Well hello everyone tonight

It sure is nice to see that someone else has taken up the reigns in regard to teaching our younger generation the art of hewing--I spent a good deal of my life doing just that.

To the student---Just have an open mind about the style that is presented by your instructor and be attentive and learn the style taught without questioning--there are many different ways to do everything--that is one thing that I was taught a good many moons ago

NH

THANK

Hello everyone tonight

Well we have had many good discussions covering many subjects on this thread, but closest to my heart is using the broadaxe styled closest to what the pioneers in this part of the world used, and the carpenters adze. You could include carving out a new offset broadaxe handle if you would like--there is nothing like a handmade handle for an old historic tool whether you are going to use it or just dislay it

I am offering a great addition to your library roster or educational centre depending on your needs--look on the "tools forum" for more details

NH

Hello everyone tonight

Well I have a new discussion thread one that I have pondered about for some time now, not really knowing the reasoning behind the technique.
About 30 years ago I was given the task of reproducing a 3 bay english barn at Ucv.

At that time a good example became known to our Historic Group and it turned out that it had been constructed about 1800 in the area west of Iroquois Ontario along the St Lawrence River by the founding UEL's that were arriving to settle the area.

I began to document the framework taking very close attention to details that included the rectangular timbers (rather than Square) that were used in the walls, and their orientaions.,the size of the braces which also turned out to be rectangular with all hewn surfaces.

It was a feature of the braces that really threw me--their seatings both on the posts,the plates and girts did not follow the framing lines but rather sloped from their heels to the seating line.

This unusual framing detail was reproduced faithfully in the new reconstruction at UCV, creating a real challenge for my well trained staff.

I wonder if any of you have ran across this unusual framing detail

NH

Are you referring to a diminished haunch? I will see if I can get a pic loaded to Photobucket and post back in a few minutes.

I could not, as usual, get anywhere with photobucket. I believe what you are talking about is referred to as a diminished haunch. The Dutch barns I am working on have diminished haunches on the braces, and wherever a beam meets a post. This is a scribe rule trait. When scibing the brace to the post, you would have a standard dimension that you diminish the haunch. In the barn I'm working on now, it is about one inch. There are scribe marks down the posts that you could line up your gauge at zero at the top of the mortise, and one inch at the bottom. Hard to describe. I will try a sketch of this, but I don't know how to share it when P bucket is not cooperating.

Hi Dave:

Thanks for replying to my query

Isn't it something that you are working on a frame with that particular characteristic.

I was very interested in your reply especially now that I have the term that describes that type of detail thanks to you.

We struggled as we put our frame together to ensure that this feature was reproduced as closely as possible.

It sounds like you have the techniques worked out to create these diminished haunches my hat off to you and for sharing with everyone.

In your opinion what is the advantage of using a "diminished haunch" over braces with their ends following the seating lines.

There has to be some sort of reason, but I am at a loss to know what it is

Do you find diminished haunches hard to work with?

NH

I like the diminished haunches. I've been working almost exclusively with scribe rule for a while now, and when I have to work with square rule, I feel like the reductions and housings are a pain. The haunches are not a problem, it makes no difference really whether you make a shoulder parallel to the face of the timber, or at an angle. The diminished haunch gives you more bearing on the end of a brace or the bottom of a beam. Without it, you just have the tenon supporting the load, no shoulder. In square rule, the housing is parallel, and you get the same effect on the bottom as the diminished haunch.

I will have to work on getting some pics loaded up so I can show you better how the layout is done. In scribe rule of course you have to do a full layout, and the mortises would have been cut first, and the brace or beam laid over the mortise, and the shoulder would be laid out by putting a square across the top and sighting down to the layout marks on the mortise. Hard to describe in print. Scribe rule is easier when doing it the first time, but scribing in new or repaired parts takes more time, and more test fits. I have pics somewhere of a new corner post that I had to scribe into a wall assembly, then flip it up on it's side and scribe it into the gable as well. Took a bit of time and not a good place for a mistake.

Hi Dave

Thanks for the explanation, but you sort of lost me in the second paragraph.

I suppose that we are not discussing similar situations I mean that I always was using hewn material with rough side faces that required the braces to be housed a certain amount, we always precut our braces using brace measure lengths for certain length braces in most situations, but for a diminished housing it required some adjustment due to the sloping haunch, and in my books whether it is a sloping haunch or regular type of brace with a parallel face the pressure of building movement would be handled the same in both cases

NH

Hello,

Would this be anything like the joint in question?



Greetings,

Don Wagstaff