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A new load of kiln dried timbers is ready from the kiln. This load has some of the
larger pieces that will be used to construct the arch braces. Moisture content was
well within specifications.
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Doug and Keith are preparing to off load the timbers and get them ready for the
timber sizer. It will take several hours to sort and stack the timbers.
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All of the timbers are being planed with the Yates Model 14 planer. This process
squares the timbers and provides the first dimensional surfacing. When finished
the timbers will be ready for layout.
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John is placing the final load of timbers into the kiln. These timbers are being
loaded into the right hand kiln while the left kiln is already stacked with the
1x material that will be used to build the trusses. The 1x material will be ready
in about two weeks while it will take at least 28 days for the final timber load
to dry.
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The first real cold snap puts a spring in our step as Doug and Richard study the
construction details to make sure they layout the joinery correctly. Doug believes
he should finish with this load sometime in the first week of December
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Meanwhile, back in the shop, the heater is cooking away in the corner while will
works on one of the "scarf" joints used in one of the longer plate timbers.
The scarf joint is used to join timbers of equal size to form one longer timber.
The joint is very strong but requires precise craftsmanship.
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Here he is checking out the measurements of the end section to make sure he has
a proper fitting joint.
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Keith has check the final work to ensure it passes quality standards. Once the joint
has passes inspection, it is coated with end sealer to protect the joint surface
and seal it. End sealer prevents moisture loss which could cause changes in the
joint surface and make it difficult to assemble the joint in the field.
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Kevin continues to work on the remaining timbers. Here he is finishing the initial
cuts on several mortis joints. You can see by the pile of saw dust the number of
mortis joints Kevin has cut in the last few days!
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Kevin is finishing out one of the more complex mortise and shoulder joints on one
of the main support post. You can see from this image that the post will support
several girts coming into the post from different directions. It's got to be right
for everything to fit.
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Will is studying the construction drawings to insure he has the correct joinery
information for Plate I4. It gets dark early these days but the shop is warm and
work is proceeding at a good pace.
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