TIMBERFRAMERSNEWS

Published by the Timber Framers Guild of North America Number 3, March 1987

Western Meeting
Brings 1.oo Framers
To Oregon Mountain
While early winter storms left thirty
inches of snow outside, about a hundred
framers gathered near Portland, Oregon
the weekend of last November 8 for the t
,
first western regional conference. Organ-
ized by Charles and Judith Landau with
- - the support of the Guild’s national direc-
torate, the conference was held at Timber,
line Lodge (elev. 6,000) on the slopes of
Mt. Hood. Among the larger timber fram,
ed buildings in the United States, the
Lodge is celebrating its 50th birthday, and
the first evening of the conference was
enlivened by a film showing construction
of the Lodge in 1937. Robert Franks
Framers gather in the secure environment provided by Timberline Lodge’s
Saturday morning Ed Levin spoke briefly more than adequate posts and beams.
on the role of the West in the future of
timber framing, arguing that while East- slide show “opened everything up. Where Charles Landau confessed surprise at the
erners are fairly well bound to New Eng- there had been some apprehension over extent and quality of timber framing in
land styles by the weight of the existing what people could do, there was now an the West. “What is so infectious about
repertory, new design inspiration is likely atmosphere of brotherhood.” Or, as Wil these gatherings,” he observed, “is the
to come from the West. Tedd Benson Wilkins put it, “Not all these folks out spirit of giving exhibited by such as Ed
then delivered the major address, enlarg- West just ride horses.” and Tedd and John Reed. They are very
ing upon the first theme and encouraging open people.”
western framers to be aware of their spe- Sunday morning the group held a busi-
cial opportunities and their special respon- ness meeting to decide what sort of entity For his part, Tedd Benson returned to say,
sibilities to the trade. Noting the very dif- the western Guild members would like to “There was so much that was beautiful. I
ferent environment from the East, Tedd form. It was decided not to create an came away committed to working more
emphasized the importance of framers’ independent chapter but rather to main- with western woods. I now feel impover-
taking seriously their responsibilities as tain an active alliance. ished with our little oak trees!”
designers of houses (not simply frames),
even granted the presence of architects
and engineers, and the equal importance
of their obligation to the client to see the
I987 Conference Set for Vermont
project through. Plans are growing firm for the 1987 nat- California. Technical workshops will be
ional conference, to be held at Green offered Saturday afternoon.
After lunch, Ed Levin took the floor again Mountain College, Poultney, Vermont on
to give “a big math class,” as one member June 12, 13, and 14. Cyndy Gardner of The Business Meeting, which in past years
of the audience called it. Two gable roofs the Conference Committee says she ex- has been a hardship for some to attend
were worked out using different approach- pects more than 400 people this year. A because of its position Sunday morning,
es, including similar triangles and trig, and child care center will be provided for the has been moved back to late Saturday
in the remaining time, hips and valleys convenience of families, and accomoda- afternoon. Five directors’ terms expire
were touched on. tions will include dormitory rooms or this year, and the Board will be welcoming
camping facilities with bathing privileges. nominations from the floor. Saturday
Saturday night’s slide show was a revela- night an outdoor barbecue is planned with
tion comparable to the show at the first The first day will be devoted t o an en- live entertainment provided by Guild mem-
Guild conference in 1985. A special addi- larged trade fair, organized by Merle bers. Bring your guitars and whistles.
tion was Terry Turney’s presentation of Adams and Wil Wilkins, with the Slide
Greene and Greene’s work in southern Show scheduled for that evening. O n Sat- Sunday morning will offer short presenta-
California. Rudy Christian, who came urday morning the featured speaker will tions by Guild members on a selected
from Ohio and himself showed the se- be Len Brackett, who trained in Japan and theme, followed by directors and com-
quence an Amish barn raising, said the now practices timber framing in northern mittee meetings.
Stress Values
To be Established
For Oak Timbers
The main activity of the Testing Commit-
tee these past months has been to research
grading standards and design-stress values
for the structural uses of oak. At this time
there are no accepted grading standards
for oak within the lumber industry. There
are also no accepted design-stress values
5
that correspond to a particular piece or D
v)
grade of oak. This means that when an CI

engineer or framer wants to perform the

calculations to determine if timber sizes Architect’s drawing of the new fort at Plimoth Plantation.
are sufficient for certain loads, he has no
exact strength values for oak to use. There N e w Fort for 17th Century ViZZuge
are some strength values curready being ~ T h d ? € h t 3 t k - P l m M - - F Wng- builders. As t)rerewxrm prototype re-
used but there is no proof these values are house (Plymouth, Mass.) is nearly com- maining to study, historical details were
correct. plete and needs only its roof boarding and provided by Richard Harris of London,
shingles. Due to white oak supply prob- author of Discovering Timber Framed Build-
Some engineers refuse to certify timber lems and a long stretch of rainy weather, ings and by the research staff at Plimoth
designs because of this lack of informa- the formal dedication on September 4, Plantation. Architectural working draw-
tion. Although only a few shops have run 1986 saw the completion of only the first ings were executed by myself.
into the problem, the Testing Committee story and second floor framing. A service
feels it will increase in the future. The The project was an exciting one for all of
of worship was held inside anyway and a
problem is most apparent when dealing us involved. Not since the 17th century
17th-century feast followed in the village.
with building departments which usually have such terms as dragon beam, jowled
There was no formal raising as originally
require wood to be a certified grade. W e post, corner bracket, and curved raking
Dlanned.
believe that timber framers will be in a strut been common phrases around a con-
better situation if we take an active role in Richard Lawson and his crew at Dovetail struction site.
establishing these standards, rather than Woodworking in Hinsdale, N.H. were the -Jack Sobon
allowing an outside entity to make the The next step in the process would be to submitting and sponsoring these stand-
decisions. get these values accepted by the American ards. Once this has been accomplished a
Lumber Standards Committee and pub- system must be set up to certify people to
The process of establishing design-stress lished by the National Forest Products grade and stamp oak.
values and corresponding grading stand- Association in their handbook, Design
ards is rather complex but can be summar- Values for Wood Construction. To get these As you may have guessed this is not going
ized in a simplified form. Test results values accepted by the American Lumber to happen overnight, but we feel it is time
currently available show the strength of Standards Committee (ALSC) they must to start.
clear oak, both red and white. TheTesting be submitted and sponsored by a member
Committee has hired a consulting firm to The Testing Committee is also continuing
asKciation of the committee. The New
-perfemn calm€ations, based on these test their study of panels and air quality in
England Lumber Manuafacturers Associ-
results, t h a t would determine t h e panel homes. W e hope to have a report
ation (NELMA), which is a member of
strengths of varims grades of red and available in the future. W e would like to
the ALSC, has expressed an interest in
white oak, depending on the number of take this opportunity to clarify a misun-
knots, checks, wane, and continuous derstanding. At the conference in Marl-
grain. Partial funding has been approved boro, the Testing Committee presented
by the Guild Directors. A matching 1 iic juinizi y u u i i i y a i i y ui 1 ai LIVLU, IYUL LLI slides from a fire test of urethane and
amount will be raised by the Testing Com- Carolina are looking for someone with styrene panels. The test was performed at
mittee through donations from compan- one or two years of timber framing expe- the Gold Wing Laboratory in Buffalo,
ies that use oak timbers. rience and if possible experience in cab- New York. Many people are under the
inet making as well. Contact Mr. Kevin mistaken impression that the Guild took
After the results have been compiled, the Wilson, The Joinery Company, PO Box part in the design and sponsorship of
information will be reviewed by the Test- 518, Tarboro, N C 27886. Telephone these tests. The tests were actually spon-
ing Committee. If the information is sored by Winter Panel Corporation and
found to be satisfactory, it will be made were designed by Winter Panel and Gold
available t o all Guild members. With this Wing Laboratory. The only involvement
information, a framer would be able visu- iayuuL. L iaiiir u r a i ~ i n r n p i i r i i r a
r inuurnii-
the Guild or the Testing Committee had
ally to grade a timber and assign a correct able. Please send resume to Timbercraft in these tests was sending two members of
design-stress value. However, this grade Homes, 85 Martin Road, Port Townsend, the Testing Committee to observe the
would not be certified by a lumber grad- W A 98368. Telephone 206-385-3051. tests.
ing agency. -John Reed
Vermont Church Panel Tests
Roof Frame Questioned
Reproduced Sharply
In August of 1985 the Weathersfield Church Comments made in the last newsletter
(ca. 1821)in Weathersfield, Vermont was regarding Amos Winter’s panel test indi-
destroyed by fire. The brick walls remained cating a preference for urethane foam
standing but the wooden floor frames, the roof raised some eyebrows here at Riverbend
system and the steeple collapsed into a pile of Timber Framing. Although the tests were
churned timbers. In the reconstruction, while the performed according to ASTM stand-
floors were to be framed by modern methods, the ards, making comparisons and drawing
entire roof system, the steeple and the posts and conclusions on the basis of that test is
braces that carry steeple loads down to the shaky at best.
foundation were to be timber framed. “The
tusk was to establish how all of this was done To begin with the least of my objections
originally and then to do it the same way,” to the test, the EPS panel tested was 4 1/2”
writes framer Jan Lewandoski of Greensboro, thick. Rarely is an EPS wall panel spec’d at
s*-i’: his construction report. that thickness - 61/2” is a more common
specification. If burn through is the criter-
In June of 1986 we were ready to begin ion, the more common thickness should
Belfry and cupola being lowered.
work. The sheer volume of joinery was be used for the test.
immense. There were 278 common rafters the ordinary: slicks, chisels and mallets;
between the trusses, consequently 556 8-, 10- and 13-inch saws; Yz-inch drills Secondly, I recall some uncertainty about
half-dove-tailed or closed mortises had to and the antique auger bits we prefer, adzes whether or not the core was Modified
be cut in the purlins. There were six five- and mortising axes, and a multitude of EPS. Modified EPS is treated with a flame
sided mortised ridge sections and thirty- come-alongs, chain binders and blocks retardant, and as such has significantly
three other large timbers band-sawn to and tackle. different combustion characteristics. If
pentagonal shapes. The eight 22-ft. pen- Modified EPS was not used in the tests, it
tagonal belfry posts had to be hand-planed With myself and occasionally one other should have been.
before painting. The roof system was put in person doing layout, and an average of six
joiners at work, we turned 40,000 feet of My third objection (more serious now), is
place in five days in early September: each the lack of Type X, fire-rated sheetrock
truss weighed about 6,000 lbs. and had to timber into a church roof and steeple
frame in just over three months. I think on the panel. Most EPS panels that I have
engage thiry-one tenons in closed mortises had contact with, and all of the EPS panels
as it went into position. W e had a 70-ton everyone involved found the reconstruc-
tion of the Church a thrill, and speaking we specify use Type X sheetrock. Type X
crane with a skilled operator and some is heavier, and is reinforced with a glass
extra crew to help. for myself, I can’t remember learning
more in any other year of my life. fiber. Again, significantly different per-
The steeple we built in sections on the -Jan Lewandosk i formance in a fire.
ground. The tower with its 1 0 x 1 0 ~ 2 5 - f t . The fourth objection (getting warmed up
posts was lifted into position in mid- now), was that window! Just cut a hole
September. The octagonal belfry was built and stick a window in there. N o bucking
earlier and set temporarily into mortises in the rough opening, no sealing of the
in a crib of 10x10’s duplicating the crib opening, no interior trim-all of which
IXat-wouId be waiting for it in the towcf. would retard flame spread in that wall.
The cupola with its ogee rafters was built The foam core was exposed directly to the
on the ground and roofed with copper. heat source. That’s bogus-no one
The 12-ft. wrought iron weathervane was installs windows in that manner.
wedged into the top of the cupola mast as
well. O n October 2, 1986 the cupola was If Amos’ tests purport to show how these
lifted by crane and engaged with the thir- foams will perform in a real world situa-
teen mortises waiting for it in the platform tion, they fail to do so because of the
on top of the belfry. Once pinned the details described above. If comparisons
entire belfry-cupola assembly, forty-seven are to be made, the tested specimens must
feet tall, was lifted sixty feet off the ground be fairly chosen. The panel that we spec-
and then lowered inside the tower to the ify, which is in effect a double chip panel,
waiting mortises in the crib. Seven tenons with a 51/2”core of Modified EPS and 1/2”
slipped in soundlessly and the eighth had Type X sheetrock laminated to the inte-
to be tapped lightly with the commander. rior chip board, is a stable, safe panel that
I fell on my knees and gave thanks. That can be produced and sold for 30-5096 of
day wasn’t over however. W e then put the the cost of a urethane panel. Perhaps an
bell platform in place and helped bring up EPS panel of that construction should be
the 1,000 lb. bell. Detail of roof frame at top of one of tested before comparisons are made and
the double-raftered trusses. Ridge- conclusions are drawn.
Our tools didn’t include anything out of piece is mortised to receive commons. -Jeff Arvin
 and realized care and precision were
required, they revealed skill with the
tools, paring and trimming and the like.
House-building is not temple-building.
Most Japanese houses are light-framed
and it’s difficult to find builders with
timber frame experience, as the temple
builders are bound to the church.
“It was a nice relationship. After a few
days a real camaraderie had been fostered.
Toward the end the others in my group
had gone home and I found myself han-
dling giant sheathing panels with a crane
operator and assistants who of course
spoke no English, and since I don’t speak
Japanese, it was hard to issue commands.
It worked out though.
- “TLe&-k+-in downmwn Tokyo.
~ L
.__ d ‘ - - ,d/>
/
Charles Landau
Sitting on the ridge I looked into depart-
ment store windows. The land is leased
New England style frame finds a home in downtown Tokyo. for display purposes and the house will be
taken down in three to five years. Mean-
West Coast Frame Raised inJapan while it will be covered with five-inch
bevel siding and roofed with slate, proba-
An American timber frame has been fied. And there were many changes. So we bly imported from the U.S.
raised in Tokyo by Charles Landau and have a lot of timbers in the yard that can’t
his associates at Timbercraft Homes of be returned. W e used all select structural
“While in Japan I became aware of the
Port Townsend, Washington, with on- old-growth fir. They designed the house,
influence on Greene and Greene and o n
site assistance of Japanese carpenters. The we designed the frame. The house is a
Frank Lloyd Wright. I had never given
project was commissioned by a division typical two-and-a- half-story New Eng-
much thought to it but it’s very obvious.
of Fronville Pacific Corporation, of Yoko- land style with a one-and-a-half-story
One day we visited a village made of
hama, Japan, which trades in building ma- wing, about 3,100 square feet all together.
wooden buildings moved from elsewhere,
terials internationally. Fronville W e had to work with two architects, both
ranging in age from a hundred and fifty to
intends to market American-style houses Japanese.
five hundred years old and in size from a
in Japan, and asked Landau’s firm to
tool shed to a mayor’s house. There was a
design, cut and raise a timber frame to
“With five of us cutting full-time, and lot of crooked timber, as in old English
their specifications. The frame sits on a lot
some occasional extra help, we cut the buildings. There wasn’t a diagonal brace
in downtown Tokyo where it will be fin-
frame in three apd a half weeks. Three of to be seen. I’ve decided they get around
ished off as a model house for prospective
us went over to Tokyo to assemble and this by building up a grid-each layer
Japanese buyers to examine.
raise it. The Japanese carpenters provided crosses the one beneath. It was all very
“They gave me 45 sheets of plans,” were eager to please but a t first a bit ram- beautiful. ”
Charles reports, “with every detail speci- bunctious. Once they got the hang of it -Ken Rower

Timber Framers Guild

of North America
Box 1046
Keene, NH 03431