Tim,

Yep, the frame's all local hemlock - some have noted it as gnarly stuff to work with, but it's one of the more common species in barns (and forests) around here and has held up well over the years. And, at 58-cents a board foot, it fits my budget. The mill I used is a multi-generational family business that's been around since just after WWII. The sawyer knows his stuff and I ended up with good wood with very little evidence of shake.

Layout system? Square rule. To draw it up I did everything from initial design to shop drawings in SketchUp (including the TF Rubies), placing my entire faith in that piece of software. After seeing it come together at such tight tolerances, I can say that the time learning SketchUp was an investment that paid off extremely well.

Best,
Kevin