Had a (2) 24′ long 6×6 beams, one front and one back, on this pergola I’m doing. Could have just butted twelve-footers over the center columns, but always wanted to make a scarfed joint like this. Copied from a timber-framing site pic.
No chisels, no high$ Mafell stuff, just a circular saw and a sawzall and a belt sander.
Paper pattern just to make sure the profile transferred over – only belt sanded the beams, so they’re not really square – hard to slot with a circ saw perfectly plumb –
Overlap to-be – and the 3/4″x1-1/2″ slot for square pin –
Cut both long sides with the circ. saw full depth. Transverse cuts at 45 degrees, 1″ deep. Then join the circ. saw slots with the sawzall.
Fits! Will make a pretty pin from walnut to contrast with the cypress. I didn’t bridle the pieces; they could still slip side to side – I’ll just put a nail in from the top (sorry).
Forrest – the last hurrah
Edited 6/4/2008 12:34 pm ET by McDesign
Replies
Forrest,
You could drill through, and tap two dowel rods in, at these places, as well.
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Make sure it is a snug fit.
I'd also add a finish nail on the backside, to pin the two dowel rods in place. Just in case...
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Dowels sound good to pin it. I'll do it, and write "Luka" in tiny letters on the end grain.
Forrest
Looks nice--
I meant to say something about your paper pattern idea that was in the recent magazine issue--just like was discussed on a thread days before--looks like it can work well!
Nice! Another fine piece of work from the master of paper templates.
To make each undercut endjoint fit exactly tight at the same time, these are usually pushed up tight at the bench or on the horses, well-clamped, and then jointed by running a good handsaw blade into each joint.
Equally kerfed that way, the joint goes tight both ends.
The center mortise, I am sure you know, is heretical and fraudulent. Don't teach that joint up around Rabun Gap. ;-)
The purists do a step at the middle, and the wedges, driven upright from opposing sides, do the work of "drawpushing" it tight.
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"A stripe is just as real as a dadgummed flower."
Gene Davis 1920-1985
I have a cross cut saw that was given to me by an old timer here that has no set on one side. He told me it was what he used to trim up splices when doing beams for barns.
Pushed the beams together and ran the saw down the joint, pushed them together again and reversed the direction of the cut to rim the other beam. I have used a very few times but found that it does indeed work.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
Whoops!
It's hard to do that stopped cut without real tools, that's my only excuse.
I'd have to plunge the circ saw down in that setep, and then figure out how to connect the slots on either side into one plane.
Nice wood grain on yer drawing, too. Seems I'm going to have to learn AutoCAD Inventor real quick-like, so that puts Sketch-up even further down the list.
Forrest - stayin' out of Rabun Gap