Here's a couple of pictures of task models that Dan Brigham, Carpentry Apprenticeship Coordinator, Professor of Apprentice Carpentry and Building Construction Technician programs sent me showing the different types of traditional layout techniques that he was teaching Algonquin college carpentry apprentice Cody Malloch that is representing Canada at this years WorldSkills in Leipzig Germany. It's amazing that Cody at 21 years old understands the traditional layout geometry techniques to build these task models.

He would make an excellent Timber Framing apprentice.

WorldSkills Leipzig 2013 Carpentry Competition Training Task Models

That's awesome.

Hi Sim,

This appears to be a very complicated subject that is probably beyond the reach of most framers and I do wonder at times whether this pursuit of overcomplication is really necessary. For example the hip rafter is more usually set in the plane of the long wall roof -



- with the hip rafters then being the only rafters needing to be cut with birdsmouths.



I have added a link to your blog on the Harcourt Cruck half hip layout page on the timber framing section of the Oxfordshire Woodland Group Forum.

Ken Hume

Ken,

Great pictures of the Cruck Frame on your website. I Googled one+ them for other's to see.

Yes, the geometry used at the WorldSkills is complicated and beyond the ability of most carpenters. But I'm guessing that most Timber Framer's study traditional layout/scribe geometry and it should translate easily to the geometry used at the WorldSkills.

The US/Canada needs new young carpenters and if we can get the apprentices here interested in geometry so they can compete in the WorldSkills then maybe Timber Framing wouldn't die out in the next 20 years here, when most of the current Timber Framers retire. Or Pre-manufactured Roof trusses used on all the residential houses here.

Sim

Well said Sim -

It is only with this growing understanding in the wider world, that skilled Carpentry should and does require a deep knowledge base, one worthy of respect, that new blood will of sufficient caliber will join the fold.

Events such as the Worldskills Competition do help with that growing understanding.

Good stuff.

Will,

Billy Dillon is picking me up in Boston for the TFG conference in August. Are their any historic bridges on the way to Burlington Vermont that aren't out of the way of the main road we'll take?

Sim

The resource Mike put up is a great one, you will be able to use it to pick a few of varying truss types along the I-91 Corridor there in Vermont. You will also be able to use James' map to find your under realized examples there at home.

To answer your question directly, the two I mention in this entry - https://bridgewright.wordpress.com/2011/07/17/crossing-childs-living-legacy/ (use the search box there and you'll find more on the Contoocook RR Bridge) both are uncommon truss types and within a few minutes of I-89 here in NH, part of your probable route from Boston to Burlington.

After looking at the map, I guess, I should asked if there were any roads in Vermont without covered bridges. I think we only have two covered bridges here in California, but we have a redwood tree that you can drive thru.

Interesting stuff on your website.
“Très de Jupiter” (Bolt ‘O Lightning) Scarfs

Sim

Sim,

It will be good to finally meet you in person. We can have a roof geek sub-conference.

I've been following the Worldskills thing on Facebook a bit through some obscure Zimmerman sites.

You're certainly welcome for a tour of western Mass framing before or after the conference.

Brad

Brad,

It's be fun to have a roof framing geek sub-conference. Pencil, paper, compass and straightedge.

Here's a picture of Cody at the WorldSkills.

and here's a link to WorldSkills Leipzig 2013 Carpentry Competition pictures on Flickr.

Competition Photos

Sim

Roof Framing Geek Squad
Burlington Vermont 2013

Brad Morse said it would be fun to have a roof geek sub-conference at the Timber Framing Guild Conference in Burlington Vermont on August 7-11. It gave me an idea. We need to start a Roof Framing Geek Squad. The Roof Framing Geek Squad could have different levels of membership, 1-5. It would help engage the younger carpenters in the trade to learn more about roof framing. Maybe we could have Tim & Kyle write a rap song for the Roof Framing Geek Squad.

From an email to the TFG members this morning.

This foundation, the board defines four specific goals:
• Increase participatory membership
• Improve education programming
• Increase collaboration with other organizations
• Increase non-dues revenue

The Roof Framing Geek Squad could do all of the above.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/104523684702206530180/posts/ToBYwbSVMgU

Sim


Tim & Kyle

Nice Sim. I'll take one of those dorky t-shirts. I think we could count on Curtis Milton and Will Beemer to join the squad. Is Cody on of your guys? And if you get Tim and Kyle out this way, we may be able to convert more stick framers to playing with the big stuff.

And Ken, simple is absolutely good sometimes. I kind of like the rotated hip look. The birdsmouth cuts are still pretty tricky. And without all of those crazy triangles on Sim's t-shirt above, you'd be missing a lot of wild English (mostly cathedral) framing. What's amazing is that the same techniques of drawing those triangles on the shirt are the same as the triangles in say the York chapter house roof, or Ely's octagon. There's some serious power and potential in those triangles.

"There's some serious power and potential in those triangles."

No truer words have ever been spoken. Speaking about triangles in general. And I'm sure those on the shirt specifically.

Why not a draw off or something? Someone comes up with a roof problem. Everyone given basic tools. Problem is revealed and competitors work to solve it. Would be good fun for an audience. Especially if there was beer involved. And maybe a few prizes....

Hi,

I have made a new post on the OWG forum in the hope that we might gather other approaches taken to the measurement, layout and cutting of Hip Rafters.

I have added two comparable approaches taken by H Russell (2013) & P Russell (1991).

Regards

Ken Hume

Here's a couple of pictures of the completed task models from the WorldSkills 2013 Carpentry Competition.

Gold: Min Sung Kim, Korea

Silver: Stefan Oppliger, Switzerland

Bronze: Andreas Fichter, Germany

Cody Malloch from Canada finished 11th out of 13 competitors.

Mike,

Who drinks the beer? The winner or losers?

Sim

Brad,

The drawing on the tee shirt is just the French Compagnon Roof Framing Kernel. You've probably drawn it a 100 times. I'm assuming it's Timber Framing 101. I took it from Billy's JLC mag article and it's also in the green or red book from the timber framing guild.

http://www.raftertools.net/help/french_kernel.htm



We can get the tee shirts in red, white, blue or gray. Just need to decide on the color and tee shirt material. I had some made for my Rafter Tools app, but they sucked because of the quality of the tee shirt material. They were a one time use for me.
Here's link to pictures of the different colors of tee shirts.
http://www.roofframinggeeksquad.com/


Sim

Everyone!

Tony McGartland from the UK sent me this drawing of the task model from the WorldSkills in Germany. He said only 4 out of the 13 competitors completed the task model. Most of them only had two hours to build the dormer.

We should try to draw out the sloping dormer at the Roof Framing Geek Squad sub conference.

Sim

How does one get an introduction to all of this geometry? SBE, I've visited your blog, but for the uninitiated, it's like walking into a movie just before the end. Thanks.

Dave,

Here's a link to a list of books that I have on traditional roof framing geometry that is used in the WorldSkills Competition.

Traditional Layout Geometry Books

Sim

Tony McGartland was awarded the Excellence in Construction Training. You can see why he was given this award after looking at the pictures of the task models by one of his apprentice carpentry students that he trained for the WorldSkills.

More information on Tony at my Blog

Sim

Tony McGartland sent me this task model of the 2010 UK Team. I needed a break from programming on my Macbook Pro computer. Writing the programming code for my Rafter Tools app on the Iphones using Xcode is like hitting your finger with a hammer once an hour. Ouch,ouch, ouch...etc.

Here's a link to the task model drawings.

2010 UK Team Redcar task model

Sim

Hi Ken and others

I must say those pictures of the French roof frame are fantastic, and I might add the timbers appear to have rough hewn surfaces requiring a great deal of extra thought when the carpenter was creating the cuts--could you comment on this aspect Ken

NH

Hi Richard et al,

It wouldn't be correct to think that there is only one way to convert a log to suit a specific application.

I have retrieved a digi pic from the Hume & Son photo archive taken of the rear face of an elm cruck blade (circa 1350-90) taken in Blewbury, South Oxfordshire (formerly Berkshire).



This picture demonstrates that the cruck blade was hewn from a relatively small tree with the direction of hewing showing that it was positioned with both foot and apex facing upwards and hence possibly supported across two trestles. It would be important to recognise that the rear face of this cruck blade is not a reference or jointing face but it was part of the open cruck truss that was seen by the occupant from the high end of the hall and so would have required a reasonably good finish in order not to offend him.

For more on how to make a cruck frame check out the recently completed Harcourt Cruck Frame.

Ken Hume