Ah yes. Thank you gentlemen. Points well taken. The fact that most of the openings are in the "stable" skin would eliminate most of the settling problems. I assume that if the interior is drywall finished an owner could expect some cracking as things settle into place but that must be relatively minor compared to having a substantially "live" shell like you would in a log home. As for antique oak....with that I am well aquainted. I currently live in an 1840's vintage Greek Revival with an oak "balloon" frame. Broke many tools and fasteners while trying to tame a 12x12 corner post while replacing part of the sill. One other question if I may. I've seen decriptions of different surface treatments for timber frames ranging from hand hewn to planed. I have little experience dealing with green lumber so forgive my ignorance. Can you plane green lumber without making a mess of it? Or is that treatment reserved for more seasoned wood?