Pavilion info & my first post

[Matt Trav]

Hello All,

This is my first post and I tried to put some pictures here.  I am not sure if they will work all I did was copy the photo code into the post and the pictures are not displayed as I type, we will see if it works.  Anyway, I have appreciated all the great info and pictures I have read on this forum here so I wanted to share my experiences. 

I built a 14x20 foot pavilion that will house an outdoor wood boiler, an outdoor kitchen and hopefully a place that will be frequently used to brew beer.  With the overhang it is 25x16 feet and it will not be closed in except for the far wall so an oven can be placed there.  I basically modeled it after Jack Sobon's shed.  It is red oak and I used 8x8s for the posts and top plates, 8x10 for the tie beams, 6x6s for the rafters (I was going to use 4x6s but the sawyer said 4x6s would distort badly), and 4x6 braces.  I reduced all of the brace stock to the narrowest width, 3-5/8" so all the braces are interchangeable.  All of the tenons are 2" wide 2" from the reference face.  Two of the more interesting joints I used are a wedged half dovetail tie beam to post connection and a long halved and bridled scarf joint with four vertical pegs as depicted in Sobon's Historic American Timber Joinery book.

If I were to do it again I would consider putting braces from the center post to the top plate, but Sobon did not do it on the shed so I think it will be fine.  We also poured the piers when we thought we would be able to use 6x8 posts so we used U shaped foundation mounts made for 6x6s from Home Depot.  In order to make this work on the 8x8s I measured the all of the tabs relative to each other and marked out the exact location it would end up at each post bottom.  I then used a chainsaw to plunge out the slot that the tab would slide into as the bent was lowered onto the pier.  I must have done something right because it worked and everything ended up plumb, but I would never do this again.  After pouring the piers I found a discussion here that described the various methods to secure a post to the foundation.  I wish I found that earlier, this forum is a wealth of knowledge... thanks to all of the contributors!   

Now I am considering whether or not to secure the posts to the pier with a bolt or if gravity is will be sufficient.  I am leaning towards a counter sunk lag bolt with a short peg inserted into the counter sunk hole for looks.  I am in Rhode Island and I am not sure about anywhere else but this summer has rained almost everyday, so I would not be surprised if we got a nasty storm and I don't want this frame flying away.  Some pictures should be below, if not they are in my gallery.     

[Jim_Rogers]

Matt:
Thanks for the posting of the pictures of your project.

And welcome to the forum and thanks for your kind words about the content.

Your project looks great.

I would secure it to the foundation with the lag and plug the counter sink hole.....

You never know how strong the wind will blow.....

Jim Rogers

[beenthere]

Welcome to the Forum.

Great looking project. Will look forward to more pics (we like pics). 

Looks like you had some good access to some handy equipment. 

[Matt Trav]

I also should add that the square rule layout method did not really click for me until I read your (Jim's) posts with the nice figures.  I must admit I started reading this forum a year ago but have not posted until now; the search feature found almost everything I was curious about. 

beenthere, we were fortunate with the equipment. My father bought some used forks about half-way through the project for his tractor.  We had to weld up new mounts so it fit as it was made to mount on a bobcat bucket, but it was true back saver.  Our neighbor is an electrician and let us borrow the man-lift, that was a great time saver and it made the job safer too.  We had to hire the excavator but the companies shop is down the road so he did not charge for the transportation.  I posted some more pictures.  We are still working on the roof.

[Jayson]

That is a good looking building!! Hope your beer brewing goes as well as that building!

[Stephen1]

Welcome to the Forum, a very nice project indeed!

[Matt Trav]

Thanks for the complements...

Here is a picture with the green metal roof installed and a second coat of 50% raw linseed oil and 50% turpentine.  The second coat really made the red oak glow.

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

Welcome to the forum Matt trav and a top 1st post  ;) ;D 8) 8) 8) welcome in from the shadows mate  ;) :D :D

I like the workmanship in your job is this your first crack a timberframing  ??? you have done a Top Job Keep up the good work and kep us posted Mate  ;) ;D 8)

Reguards Chris

[Matt Trav]

This is my second crack at timber framing.  The first structure I built is an arbor, my logo is a picture of it.  I built the arbor with 5x5 inch red oak that I milled on my procut sawmill powered with a Stihl MS880.  I did not attempt to mill the timbers for the pavilion because I wanted to save time and my back. 

I want to put a wall on the far side of the pavilion where propane burners and stoves will go but it needs to be fire resistant/proof.  I am thinking of using the same metal roofing material and attaching it to the frame with some sort of horizontal metal studs.  Does anyone have any other ideas for such a wall?     

[thecfarm]

When I was working for the state on low income housing we use to use 1 inch copper union for a spacer for wood stoves.This allowed a space for the heat to escape.But that was more than 20 years ago.A lot of rules has changed since than.

[Matt Trav]

The burners and oven will not be attached to the wall, they will be near it.  It is a commercial oven which blows heat out the back because it is not insulated and a couple open flame propane turkey roasting burners (to make beer) will be placed near the wall too.  I am wondering if the metal roofing would work well as siding here since it could easily be cleaned with a spray of the hose and it would not get burnt.  Maybe it would discolor? 

[sawmilllawyer]

what about using corregated tin (galvanized metal) for the wall instead of painted or powder coated metal? I hung my 30,000 btu blue flame heater on a 4' x 4' sheet of 1/8th sheet metal, works pretty good as a reflector and the stud wall behind it does not get hot to the touch.