Building the arch forms

We are finishing the sawing operation and beginning the arch forms that will be used to build the laminated arch sections in the great room and the master bedroom.

We are will into our second cutting of the Grovton tract logs. You can see how straight these logs are and the uniform cross sections. These logs are of very high quality and are producing timbers of equally high quality. You should also notice how large these logs are in diameter. The Grovton tract has proven well worth the investment.
	Here is a close up of several logs. You should notice the uniform growth rings in these cross sections. These timbers will be very strong much less prone to twisting and warping during the drying process. The diameter of the log in the middle is almost 24 inches.
John is working down the saw list and is about half way through. Here is working on an 8x8 post for the main room of the home. Remember that each timber cut is for a specific location in the frame.
	Will is standing next to the arch template we will use to build the three laminated arches used in the master bedroom. The template has not been finished in this picture. The arches will be built using 1x material cut from the same logs used to make the timbers in the bedroom. When we start building one of the arches, we will show you the entire process and how we edge match the 1x boards to form the arch. It is a fascinating process to watch, but that will come later.
Here you can see the completed bedroom arch template. The 2x4 boards across the arch are the actual platform the 1x boards will be molded to. Holes cut in the 2x boards are for the rods in the clamps used to hold the boards to the template. It will all make sense as we get further into the project and you actually see how the arches come together. A laminated arch is very strong, and will match the frame well. They will be a beautiful addition to the home.
	In this picture, Richard is working on the template for the great room arches . This is actually the center sections of the arches at the top of the bents, as seen in your drawings. The other sections making up the great room arches will be cut from single timbers and the center laminated arch sections will be built from the 1x material cut from those timbers. The sections of these main arches should match very well.