in seeing some modern ways of doing it, what modern tools can be applied without a loss in accuracy or quality?

My reason for asking this is that I am considering just scribing all of my joints, because I am increasingly convinced that it is superior, and I think it has the potential to be more economical if it allows you to use timbers that might otherwise be considered 'junk' Not to mention the lack of numerical mathematics (ugh) tape measures (ugh) etc. and the fact that it allows me to use simple geometry to accurately deduce and lay out joints that would otherwise require complex trigonometry. (wow, that is one very long sentence...)

I am also interested in pursuing the possibility of on sight or otherwise outside scribe work, the way it was done throughout most of timber framing's history, because the lack of a gigantic shop with a smooth concrete floor might mean a massive reduction in overhead (and I like the idea of on sight scribe). This means layouts with planks and strings and concrete blocks instead of of chalk lines snapped on a smooth shop floor. Here, all joints could be scribed, married, and the timbers taken to the shop to be cut. If the sight is too far away to be practical, than any open space can be used.

Was de eine ilüchtet isch für angeri villech nid so klar.

So, I am considering, last minute, signing up for the PLS. http://www.tfguild.org/confs/confeast2010/preconference.html
To make things more clear.

Tim

I recommend you buy the dvd of back issues of the TFG Journal -- there are many articles over the years about scribing, including a 2 part series in the last 2 issues with the most recent one dealing with scribing compound roofs. This is by far the best resource for in depth timber framing information and the pdf format makes it searchable. Here's a link to it in the Guild store http://tfguild.stores.yahoo.net/tifrjoondvd.html

Alternatively you could buy the back issue hard copies. Here's a link to an index of issues 1-90. http://www.tfguild.org/publications/TF1-90index.pdf

Issues 34-36 and 76-78 have two different in depth 3 part series on French Scribing. Issues 80-84 deal with English/American methods in the specific context of a barn reproduction by Jack Sobon.



Of particular interest to you may be Jack Sobon's series mentioned above. He scribed the barn frame on site, using the foundation to lay-up the floor timbers on and then using the framed floor to lay-up the cross frames, walls, and trusses on. Very interesting stuff.