Mule tree, you're in the same boat everyone sails in when they first think about timber framing. It's different than what everyone else does, and it therefore leads to a lot of questions. And the timber framing books do not answer all the hundreds of practical "how to" questions a do if youselfer has. Most of the guys on this board do timber framing for a living, therefore, they know how to answer all these questions, plan for them in design, implimenet them in construction, and deal with problems that arise. Using steel plates and bolts is easier for most people, but what you end up with timbers bolted together. Nothing wrong with that, but it's something different than timber framing. My best advice would be to find a timber framer in Kentucky, and hire him to help you design and build a frame, and teach you how to incorporate it into your overall house. It will be money well spent.