New timber framer needs input

[Bigotum]

Hello out there!

First off, want to thank everyone out there for providing a wealth of information that has really gotten me excited about my next project.

I am planning to build the garden shed that was covered in great detail in Jack Sobon's & Richard Schroeder's book "Timber Frame Construction". Never having built a post and beam building before I was hoping that I could get some help with a few questions I have.

1) Foundation: The grade for where I plan on building this building is relatively level. I think poured 4' foundation w/footings is a little overkill and I do not feel comfortable with a fieldstone base. I was planning on auguring a 12" hole every 6" and filling it w/concrete so that I can have a solid & level starting point. Yes, the footings will be below the frost line (52" up here in Lower Michigan). Am I creating too much work for myself? Or not enough?

2) The wood: I am planning to fabricate this building out of Ash. I have several large standing Ash trees that have succumbed to the Ash beetle here in MI. The Posts, Beams and Sills will all be boxed heart lumber. I was going to try and use the remaining lumber from these trees for the floor joists, braces and rafters. Since I am a 1 man band, my plans are to cut and stack all the lumber, cut out all the joinery, and then assemble the building. I simply do not have the time or resources to cut all of my joinery and assemble the building in a few weeks. Is this feasible? Or am I risking poor a poor fit due to the extended time between when I cut the joinery and when I assemble the building?

Enough questions for now...I look forward to your responses

Chris
 

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

And a welcome to the Forum Mate  ;) ;D ;D 8) 8)

The first time i read Timber Frame Construction was when i was about 9yo And being building since 13  ;) ;D With your idea of using the cement piers will work just fine all but 4 of the homes ive built over the years where built on 4x4 through to 10x10 stump floor systms  ;) We dont havta worry about frost lines down here  ;)  :D ;D ;D

Dad and I when we restarted in building about 5 yrs ago knocked up a 16x16 display frame and roof systm in about 3 days but that didnt include sawing the timber any we pulled down and rerected that frame 6 times in 12 months and it was built using just Gos radiata pine (has alot of sprial grain and high shrinkage in it )it moved a little but not enough to worry about  ;) ;D and not enough to worry the final owner he got a 20% of list and and still Loves it . I dont see you haveing to much dramas untill you hit autum summer in afew months with seeing movement in your joinery mate

Reguards Chris

[Jim_Rogers]

Welcome, Bigotum.

1). For a tube foundation you could do just under the posts and that should support the floor as well.

Like this:



What we did was pour the tubes and put a piece of threaded rod into the concrete. It was long enough to come up through the sill.
We assembled the sills on top of the tubes up on blocks. Transfered the threaded rod locations to the top of the sill and bored out holes for the rods. Then lowered the sill assembly down onto the tubes with a water proof membrane between the wood and concrete. We then chiseled out the top of the sill for the nut and washer to fit down below the surface of the sill and then cut off the extra rod with a sawzall and metal cutting blade.
Then decked over the entire assembly.

2). I haven't had a lot of personal experience cutting joints in Ash. I don't know how it will re-act to storage. Store properly you may be able to do it. But I don't know for sure.

Keep asking questions...

Jim Rogers

[nsmike]

I had a conversation with the owner of a local company that does timber frame and log home restorations concerning ash in timberframes. His experience that it was uncommon in houses but common in barns. When I asked him why that was so his best guess was that the ash moved too much while drying to use in heated spaces. In the unheated space of a barn the drying rate is slower so movement is less of an issue. This is just one man's observation and guess. It could also be that they used the best wood in the house and what was left over in the barn.
Mike

[kfhines]

Ash is not an easy wood to work and can develop some large checks. I made the dumb head for my shaving horse out of a crooked 7 or 8 inch diameter Ash, working it into the shape I wanted was slow going at best. After I finished it I kept the Shaving horse in the barn and would oil the dumb head every couple days and I still ended up with a 3/4" check. It is a very nice looking species and I think it would make a beautiful frame.
Best of luck and welcome.
kfhines

[Jim_Rogers]

I had a chat today with a timber framer who has made a house out of Ash.
Here are some points he shared with me:

Strengths are a little less than white oak.
He used some green, days out of the forest...

Can experience checks if heated right away best to wait, before adding any internal heat.

Keep tools sharp, not as easy to use as pine.
Planes well, oils well.

If storing for a long time, assemble bents to hold them flat. Stack bents on top of one another.
If storing more than 3 months, if less ok to store as individual timbers if stacked and stickered properly.
Longest smallest timbers on bottom of pile so that weight of heavier timbers are on top.
Use large stickers between layers.
Allow lots of air flow...

Use Oak pegs....
It may twist, so stay on top of end sealing including joints and/or mortises....


Jim Rogers

[ARKANSAWYER]

  Here ash is bad prone to bet PPB's.  They really eat it up.  Also it is not very rot resistant.  When I can get them to stay straight they make great wagon tongues.