My timberframe is slowly coming to gether and while I pat myself on the back often enough, it’s time a take stock of what I’ve done so far and what I would change.
First.
I should have worked the timbers green.. In an attempt to minimise the checking of the timbers I carefully dried them.
that added well over a thousand man hours for modest reduction in checking..
Stacking and stickering timbers took many hours, and required frequent trips to the sawmill to check the tarps. (which often needed attention)
In addition, planing dried White oak took more than 8 times the hours to achieve that planing green timbers did.. I could and often did need to change planner blades on a single timber.. to keep up I had 15 sets of planer blades and two big planners. I actaully wore 5 sets of blades out to the point where they couldn’t be used anymore..
A single timber often took more than 8 hours of work to square up and smooth out. yet when I ran short I could do a green timber in 45 minutes or sometimes less while the planer blades never seemed to get dull.
I planned all of the timbers, sanded them starting with 24 grit and working my way thru 220 grit. the timbers were baby butt smooth but exposure to the weather darkened and raised grain to the point where I’ll need to go back over most timbers with 100, 150,, and 220 grit before I put the finish on..
In retrospect I should have ordered more Black walnut when it was cheap.. (I bought much at 17 cents a bd.ft. and all I wanted at 30 cents.
Now it’s over 2 dollars and I’ve recently had to pay 6 dollars per bd.ft. for a couple of boards and one timber.. That made the forgotten timber over the garage door a six hundred dollar timber.
I really regret using black walnut on the outside. Wonderfully interesting boards wind up being 40 feet in the air where the marvels of grain simply can’t be seen.. In addition the best spar varnish I could find, in less than one year has yellowed dramatically.
Instead I should have used masonary/ stone completely.. on the outside..
There were a few surprises that occured as I worked on the house none of which were fatal or ruined the fun of doing this..
I should have run the subfloor boards thru the planner, there is as much as 3/8ths differance in thickness of the boards and that will require a lot of work to correct.. a rush to close in the house before winter caused me to take a short cut that I knew wasn’t smart. I guessed that I could run a floor sander over the floor in place and correct for any differances..
I ran the SIPs vertically thinking I could eleminate a potential source of leaks.. In stead I probably added 500 extra hours of labor.
I will never use OSB splines again in spite of the fact that’s what the manufactorer sells.
first I’d buy plywood and make my own. they ask way to much and if things aren’t just perfect (and they never are) they crumble when you try to drive them into place.. plywood holds up much better..
The design is great with only a few glitches (all easily corrected)
I was surprised that there was so little waste.. I added 20% extra in case I screwed up and wound up only ruining one big timber (and was able to cut that up for use elsewhere).
The surplus was easily incorperated in other locations.
I started with a small delta bench top planner but quickly found it wouldn’t do what I needed it to do.. Grizzley and Mikita tools were used and have worked wonderfully. A Delta Contractors saw was such a disapointment I eventually wound up giving it away. I replaced it with a Grizzley cabinet saw and almost 9 months later haven’t assembeled it or hooked it up..
There are a couple of cuts I could make with it but have found that I can almost as easily make them with my Skill mag 77 and then run them over the jointer.
When I’m finished with my home I’ll be putting the tools on the market and based on what they are getting on E Bay my final cost will be about 25% of price paid.. I spoke with another timber framer who bought all used tools and claims to have actually made a modest profit on his tool budget.. Next time I’ll try that..
Finally budgets,
I’m about at three times estimate, and will need to add another before this section is finished.. some things that I intended to reuse I couldn’t and some things weren’t well thought out..
I’m still more than $500,000 less than a guesstimate given by a professional
Replies
Next time I'll try that..
Is this a statement that you will do all this again?????
You are a Wakko.
Coffee in the bar and donuts too.
If at first you don't succeed...try again! After that quit! No sense being a dam fool about it! W.C.Fields
I have not followed his ramblings in any detail, but enough to get the gist of the project. Next time I'll try that.. Thta's the one thing that stood out in the message...and I thought he must have really lost it now. The thread about what he would do diofferently is interesting reading.
Do it right, or do it twice.
next go around, maybe!
It takes a big person to admit, publicly at that, you made mistakes.
But your errors will be taken to heart when I build my timberframe. Thanks for sharing them.
I can't find the thread where your pictures are posted, but wanted to pass along that some of those pictures--interior with the crossing timbers--are breathtaking! Let some of us pat you on the back while you're busy taking stock of the process. Really awesome work, awesome effort, awesome project.
Your building is close to the polar opposite of what I mess with, but I still appreciate its beauty and lines and materials and craftsmanship. I've gone through the same soulsearching and browbeating. I remember saying no to 100 sheets of $22/ plyform a week before the price went to $32. I remember drilling an 805' dry well looking for an alternative to the city water 220' away. And so on. But you're making a lot of right decisions, Frenchy, and building a great house. Keep the faith and hang in there.
Frenchy, building anything is a learning experience.
You've learned plenty. The specifics may not repeat, but the generalities may.
Are you having fun in the midst of all the misery? Probably yes........and someday it will be finished.
In retrospect I should have ordered more Black walnut when it was cheap.. (I bought much at 17 cents a bd.ft. and all I wanted at 30 cents.
And I should have bought land here in Southern Calif 10 years ago when it was 30% of what it is today. I didn't, you didn't, who knew?
I really regret using black walnut on the outside. Wonderfully interesting boards wind up being 40 feet in the air where the marvels of grain simply can't be seen.
Yeah, didn't you catch a load of crap a few years ago for using burl walnut for subfloor? Or was that someone else?
As to the varnish, let it go unless you plan to spend your retirement years on a ladder.
Nuff of that, whatdya got to sell and how much?
Joe H
Frenchy, man, don't be so hard on yourself. You set out to build something and you seemingly have been fully engaged for a few years in it. That alone has heightened your life in a way you might not have noticed.
And in the process you have built a unique home that you are proud of to the point that you talk about it and show photos of it as if it were your child. Go back and read Scott McBride's letter in "20 year tales" in the 20th anniversery issue.
I think you have achieved a level of oneness with your building that professionals rarely experience. It's yours. As unique an expression of your artistic taste and stick to it determination as any I've seen. I totally respect your effort and in fact, I'm jealous of your ongoing sense of accomplishment. You have been an inspiration to me.
When you're gone, you'll have left something your heirs will marvel at, moreso than we all marvel at the photos you post.
Now buck up. Quit kickin' yourself in the pants and get back up there and get that thing dried in before winter. I want to hear your holler "PINE BOUGH" before thanksgiving.
Gosh, I hope I didn't sound like I was whining,,
I thought it would be helpfull to others to know what I learned along the way.. As I said, I pat myself on the back often, but recognize that I'm far from perfect.. several others have spoken about building timberframes and maybe some of my mistakes could help them..
It is possible that I'll be calling for that pine bough before thanksgiving,, thanksgiving 2009 that is.. I told my wife that this would be a 10 year project, hopefully.... I'll catch back up to schedule some time..
Didn't think you were hard on yourself. Some of the things you talked about have just got to save others time and energy. I took it in that context. Got more.
Share and I won't mention the DOVE GRAY paint, maybe.
thanks for the tips.. now get out there and take some pics and get 'em postedMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
OK for your benefit, Mike,
I am photo challenged.. I won't go into the sad sad story about me and cameras let me just say that it's worse than oil and water..... more like Nitro and matches..
in the past month I purchased a new Nikon digital camera for the expressed purpose of posting pictures..
seen any?
nor have I
I can now get them onto my daughters computer, (not on mine) however I cannot get them onto the web..
once the house is finished I'm gonna take a masters degree in postin pictures (or maybe some kind sole coming to the Frenchy fest June 21st. will take pity on me and show this stupid ignorant fool what buttons to push..
frenchy,
may I make a recommendation ?
Delegate !
You take your photos. Then just give the camera to your daughter and tell her to post the shots. She already knows how to do it. The software comes preloaded in these kids brains today. Don't waste your time getting yourself a Masters Degree. Tell her it's one way she can help pay you back for her own college degree some day.
carpenter in transition
I tried that.. she can't or won't..
Ask in the computer help thread that was just started.
Your questions get answers that will help others....(me)
frenchy,
can you can get the pics onto the computer you can get them up here, what problem are you having?
also if you can them on her computer you can get them on yours IF she can burn CD's on her computer, have her burn a CD with all your photos on them and we can help from there.Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, Professionals build the Titanic.
Having fun? oh yes! I love doing this.. hopefully it shows.. My wife and family have had to put up with much and I really appreciate their support..
I was going to use burled oak as a finish floor in the great room.. Instead I'll do the great room floor in hard Maple.. some nice long wide boards I got off the mill without so much as a mark on them on either side.. In the middle as a picture frame I'll use the 22 inch wide burled oak. that should highlite to burl withoput washing it out by being too much.. I can then repeat that same theme throughout the house.. white hard maple with a picture frame of burled oak.. (the exception will be the billard room where I'll use a simple black walnut floor with a padduck picture frame)
I just wish I had 1/4 the free time you do to work on my own home..............
carpenter in transition
I get home at 5 most evenings, sometimes later and do what I can.. however every weekend I get up and do all that I can.. My grass looks like it.. the yard is torn up and I neglect everything else (except family)
there never is any free time. you just need to decide what you really want to do, go play or go work..