Hello I am a new member and appreciate this forum. I tried searching for picnic shelter but couldn't find any topics. In the advanced search I put in Newer than 1 year, but nothing came up.

Anyways. I know how to do traditional stick build, and I want to make a picnic shelter in my back yard. A very big one 24x50 or so. I went to a local lumber mill carter lumber and while I could buy a pole barn type kit, the look of dozens of 24' trusses just looks ugly.

I guess my first question is where do I get those huge steel plates I see in public picnic shelters?
I know some think they are ugly, but I do not mind how they look. I saw this product http://www.timberlinx.com/article.php
has anyone used it? How does it compare cost wise to the steel plates? thanks!

By the time you pay for and cut and drill for the steel plates you can do a large portion of the joinery with traditional mortise and tenon, supplemented with tension steel as needed.

Simpson strong tie has some off the shelf steel plates.


You can also buy the 14 Frames book in the TFG store. There are several shelters.

And head to Kentucky for the TFG raising for the Frankfort Paviliion. I think it is 24x40.

I looked all over the strong ties web site under truss plates and couldn't find any. Do you have a link or model # or at least category you can suggest.

I do not want to fabricate the metal plates I simply want to buy them premade. Is there not a company that premakes them? They are all custom made?

Thanks for the tip on the book I'll probably order it.

http://www.strongtie.com/products/apg/index.html

http://www.strongtie.com/products/connectors/custom_APG.asp

You have to look on their architectural products.
Special order and a few off the shelf.

But yes, most are custom. Different truss configurations, loads, materials, etc.

Cool that is exactly what I was looking for off the shelf components
Do these come in pairs when you buy them with bolts? or is everything piece by piece.
http://www.amazon.com/Simpson-Strong-Tie-Ornamental-Strap/dp/B001I3GEKS/ref=pd_cp_hi_1

$18 per "L" bracket x 2 plus $5 for bolts, and that is $40 per connection? AT that price I might just learn how to do it the traditional way! I'm cheap! But do realize that I might not save much considering I'd have to buy all the tools and increased labor.

I bought a couple of books per your suggestion. I might do traditional mortise.

Seems like searching the forum power tools vs hand tools is a topic of debate.

I just want to make this one picnic shelter, Can I just use a regular drill to make the mortise? (and chisel it out after wards) What is the advantage of an expensive right angle hole hawg. It looks like a much stronger torque motor, but I'm going to be using 6x6 treated pine which is pretty easy to drill.

Thanks for any thoughts.

Before you decide on timber size and connection you need to design the overall structure. 6x6 will likely be too small for mortise and tenon, and likely too small for developing tension joinery. Maybe for steel plates.

You can use a drill and chisels. I wouldn't go right angle, I'd pick up one of the Milwaukee drills. I've used and older model of this:

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/tools/drill...-350-rpm/1854-1

You should really get an engineer or designer involved. A picnic shelter is an expensive way to build a kite.

I'm finishing the last timbers for the bulk of my frame, all of which have been cut with drill + chisel. I won't say that it's fast, but it's certainly doable and better than having to sell on specific tools that you may never need again.

I would strongly recommend reading all the material that you can get your hands on cover to cover before you finalise your design.

thanks for the replies I'll be reading the books I bought soon enough.

Has anyone used this company before

http://www.americanpoleandtimber.com/prod-structural-timber-trusses.shtml

or this one?

http://www.sandcreekpostandbeamoftx.com/moreinformation.htm

It might save me a lot of work and make my building dept happy since they can engineer stamp their designs.

I'm not sure how picky my local building dept will be. I did use "home made 2x6" trusses on a project once actually it was a lean too and they let me get away with it. However with a free standing unit they might balk and require engineered drawings.

There are two reasons I want to do it my self.
1. I like learning new things.
2. I think I will save money.

Perhaps the second reason is incorrect. I've only found ONE company that will do timber framing in my area (searched google) and they seem too busy to even quote an approximate cost. I do have about 6 guys total to help me and I can rent what ever is needed to raise the building.