Build a Classic Timber-Framed House

January 1, 1994
Sobon outlines a unique craft that is part conventional furniture building, part home construction. In timber frame construction, there's a minimum of metal fasteners (nails, nuts, bolts, etc.), and wood is joined by many of the basic joints (for example, the mortise and tenon, the dovetail) traditionally used in making furniture. Knowing that one's home is put together by a variety of pins, slots, and notches may not be reassuring to most, but be assured that timber framing is an old technique that produces very solid structures. It does, however, require quite a lot of timber, since main beams, for instance, can be as much as eight-inches square; the various cuts must be made to rather close tolerances; and the way the timbers are harvested and sawn will have great effect on how they (and the building) respond when exposed to moisture and cold. Although the book's sample project and copious illustrations do enlighten the initiate, it's possible to come away feeling that a month-long class on the subject might provide a better education. Still, this is an excellent how-to. ((Reviewed Jan. 1, 1994))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1994, American Library Association.)