Cherry creek timber frame is up
While I was gone to Japan and Africa, our crew Kiyo, Eiji and Chris has completed fabrication as well as set up. Thanks for all my crews, great job.
This is Willms Design as well.
Author: Dai
Connection test at engineer work shop organize by Canadian Wood Council and Wood Works BC.
Dec 2010, Daizen Joinery and Nicola Log Works demonstrated the connection test at engineer work shop.
We tested about 10 different connections, mortise and tenon, SFS WT screw, epoxy anchor, T-bolt, Sherpa, GRK screws and so on.
Mortise and tenon, it failed at beam side, it sheared off. Peg holes were 2 inch from the face, this was a bid surprise for me, I assumed it will brake the tip of tenon. Need to test more.
SFS WT screw were definitely functioning well, money saving screws. Method of test was, we braked half lap first, this braked at 4,000 lbs. Then we placed two SFS WT screw at the shear location and tested again. Test was stopped at 10,000 lbs, it did not failed, instead other side of connection failed. One screw, least add 3,000 lbs strength in connection.
Epoxy anchor, concrete epoxy fail too quick, but cold cure epoxy were so strong, it brake the weld that holding the wide web and test stopped at 12,000 lbs.
I have uploaded Sherpa test video on youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/Daizenjoinery?feature=mhsn#p/a/u/0/9oHgx5a2vBU.
Tons of information from this test but not enough time to organized to share, please contact me at [email protected] for any further test result.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Daizenjoinery#p/a/u/2/9oHgx5a2vBU
Buildex show booth
February 23rd and 24th, we were at the Buildex show. We got honorables best booth at the show.
Roof truss were all recycled western red cedar, it was lighter than D.Fir, could of set up all by hand. entire show, my body was so soar from the set up.
We met many peoples at the show, thanks every one who stopped at our booth.
Our next show is in Abbotsford Log and Timber show, March 13th and 14th.
Contemporary timber frame
This is Karl Willms design timber frame. Build with high grade select structural D.Fir, tight grain and kiln with RF technology. Frame is build in very steeped site, footing were poured on 20 some different height level, must been very tough even moving materials around this site.
When we arrived, floor was all done and ready, thanks for all hard work for the contractor.
We already installed deck frame in advance and this main frame took 2 days to put together. Lots of help and all good help, very fun also satisfied project.
I was very pleased myself for the result and client and contractor are also very pleased, so it is the best project of the year for us.
Frame design are simple though, it had some challenge on joinery design to maintain the strength also make the assemble procedure possible. Even I had study of this procedure in advance well, it still took a bid of modification of the joinery at the raising site. Glass will be fit in between timber so groove for inserting glass stops are in place. I will follow this detail as installation makes progress. Stan is pre applied in our shop just incase if the weather turned into very cold so crew can not access to the site it means it will leave it open till next Spring but I think they will be able to put roof before that happens.
I had my crew Eiji with me on this assemble and he is the one looks after some finishing touch in our shop so this was great experience for him to spend time together with us to tune up his work at the production. I am sure he will make great progress on next frame.
Thanks for Terry Hall who is timber frame manager for the project, designer Karl and Kyle Willms, contractor James and Andrew Boak and Mike Besanger who is the owner of the project!
Full structure timber frame
We have been raising one frame per week this year, it’s been very busy summer. One of the frame we build near my house in Chase, this is the addition to existing house connect with walkway structure.
It is full structure with timer. total 200 pcs of structural member to frame 1,200 sqft foot print main house. Bent style frame which means all the bent is assembled on floor and raised as one unit connect with girt in between. Total of 4 days to complete main frame which is 50 pcs per day to put together, total volume of this main structure is 9,850 bdft so about 2,500 bdft a day for raising.
Material for this project was dead standing D.fir, we searched dry timber and applied kirf on every single member which had heart center in timber. Since this is build in our area, we will monitor this frame very close to see if the kirf is working properly as we are aiming, I believe it will.
Stain on timber
Even we knew it is best to apply stain in our shop, we kept doing it as minimum because it holds up our main production. This time, timing fits well so we have applied stain in our shop.
Product is Broda Protector is what we used this time. http://www.cbrproducts.com/content/about-our-products. This is the product mixed in Vancouver and water born but not totally water based.
Two coat with clear UV top coat, total three coat total, two days drying time for each coat so total of 6 days required to stain all.
We are giving serious consideration to test and use Boem product which is made in Switzerland and testing is at Forenteck http://boehme.ch/. This product has 10 year warranty which I have never seen in stain product.
Advantage on applying stain in our shop is
- Apply in controlled environment before any other hand put on timber.
- Apply on 6 side including inside mortise and any joinery.
We are also going to test some fire retardant product from Japan with new stain and get ready for next year line of production.
IPE armstrong fair (Booth is up)
We will be in Arm Strong IPE fair this year. This is not home show but lots of people comes through so I will try to see if this will work or not.
We were fortunate to got permission to use the frame for the Notch Hill community hall.
Show Sep 1 to 5. http://www.armstrongipe.com/
Jig (Knife plate)
Making jig is almost becoming hobby. It is not wood working.
Good reference book for the jig by ILBA call “Big Boys Jig book” This is series of the jigs developed by member of International Log Builders Association and organized by John Boys. Super helpful book for jig lover. You need to become member to have this, please contact http://www.logassociation.org/index.php
Here what I am sharing today is the knife plate jig modified from log building one. Adapted clamping system also sliding mechanism. Only tools I have seen available to do this job is from Muffel and it cost almost $8,000. My hand made one is about $400 all together.
Parson may able to cut slot by hand very accurate if the cut require only width of chainsaw blade but if it require slightly thicker, it is not possible to do by free hand. Our jig makes our hidden knife plate cut very reliable.
Challenge is what makes people different
Made visit to job site to survey the height where the post sits and lay out the angled deck.
Site is even hard to walk and stand, this challenged foundation is done by young builder James Boak. I can see the road he is going to take now and he will become extreme good builder one day that only can be achieved by going through the challenge after the challenge.
Now it is my turn to make the frame, with my best and meet with his young passion to build the best!
Non cracked timber (Kirf cut)
Timber will check because of drying ratio is different from across the growth of rings (radial) or along the growth of ring (tangential). If timber contains the heart of tree, it call boxed hear, if not it call Free Of Heart Center (FOHC). Depends on this grain ratio but boxed heat timber will check guaranteed and we try to use FOHC as much as we can.
Because of the budget is limited, we often use air dry timber, moisture content below 19%. These are mostly locate the interior BC, many of trees killed by fire, dead stand for while so it is dry. But these logs are not big, depends on log source, we have to use boxed heart timber.
Boxed heart timber, usually will check toward nearest face of the timber from the center. 99% this will be side of the beam. When timber check, it will check along the wood grain. All the tree has twist, it is just matter of how much. Timber grade system allow more than what we expect even in structural grade, so we have our own grade to apply for the frame. However, when timber check, check follow the grain, timber will twist as much as grain is twisted. This is the reason why you see some of the beam twisted.
To prevent this, we apply kirf cut. This is the cut from the face of timber being covered, it need to cut all the way to heart of the timber. More the timber is green, all the check will focus on this one cut and will not show any other check on side. But air dried timber, often check is already proceeded, so some of the check can not be eliminated but it will not twist.
Here is one picture that shows our inventory. This timber had been dried for 6 month now, starting moisture was 20% now it is 13%. Dimension has been reduced but you can see how much this cut has been opened up. If we plane to square and use this timber as structural member now, it will be stable.
Timber will check and that is in engineering consideration already so this kirf cut should not sacrifice the strength of the beam. Actually, it will increase the strength as the beam because the side check will be in nutral axis which is the strength of the beam what relying on.
