Hi everyone: sorry to have been away from you all but the summer is time to get a way from it all for a few days.
This photo is of a dovetail connection between one of the vertical timbers that make of a bridge truss in the attic of a 1865 church.
You will notice the end of the wedge that was driven in from underneath. This wedge forces the half dovetail sideways securely holding the horizontal bottom chord of the truss from dropping down. This bottom chord by the way is 45 feet long and is a hand hewn northern white pine.
Over the years the joint has opened up slightly probably due to shrinkage of the timber parts.
Hope you enjoy, and I appreciate any comments or questions that you might have.
