tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post3151006462015170636..comments2023-11-05T06:16:56.961-05:00Comments on the Carpentry Way: Gateway (Twenty)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14328401081765407624noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-43382041823543732622015-01-04T20:58:43.030-05:002015-01-04T20:58:43.030-05:00Jeroen,
thanks for the comment and the questions....Jeroen,<br /><br />thanks for the comment and the questions. I'm sure my joinery fitting is marginal at best, however I can share a few observations. Larger material presents advantages and disadvantages as compared to smaller. On larger pieces, the surfaces are comparatively easier to check for squareness and flatness than when working with smaller joints and their surfaces. On the flip side, joints cannot be as readily cut in as large a variety of techniques as for smaller joints, due to tooling limitations, however most of the techniques transfer over from smaller to larger. If a larger timber is not properly seasoned or has internal stresses, then cutting things like scarf joints can cause the parts to deform appreciably, complicating the joinery process.<br /><br />Cut one half of the joint to your marks and measures, and then cut the other half to conform to it - that's about it. Based on the type of wood and size of connection and amount of interface, you may wish to have a little play in some portions or a bit of interference, depending. <br /><br />The wood I'm working with now compresses fairly readily, so a slight interference fit is fine. Other woods, like ebony, tolerate almost no interference fit.<br /><br />'Too tight' can be judged by feel and sound during assembly, however if the tenon, say, will start into the mortise, and the surfaces of both mortise and tenon are flat and square, then the joint will generally go together. It's important to check all surfaces prior to assembly, looking for non-flat areas in particular. Shoulders need to be checked meticulously for squareness. With large timbers it is usually easy to get a square and/or straightedge onto the surface and you can check in many locations. If your layout is correct and the cutout produces clean and flat surfaces, then things generally go together well. <br /><br />Preceding all of the joinery work, it must be emphasized, is taking care to obtain stock that is dry, straight, free of wind, and square. The joinery will generally go smoothly if those initial conditions are met.<br /><br />~CAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14328401081765407624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-9512530412373960102015-01-03T10:05:03.894-05:002015-01-03T10:05:03.894-05:00Hello Chris,
I've been reading your blog for ...Hello Chris,<br /><br />I've been reading your blog for years and really appreciate it. All those difficult Japanese joints that fit so extremely well, are nice to see :)<br /><br />But how do you fit these large joints so well? How do you know where it is too tight, and how much material needs to be removed? You can not look inside the joints, so how do you do it?<br /><br />Thanks for the lovely insights you give us with this blog,<br /><br />Jeroen<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-75452937036891679222014-12-28T17:23:24.171-05:002014-12-28T17:23:24.171-05:00S. Henderson,
appreciate the comment and happy to...S. Henderson,<br /><br />appreciate the comment and happy to learn you have been enjoying your visits here. <br /><br />As for work, I am struggling to stay away from the shop right now as the work is so enjoyable. Sunday is a nice day to work - the building is really quiet, and there isn't much traffic to deal with coming and going. That said, will be taking at least one day off per week from now on if at all possible.<br /><br />~CAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14328401081765407624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-7177933073987941092014-12-28T10:12:51.342-05:002014-12-28T10:12:51.342-05:00Chris,
Think the approach taken is great. I very...Chris,<br /><br />Think the approach taken is great. I very much respect the way your work employs intelligently chosen jointry to address structure and accomodate the behavior of wood. An aesthetic is expresseed that is artistic not for the sake of embellishment but one of honest care-full practicallity.<br />Keep on keep'n on bros. Your on a tear lately.<br />Been a delight. Tico has asked before...You work hard...Do you sleep ?<br />Happy Holidays.<br /><br />S. Henderson Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-81379143707010456872014-12-28T09:11:25.690-05:002014-12-28T09:11:25.690-05:00Darrell,
thanks for the questions. Yes, there was...Darrell,<br /><br />thanks for the questions. Yes, there was consideration given to replacing the posts entirely. That would have however necessitated complete disassembly of the kiosk. At this point, it is hard to say which approach would have been the quicker one! Not knowing how extensively the rot had penetrated up the post, my plan was to cut the wood for the splice away, and if the wood was sound, continue with the splice repair. If the rot had been more extensive, then plan B would have been to remove the post entirely, which would have meant taking the structure completely apart.<br /><br />In Japan it is more typical to replace only the portions of a post (or other framing element) which have rotted out, most especially when dealing with important structures of historic significance. This kiosk is not such an important structure in the grand scheme of things, however the repair I am doing is a typical one. <br /><br />Given my druthers, I would have built an entirely new kiosk which stands on 4 posts, so the metal shoe foundation system could have been done away with altogether, however that was not in the scope of work.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14328401081765407624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-23137978198197001192014-12-28T06:32:43.383-05:002014-12-28T06:32:43.383-05:00Was there ever any consideration for replacing the...Was there ever any consideration for replacing the original posts with all-new ones? Or is this kind of joint typical in Japan when similar circumstances arise?<br /><br />DarrellAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-15475638469498909902014-12-27T19:45:13.791-05:002014-12-27T19:45:13.791-05:00Jack,
thanks for the questions.
I think that in...Jack,<br /><br />thanks for the questions. <br /><br />I think that in japanese carpentry every effort is made to match the grain orientation of connecting timbers in a splice. You can imagine that two pieces connected so that each had growth rings at 90˚ opposition to its partner would mean irregular steps in the mating surfaces for much of the year. In this case, the original timber I am splicing to is boxed heart, and there is no way I will be using boxed heart. The timber I am splicing with has a rift grain orientation, more or less, so it is the most 'neutral' sort of orientation for a square timber, its tendency being to diamond when swelling or shrinking. Rift grain gives a fairly seamless visual match to the boxed heart, however this point is a bit moot since the grainy-ness of POC is very much subdued anyhow.<br /><br />Compression set. Well, not much of an issue with splices like these, as the long grain abutments are relatively gentle in slope. When the komi-sen (assembly pin) is driven in, the end grain abutments are driven tightly against one another and that is the primary means by which the joint transmits load. While swelling of the timbers when wet can cause a certain amount of compression set, the only place this is really a concern is in the stub tenon portions. Looking at old splicing joints of this variety, I've never noticed them to have significant gaps from compression set, so it is not something I am worrying about. Compression set could also happen if the joint were subject to high bending loads, but I really can't imagine this happening in this situation. Again, the key aspect is that it is the end grain abutments of both joint halves which undergo high compression when the peg is driven in, and compression set issues are not much of a factor.<br /><br />~CAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14328401081765407624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-65615560691030950932014-12-27T14:25:02.316-05:002014-12-27T14:25:02.316-05:00Two questions:
1. To what extent do Japanese Carp...Two questions:<br />1. To what extent do Japanese Carpenters give to grain orientation of connecting members, for instance joining a tangential grain to a radial or rift type grain?<br /><br />2. How important is consideration for Compression Set?<br /><br />JackAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10015012431406859016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-20839246558731185512014-12-26T21:51:57.399-05:002014-12-26T21:51:57.399-05:00Anton,
thanks for the question. In answer, no, no...Anton,<br /><br />thanks for the question. In answer, no, not worried about that at all. We're talking about a 'ledge' all of 1/16" wide, so it is hardly much of a surface for water to sit upon. The splice itself could get wet from a heavy rain with wind, but that's not much of an issue really. The splice is well off the ground, so soil bacteria will not tend to get splashed onto the connection. That's one thing. If the splice gets wet the wood swells and tends to seal it up. Finally, there is a roof overhead keeping the vast majority of the rain off of the joint. The joint is not hollow inside so there is nowhere for water to get 'trapped' inside. Moisture may penetrate in certain circumstances, but the joint is fully exposed to the air and will dry evenly afterwards.<br /><br />~CAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14328401081765407624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-64945744507632305002014-12-26T21:46:07.479-05:002014-12-26T21:46:07.479-05:00Cole,
appreciate the comment. Hope you enjoy the ...Cole,<br /><br />appreciate the comment. Hope you enjoy the series.<br /><br />~CAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14328401081765407624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-50628482780169021182014-12-26T20:16:16.860-05:002014-12-26T20:16:16.860-05:00Is there concern that water will become trapped in...Is there concern that water will become trapped in the splice with the lower post projecting a ledge?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15913331874879957757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-22380082279454183052014-12-26T18:30:56.403-05:002014-12-26T18:30:56.403-05:00Nice work Chris! Looking forward to seeing this pr...Nice work Chris! Looking forward to seeing this project come together. Colenoreply@blogger.com