Thursday, February 4, 2016

Timber Frame Entrance Canopy

I am starting this blog as a place to share photos of this timber frame entrance canopy, overhang, awning, whatever you wanna call it, that I just built.

It solved a problem in the back of my house: there were two doors that were impossible to open if it snowed much. So, like all doors, they needed and deserved a canopy to protect them from the weather. 

So let me see if I can post these pics:

A "before" pic: (the snow problem is not evident for obvious reasons, but I hope you can see why these doors -- particularly the one between the windows, which did not exist until I cut a big hole in the wall between our kitchen and the patio and put it there about a year ago -- deserved a canopy).


The plan: 
The pile of white oak timbers at the lumberyard:

And in the garage: 

A hole for one of the two concrete piers: 



The pier, after pouring, with the Simpson concealed post tie, which is a nonsensical product and should not be used, installed.

Planing the hemlock ledger, planed on right, unplaned on left:

Taking off the siding to install the ledger:

Ledger installed:

Planing one of the white oak 8x8s:



This is how I chopped the mortises (it looks like I'm not on the lines but I am; there are more precise lines, knife marks, to be specific, that are not visible):


Template for the scarf joint:

Layout for half the scarf joint:

Cutting the scarf:


Half the scarf joint, cut:

Dad helping to assemble that sucker:

Scarf joint assembled and wedged:

Two timbers spliced into one:

One end of a brace, with the template for it on the right:

Fitting the mortise and tenons, with the Persuader:

Dad, and the frame coming together:

The boring part:

Preparing to raise the frame. The ropes and chain/winch setup and all didn't really work. We just ended up getting a bunch of guys and pushing it up:




A few tools on the kitchen table (always be knolling):

Up, and temporarily attached with two-by-fours:

First two rafters on the ends:

Using my poor man's router plane to cut the mortises for the dovetail "let in" braces:

Finished. Please ignore the sink, the ladder, etc:

Side view:


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