(Pardon some of the technical detail in this post. I simply find timber framing and the processes involved too fascinating to leave this out!)
In my most recent post, I described and provided photographs of the work that Will and I did to add a floor to the foundation for the cabin he and Sandy are building on their property in the Minnesota arrowhead. When Kathie and I returned on August 17th, Will had completed the sheeting over the floor and had begun to pull out the various timbers for the cabin raising.
On the 18th, a number of family members and friends arrived to help with the project. Before we got started with the actual timber framing, Will's Uncle Ron and I decided to get a couple of side projects taken care of first. One was to complete the decking on the lake dock that Will had started. This would eventually prove to be important in keeping various children occupied while the rest of us worked on the cabin. (A couple of posts from now, I intend to share pictures of the children and our various helpers. So you will see this dock again later.)
The other side project was to put plywood bottoms on the two areas on either side of the cabin footprint that Will and I had called "bump-outs" and that will give the cabin something similar to bay windows. We had not been able to complete this project the prior week. One side was relatively easy, as the bump-out sat high enough above the ground to allow us space to work. The uphill side of the cabin, however, was much closer to the ground. We had to first pull lots of the backfilled gravel out so that someone could get underneath to help measure the required pieces and to fasten the plywood bottoms in place. Ron volunteered, and even though he was among the shortest and smallest of us, the space was cramped nevertheless. The job got done, though, and after we put the gravel back, Will was very happy to have this task crossed off the list. Major kudos to Ron for this work!
To begin raising the timbers, we started by placing the various pieces roughly where they would be needed. These individual timbers were all created from a set of drawings provided by the professional (his name is Peter) who had worked with Will to design the cabin. Will and I made the first set of timbers in 2010, Sandy and Will created more in 2011, and then Will has steadily worked to create the remaining ones since that time. All of them have been stored under cover at the property during these preceding years. Making an individual timber is very precise work. One cannot allow measurements to be off by even 1/16th of an inch lest such problems propagate as the timbers are assembled.
The structure comprises four walls, which the plan refers to as walls D, C, B, and A. These walls are interconnected by timbers called girts. We began by assembling wall D on the cabin floor. It consists of a plate and three posts. The plate is made of two timbers connected end-to-end with a scarf joint. Straps with ratchets are used to help pull pieces together. Peter was on hand during the entire cabin raising to guide the process. That's him below connecting one of the straps.
Peter brought a smallish, relatively portable lift to the site. Once the plate was together and its three posts were connected (mortise and tenon joints), we lifted this first wall into position and temporarily braced it with some 2x4s.
In spite of the effort anyone puts into making perfect timbers, it seems like there are always small adjustments to be made in the joints at the time of assembly. Timbers that have been stored can shrink, twist or maybe expand with weather conditions, and mortises can be a bit tight for their tenons (mortises too small or tenons a bit too large). So, there is always quite a bit of use of chisels and other tools to make changes or tweaks.
Next, we assembled wall C on the floor. Peter suggested we raise this floor in halves, as each successive wall was more complex and/or heavier than the prior one. For wall C, this would eventually require pulling the scarf joint of its rail together in place rather than on the floor.
Wall C has bracing timbers between the plate and some posts. There are lots of these in the overall structure.
Again, straps with ratchets help pull things together.
Sometimes, a bit of "persuasion" from a small or large wooden mallet helps. Even after it all pulls together, one has to measure everything again to insure that the timbers are square with respect to each other and that joints are properly seated.
Before we raised wall C, the girts that cross between walls D and C were put into place and braced with temporary 2x4s.
Next, we used the small lift again to raise wall C. As its plate rose into the air, several of us scooted its posts forward to get the entire wall positioned roughly where it needed to be.
Next, the joints between the girts and the wall C posts were joined. At this point, the structure begins to have some self-sufficiency in terms of overall strength and ability to stand on its own.
Since we had only raised two of the posts on wall C, we now had to raise the third post with the remaining portion of the plate and assemble the plate's scarf joint. That joint is what you see coming together below. You will also see various holes–this is where wooden pegs eventually go to hold the entire structure together. There are virtually no nails or screws in the entire timber frame.
Near the end of the first day, here is how the cabin looked with walls D and C in place as well as related braces and girts.
I find the joinery and the wood quite beautiful, and the spaces that the structure encloses are all at once warm, interesting, and encompassing.
Here is a longer view at the end of the first day. In fact, after getting walls D and C in place, we had begun to assemble walls B and A on the floor, one lying atop the other. You might see a glimpse of them below. In my next post (Part III), you will see how most of the rest of the structure comes together.
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