Hacker News Reader

Comment by simonsarris | Hacker News Reader

Funny, I just built a largish (12x16 two story) shed in my back yard, but decided to just learn timber framing because how hard could it really be?

The final cost was $5,206.72 (all local pine including boards, no plywood or glue, cedar shingles), and I partly took off about 2 months of work (working on this during the day) to frame it.

There are some photos here, though far more on twitter: https://simonsarris.substack.com/p/the-goose-palace

If you can stick frame a shed its certainly not beyond you to timber frame one. You'll need to read a book or two and buy a few hundred $ of chisels. But no part of it is fundamentally difficult. Before this project I've used my circular saw more for cutting down brush than building.

Some budget item detail if you want to build something like it: https://twitter.com/simonsarris/status/1592159452995944449

And more construction pictures: https://twitter.com/simonsarris/status/1584169368203956225

View on HN

"You'll need to read a book or two and buy a few hundred $ of chisels."

There is a third way ... timber framing with steel column caps and timber connectors, etc. ... steel plates from Simpson that you connect with lag or through bolts.

But see the recent discussion of the failure of a bridge in Norway which used wood beams connected by steel elements -- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33907276

But it's also a shed, not a bridge.

The simple solution is to not repeatedly drive a dump truck over your shed.

“I think I see the problem here.”

“It’s a shed, not a bridge” is a great engineering slogan.

Both are fine for bikes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_triviality

Yeah, though this would greatly increase the expense over the chisels, I'd think. For my build you need one 1.5" and one 2" chisel (I have Sorby, ~$125 each), though a 2.5" slick is nice to have. And then some sharpening stones.

Looking at the pictures your way of doing things just seems so much error prone and error prone in a super time consuming kind of way. Like those cuts w/ a chisel have to take a while to do, they have to be precise, and if you screw up the last one the whole board and all the work you just put in it are for waste.

Check the article, he addresses the question of error tolerance and it's a gentle read.

I'm very curious where you are getting shingles at that price! I was putting together a budget for an outdoor sauna this year, and out here (Michigan) I was getting quotes around $200 per bundle (32 sq ft coverage).

PS thanks for your posts! The goose palace and the house build are both super inspiring.

It may depend on your grade. Since this is a barn (and it would be fine for a sauna), I was using 2nd clear grade C shingles. Lots of knots, some defects, but $49 for a bundle from PJ Currier, a local lumber supply company.

Thanks! I feel like we just don't have the same supply chain over here for some of these products. Was a pain even finding clear cedar in any quantity.

Sorry to hear about your flock, hope that you're able to get a new group going soon!

Looks amazing! I recently built a 12x16 shed as well, but just a stick framed. I debated trying to do a timber frame and finally decided that I didn't have the time. I sort of regret that decision now.

I've been thinking of doing this exact thing, although with a smaller 10x12 single-level shed, just because I want to learn timber framing. Would you do it again? Any specific book recommendations?

to be honest I've kind of become addicted to it. I think about the next structure all the time. Three of them actually.

I used Jack Sobon's books, mostly Timber Frame Construction, but Build a Timber Frame House is good too.

That is lovely, thank you for sharing.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com