Posts Tagged with hand hewn timber frame

Georgia based timber framers make "historic" television debut

Posted on April 11, 2008 by Ansley Holder

WHERE do two timber framers from Georgia make their television debut discussing a hand tool commonly used to build historic reproduction timber frames and repair historic timber frames? You guessed it--on the History Channel. ("Historic timber frames" was a pretty good hint--I made it really easy for ya'll!) An upcoming episode of the wildly popular television program Modern Marvels will feature Holder Bros. Timber Frames co-owners Whit and Gabel Holder demonstrating the axes and hand-hewing techniques they use in their timber framing work.

WHO attracted the attention of the Modern Marvels producers? Gabel Holder wrote a timber frame blog about one of his favorite tools, the axe, and the producers found Gabel's blog post on the Holder Bros. Timber Frames web site while doing research for the upcoming episode.

WHAT will the timber framers demonstrate or talk about on the Modern Marvels program? Whit and Gabel will demonstrate converting a round log into a hand-hewn beam for a timber frame using only axes. They will show their collection of axes and describe the various different uses for each one.

WHY is the axe important to hand hewing and building timber frames? The axe has been crucial to humans for building shelter for thousands of years. Before sawmills, square timbers to build with were hand-hewn from round logs using a felling axe and a broad axe. The axe and its proper use allow Holder Bros. to create accurate reproductions of historic timber frames and repair historic timber frames. Using the proper techniques and tools to create hand-hewn timbers makes a night and day difference from the faux hand-hewn effect accomplished with electric machines. If you want something to look hand-hewn, it should really be hewn by hand.

WHEN will the episode air? The episode featuring timber framers Whit and Gabel Holder is scheduled to air on the History Channel on May 7th.

Tagged: timber frame, timber framing, historic timber framing, modern marvels, hand hewn timber frame, traditional timber framing, hand hewn timbers, timber frame georgia, timber frame restoration  |  2 comments

One Year Later--Charles Towne Landing timber frame

Posted on January 11, 2008 by Ansley Holder

Whit and I recently took a trip to Charleston for a few days around Christmas. While we were there, we visited the Charles Towne Landing State Park where Holder Bros. built a timber frame a year ago for the historic architecture exhibit at the park. It was a gorgeous, warm day for December and we walked from the Visitor's Center to the exhibit. (When you go, be sure to spend some time in the Visitor's Center. It has interesting, interactive exhibits about the settlement that was on the site of this state park. It's really great for kids.)

We completed this historic replica timber frame in December 2006 and visited the state park while in Charleston in March 2007 demonstrating timber framing at the Masters of the Building Arts Festival. So this was our second visit to see the timber frame in 2007. The exhibit is complete now; the timber frame has been furnished with furniture and housewares that would have been used there in the late 1600s. This timber frame was meant to show park visitors what sort of structure workers in the colony lived in while at the original settlement of Charles Towne. The building was built using the traditional methods and materials of timber framing that the colonists would have used to build a dwelling.

The timber frame sits off of the walking path, on a little point of land that juts into the river. When you are standing at the back of the timber frame building looking at the trees, marsh, and water and you can't hear any cars or other modern "city" noises, you can easily imagine that this is indeed what it looked like over 300 years ago.

While Whit was inside taking pictures, I was watching people stare in awe at the timber frame and what sort of building that people were able to construct during that time period. It is very rewarding to know that we played a part in educating people about timber framing. We created something for people to see and experience, to show them what life was like during that crucial period in American history. That appreciation of what came before us is what drives our passion for building historic timber frames and working on restoration and preservation of timber frame structures.

Tagged: timber frame restoration, hand hewn timber frame, hand hewn timbers, timber frame preservation, historic timber frame, timber frame south carolina, timber framing  |  0 comments

Tools of the Trade--Axes

Posted on January 07, 2008 by Gabel Holder

Axes are the subject of this installment of tools of the trade -- where I choose one tool or family of tools that we use in our timber framing work and talk a little about it. I am excited to write about this in particular, as I have a real soft spot for axes (as you can see).

Axes come in all shapes and sizes, from small 1 1/2 pound hatchets to large broadaxes with a 14" edge. While we don't use every one of the axes pictured, we do use many of them regularly in our work of building and restoring traditional timber frames. While we also use a few modern tools (I'll talk about them in a later blog), the foundation of our craftsmanship is our skill with the tools that were traditionally used to make timber frames. These traditional tools still work just as well today as they did when Master Hugh Herland built Westminster Hall, provided the carpenter has the training and skill to efficiently and accurately put them to use.

As for axes, we reach for some of these when we're cutting timber frames to rough out joinery such as housings, reductions, or tenons. You can remove a lot of wood in a hurry with a sharp axe if you know what you're doing. Hand axes and hatchets are often used for various trimming tasks, such as pointing pegs. We use some of the larger axes when we're working on a job that calls for hand hewn timbers. For that process, a felling axe is used to score the logs (removing the bulk of the waste wood) and then a broad axe is used to "take it to the line", smoothing the timber and creating the distinctive pattern of a (correctly) hand-hewn timber. That texture cannot be duplicated by modern techniques - if you want it to look right, you have to do it the right way.

In the photo, clockwise from top left, is an American Jersey pattern felling axe, goosewing broad axe from Austria, 12" American broad axe, Gransfors Bruks broad axe, Gransfors carving axe, Gransfors mortise axe, American broad hatchet, small American broad hatchet, competition throwing axe, bearded axe based on ancient Scandinavian pattern, Gransfors forest axe, American Hudson Bay axe, American half wedge felling axe.

These are some of our favorite tools to use here at Holder Brothers Timber Frames. Stay tuned for more Tools of the Timber Framing Trade ....

Tagged: timber frame preservation, timber frame restoration, timber frame, historic timber frame, hand hewn timber frame, heavy timber construction, hand hewn trusses, historic timber framing, timber frame georgia  |  0 comments

The real meaning of "hand hewn"

Posted on July 17, 2007 by Gabel Holder

Hand hewn is a term that is widely misused today to refer to almost anything with a rustic appearance. The real meaning is actually quite limited in application. Hand hewn refers to a timber that has been converted from a log using only axes -- most commonly a felling axe and a broad axe.

A common misconception is that timbers were shaped with an adze. While adzes are wonderfully useful tools, they are pitiful at converting logs to timbers, and were not historically used for that purpose. This misconception may stem from the fact that hand hewn timbers have an interesting texture of undulating tool marks -- almost as if the wood were scooped out a little. This is the result of the shape of a broad axe. First off, the broad axe is sharpened on one side only (single beveled), unlike a felling axe which is sharpened on both sides (double-beveled). Also, the cutting edge of a properly adjusted and sharpened broad axe is curved in a couple of different ways. If you set this properly sharpened broad axe down on a table on its "flat" side, you will quickly see that the axe actually isn't flat on it's back --the axe should rock back and forth along its edge, with the mid-section acting as the fulcrum. You want the corners of the edge to be about 1/16" to 1/8" off the table -- that keeps the corners from digging in, which is very important. You also want a curve along the length of the edge, with the middle being quite proud of the corners. This curve helps create a slicing action, (rather than chopping) which is crucial to good clean work as well as efficiency. And the edge must be very sharp -- ideally razor sharp! A dull broad axe is worse than useless -- it is very dangerous. The effect of this razor sharp, curved and convex edge is that the wood is scooped out, leaving a subtle undulating texture similar to waves on the sea -- very different from what is often passed off as hand hewn today.

Most people who are "hewing" timbers today are using either a power planer to create a textured surface or are adzing sawn timbers -- both of these methods make an "interesting" texture, but are completely inappropriate for historic work, as the tool marks are completely different than what you see on authentically hewn timber. It is important to note that each hewer leaves behind subtle, tell-tale tool marks that allow an observant person to play detective and determine among other things whether the carpenter was left or right handed, which direction along the timber he was moving as he hewed, how high off the ground the log was, the size of the different axes used, whether one person hewed the entire timber or one man went up one side, while another man went down the other, whether two faces were hewed before the log was rolled, or whether one face was hewn and the log rolled each time.

I am sure that is much more information than most people care to know about how a carpenter swung his axe on a particular day a couple hundred years ago. Nevertheless, it is valuable information when it comes to understanding how a particular building was built; especially in terms of documenting existing timbers to better understand the original techniques or when we need to repair, restore, or replace damaged or missing timbers in a way that is consistent with the original means and methods. It is entirely possible when replacing a timber, to study other contemporary pieces from the same building and then hew the replacement the same way the original was done, reproducing the act of conversion as well as the product. Not only do I believe there is cultural value in this knowledge and skill--keeping alive and in some cases rediscovering the subtleties of a traditional building skill that mostly died--it is simply the most accurate process for reproducing a hewn timber. While I understand that such a level of detailed care is not appropriate for many projects, occasionally it probably is – when accurately replicating parts of the original process is an important part of the clients program. Or when close just doesn't cut it – such as work done on cultural treasures.

And even on the more everyday projects, I still think it is important to recognize authenticity and to value it enough to avoid cheap imitations. For more information about hand hewn timbers, give us a call.

Tagged: hand hewn, traditional timber framing, broad axe, historical timber framing, hand hewing, timber frame, hand hewn timber frame  |  2 comments

Hewing, Riving, and Scribing

Posted on May 04, 2007 by Gabel Holder

We recently built a historic reproduction timber frame for Charles Towne Landing State Park in Charleston, South Carolina to be used in their interpretation of the 1670 era original settlement. The 15' by 30' servant's quarters was designed based on archaeological evidence from the original site and thorough historic research. The frame is a single story with a sleeping loft and has sill timbers that are supported by earth-fast cedar poles. Around 25 slaves and servants would have lived in this house.
One of the most exciting things to me about this project was the opportunity for us to use historic techniques to layout and cut the hand hewn and riven timbers for the frame. The project's specifications called for the timber frame to be scribed (a traditional carpentry technique used until the 19th century) and for all visible tool marks to be authentic hand tool marks. What a great opportunity!
Having recently completed several scribed projects, we were very excited by the chance to use these methods on a historically authentic timber frame using all hand-converted material. Our job was to supply about one third of the hand converted materials, scribe and cut the joinery, raise the frame, and install the hand riven oak clapboards. We worked with 4 different species of timber, hewing oak for purlins, pine for floor joists, and cedar for the exposed chimney framing, riving cedar for studs, and hewing one side and peeling the cypress pole rafters. We also made the riven and hand drawn white oak pegs for the frame.
After the timbers were converted, we scribed wall frames, cross frames, trusses, and roof frames together. Then we were off to Charleston to raise the frame and put the roof on. What a great feeling to start with a pile of logs and finish with a building!
If you're ever in Charleston, I recommend a visit to Charles Towne Landing State Park. It is an interesting and enjoyable place to wander around and they do a great job of showing us where and how the settlers of the South's largest colonial port city lived.

Tagged: colonial timber frame, charles towne landing, timber frame, hand hewing, hand hewn, scribing, historic reproduction, south carolina, hand hewn timber frame  |  0 comments