If a green beam is beginning to show evidence of shake, will nailing through the beam with long spikes help to hold it together over time or must the beam be replaced? The beam is 8"x8"x12'. Thanks for your advice. jekbear

You haven't mentioned what type of wood it is and where in the building it will be used. If it's a sill that's one thing, if it's a post that's another and if it's a rafter that's a third place. As a sill, it might be ok without spiking. As a rafter, I wouldn't use it there. As a post, it might be ok depending on how many mortises and the placement of them. If the shake goes thru to both ends than I wouldn't use it for a post. Hopefully you'll get some more advice from this forum. Good Luck.

Are you worried about how it looks - or about how it works as a timber?

We would suggest that stitching it with wooden dowel pegs (dovetailed or skewed)
will do the trick and restrain further spreading - usually much better that long spikes

You might want to post this question with the type of wood and placement in the frame on the timber engineering section. You might get aditional advice from others there.

Thanks for the advice. I am only concerned about the beam's function. It is an 8"x8"x12' hemlock beam that was originally 14" foot long and I cut off 2' of it. The shake is considerably diminished at the the new end showing only a single and slight annular separation.I was planning on using it as a horizontal bent beam in a 1-1/2 story 24'x36' 4-bent, 3-bay barn. The beam has a 2"x4" mortise in its top for a queen post and 2 mortises on its bottom for knee braces. I have cut the mortises and there is no evidence of shake at these points. I am new at this and don't the propensity for shake to worsen over time. The live load on the beam will be low other than snowload as there will be little weight on the second floor. The pegging advice sounds good and I can easily do that. All advice is gratefully appreciated. Thanks, JEK