Cherry braces in a frame

[Jim_Rogers]

In another thread, I described how to cut curved logs into brace stock for making some curved braces for a timber frame.

I did a lot of curved and some straight cherry stock for a timber framer in Maine.

He send me some pictures of his frame with the cherry braces in it. Some of these he cut on his bandsaw to make the curved arc in the bottom surface of the brace.

I wanted to share these with you.
I know how much you guys love pictures:













He couldn't remember if he got the one with the hole in it from me or from the other guy that he gets his cherry brace stock from or not.

He told me that the piece had some rot in it and they just dug out the rot until they got some solid wood. And after that was done they liked the shape of the hole. The customer liked the shape of the hole so they left it there for a point of interest.

I think it kind of looks like a loon swimming on a pond.....

Jim Rogers

[jueston]

those braces look awesome, that one with the hole is unique and sure to be a talking point for everyone who sees it.

i don't mean to take the post off topic, but looking at that picture, it looks like those 2 beams are combined to make one much larger beam, how is this done? how are they fastened together?

[Jim_Rogers]

I don't mean to take the post off topic, but looking at that picture, it looks like those 2 beams are combined to make one much larger beam, how is this done? how are they fastened together?

Yes, those two beam are fastened together. And they are called "keyed beams" the piece of cherry (the key) between the two is cut into each on an angle (key pocket) to prevent the two beams from sliding from end to end past each other.
This makes the pair stronger. This is done because it is usually hard to find a single beam that deep and strong in our area. And to import one from the west coast would be a huge expense.

I looked for some more information on "keyed beams" in the Timber Framer Engineering Council site but I can't see to see one right now.

The engineering council members has done some testing of these types of "keyed beams" and they have been used for many years, historically as well as recently. I was looking for a paper that would tell more about them but I can't seem to find it right now.

The challenge to do these types of beam is that you need all the keys and all the key slots (or pockets) to be exact as possible in order for them all to work together to make the beam strong. If one key or it's pocket is off then it doesn't work until the beam is loaded with weight and the other, for lack of a better word, "fail" a little until this "loose one" takes up the slack. The amount that these beams move until the loose one takes up the load is something or sometimes not acceptable. This is why each key and pocket has to be completely perfect.

Jim Rogers

[jueston]

thanks for the info jim, by looking at the picture i was thinking it was something along those lines, but making big assumptions off of a small picture has gotten me in trouble before.  :D

[Chilterns]

Hi Jim,

If you Google "keyed beams" and add either Joe Miller (Fire tower Engineering) or David Yeomans (How Structures Work) this will provide you with some information. This method seems to be a lot of work for a solution that as you point out might not be that reliable - would it not be better just to revise the design to match the carrying capacity of the available timbers ?

Chilterns

[bigshow]

Jim,

Is  this frame a DIY or did a Timberframing crew do it?  Does he/she/they have a website?  I'd love to see more of this frame and/or more of their work. 

[Jim_Rogers]

It was done by a professional timber framing company and crew.

Here is a link to their website:

http://www.specialtytimberworks.com/index.html

They have lots of pictures in their galleries.

Jim Rogers