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Timber Framing Explained and Demonstrated

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2:12
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Was old framing better than New? 🤔 #framing #history #balloonframe #timberframe

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What happens here

The video opens with a man using a large wooden mallet to strike a timber-framed structure, questioning if old framing was better. He explains that timber framing, prevalent from 1600-1900, relied on massive timbers and intricate joinery. He demonstrates how these joints, specifically a mortise and tenon with a wooden peg, were drilled, carved with a chisel, and then secured with a malleted wooden peg. The strength of these interlocking joints is shown by attempting to pull the joint apart. He also shows the timber-framed structure loaded with sandbags, emphasizing its strength. He points out that while strong, timber framing involved heavy materials and required skilled carpentry. He then simulates a failure by removing wooden pegs from a critical connection using a pry bar/metal rod, causing the structure to collapse.

Goal: Illustrate the characteristics, construction, and structural properties of traditional timber framing.

Tools and materials

  • Chisel — Carving out intricate joinery for the mortise and tenon connections
  • Pry bar/metal rod — Demonstrating joint failure by removing wooden pegs
  • Timber pieces — Constructing the timber-framed structure and demonstrating joinery
  • Wood Pegs — Securing the mortise and tenon joints in the timber frame
  • Wooden Mallet — Driving wooden pegs into joinery
  • Sandbags — Simulating structural load on the timber frame

What they say

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Was old framing better? Strength was not why we quit timber framing. So why do we go from massive timber and wooden pegs to tiny 2 by 4's and OSB? Timber framing depends on joinery. Joints were drilled and pegs were installed. The joinery would lock everything together and it was incredibly strong. But this large timber was heavy and these joints required skilled carpentry. With much fewer structural members, if we remove critical connections, one joint can cause us to collapse.

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