Hi - I'm planning on timberframing my own home. My plan is to cut the frame over a number of years and store the timbers as I go until the frame is complete.

My question is this - how long can I store the frame before it's raised? Potentially some of the timbers will be sitting for 3 yrs or more before they're raised.
Will this be a problem? WhI'm going with Jack Sobon's design in his book "Build a Classic Timberframe House" with a bump-out on the back wall.

....didn't finish the post before it posted.

Since I work full time, I plan to cut the frame in the evenings and on weekends. I plan to use liberal amounts of "anchor seal" on the end grain as I complete each timber and place it into storage

- How many years can I store the frame?
- Will checking and twisting make it difficult to put the frame together?
- I plan to keep the cut timbers under tin:
- How high should I keep the timbers off the ground?
- How close should my stickers be?

- Sould I plane the beams before they're stored?

Thanks for your help!

What kind of species are you using? I would use something stable like white pine. Twisting and warping will be a potential problem, but good storage practices will help with that.
I would plane timbers before you do joinery. Otherwise it could affect fitting.
I would space stickers about 2' apart. And make tall piles so there is a fair bit of weight on the beams.
I guess they are not going to stored in a building?
I would keep them a couple feet off the ground, preferable protected from rain splashing on the sides.
I hope that helps...

hello tonight

well my thoughts are---from past experiences--

We did alot of hewing of timbers at UCV as demonstration work, but with a purpose in mind--something like you are doing--

For instance when we needed the A frame bridge replaced--with many special sized timbers--some were 16" square 30 feet long--we hewed for 3 seasons, laying away each one carefully, but not outside, we stored them in an open sided building, nothing special, but good weather protection is important for sure--we , hewed all northern white pine, and left them rough hewn, because that is what was needed

Now there is something to be said for leaving them dry rough, for instance if they happen to twist, you can counter hew them to straighten them up--(take the wind out of them)--remember that timbers dry slowly also, it might take 3 or 4 seasons to nearly dry a timber to a point that it will stay nearly stable in a warm environment

It sounds like you are going to plane them at some point, that is another need to have them as dry and stable as possible, they will also be lighter to handle

We just put narrow boards between the layers, and kept an eye out for those pesky powder post beetles, that love any type of damp wood, and it will stay damp where they are stickered, so once a year we would roll them out and check them and resticker in a different location

Another point-- the last timbers that you do will be alot greener than the rest--don't forget that--so there will always be that differential--try and do the important timbers first, like the long upper plates and wall timbers, the lower or floor structure isn't quite as important, or those that are covered up

I really don't know if sealing the ends is a good thing, the timbers breathe and expell their moisture through their ends, so in my book leave the ends alone, sawn lumber is a different thing and can be handled differently.

I never remember seeing timbers split at the ends from drying--nothing more that normal checks--maybe some of you guys can comment

NH

Hmmmm.....thanks you guys! Well, jack sobon recommends using hardwood for the posts and braces, and softwood was for the tiebeams and plates. My thoughts were maple for the posts and braces and hemlock for everything else. Is hemlock a good choice? sounds like white pine maybe better?

I was under the impression that anchor seal helped to slow the rate of drying, but since it will sit for potentially years, perhaps I should not bother?

Also, do u recommend planing each piece before I cut any joinery ? My concern was that I would have sticker marks on the beams and if I waited to plane I could plane away the marks as I'm getting ready to raise the frame...thought?

Thanks!

Use anchorseal and dry stickers.

OK! sounds good. What are your thoughts on best softwood species to use? Hemlock or white pine?

I'd go white pine, but you'll likely have blue stain issues to deal with. Not a fan of hemlock do to too many issues in the past getting material with ring shake, others use it with good success.

http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/19175

Pine is nicer than hemlock, from my side of things. If all the sapwood is sawn off you will not get blue stain. But you need bigger logs for this to happen. Soaking the logs in a pond helps with eliminating blue stain, too.

Sticker stain most likely won't plane out, it seeps into the timber a fair bit, 1/2" or so. Yes, dry stickers, saw in the winter, and keep dry.

I'd stay away from maple. It really tends to twist up badly. It also is the most MISERABLE wood to try to tool. It's so hard. I used it a bit for a project and regretted it as soon as I had to start chiseling. The only thing I would use maple for is braces. Oak works very easily for a hardwood, I would recommend that.
As far as pine vs hemlock...
Hemlock gets really tough to work when it dries. It's not bad when green though. IF you have good material. Hemlock is good when it's good garbage when it's bad. I'd take pine over hemlock.
Whatever species you use, try to get winter cut wood. In my experience it makes a big difference in checking and stability.