Episode 10: Can I Build My Own Timber Frame?

Do you ask yourself “Can I build my own timber frame?” In this episode we take a look at cutting a timber frame yourself and whether or not you have the skills to be successful.  Cutting a frame is tough work but something that most folks will be able to complete by gathering the skills you need before you start.

Hard Skills

• Basic carpentry or furniture
• Start small and work your way up
  • Sawhorses
  • Small frame
  • House or barn frame
• Build your skills before you start
  • Workshop
  • Guild events
  • Reading and doing
• Start with a good design

Soft skills

• Confidence and Patience with yourself and the project
• Be prepared to ask for help every now and again
• Good visualization skills.

Time

• Full time, Part time, just how much time do you have to devote to the project?
• Full time is the best.
  • Time it takes to get your head back into the project
  • Better workflow and joinery
• Cutting a frame yourself does take a bit of time so make sure the size of the frame is manageable.

Material Handling Challenges

• Timbers are not light, thinking through and planning ahead timber shuffles
• Get help
• Make lots of sawhorses, this will cut down on how often you may have to move a timber.
• Hydraulics are a good thing

Workspace

• Do you have a place to cut the frame, can you setup and cut the frame without setting up and then put everything up in between cutting joinery.
• I built tents to cut mine in.
• The more space you have the better, in the larger shops they try and set every timber up on sawhorses before cutting, not that this is possible with the DIY’er.

Remember you get to throw a party on raising day!