HandLogger
ArboristSite Operative
Splined Joinery
MM: Here are two of the better photos of splined joinery I can find right now. I've got lots of frame photos, so there's no way of being 100% positive about the exact location of these joints, but I'm pretty sure that I've got it right:
The first shot details a Red Oak spline passing through an outside principal post in Bent 2 of a three bay frame. As you can see, the end connecting girt that will join this end of Bents 1 and 2 has been loosely seated on the right end of the spline at this point in the raising.
The second shot details the same spline from the right side of the principal post. Here, the framer is loosely fitting the end connecting girt that will eventually span Bents 2 and 3, which will also effectively define one end of Bay 2.
The peg holes for this frame were drawbored. This promotes the "drawing together" (tightening) of frame joinery once the tapered pegs have been driven home. The majority of the beams in this frame were milled from Eastern White Pine (EWP); the braces were milled from Black Birch and Cherry; the pegs are octagonal hickory and black walnut; and the splines were milled from Red Oak, as previously explained.
As I mentioned earlier, I plan on using the same type of joinery in our frame. The splines promote strengthening of the joinery, as well as easing the frame raising process somewhat. As with all things structural, however, the frame must be designed properly, and that design must be followed during the actual construction process.
I hope this clarifies things a bit, mate ...
MM: Here are two of the better photos of splined joinery I can find right now. I've got lots of frame photos, so there's no way of being 100% positive about the exact location of these joints, but I'm pretty sure that I've got it right:
The first shot details a Red Oak spline passing through an outside principal post in Bent 2 of a three bay frame. As you can see, the end connecting girt that will join this end of Bents 1 and 2 has been loosely seated on the right end of the spline at this point in the raising.
The second shot details the same spline from the right side of the principal post. Here, the framer is loosely fitting the end connecting girt that will eventually span Bents 2 and 3, which will also effectively define one end of Bay 2.
The peg holes for this frame were drawbored. This promotes the "drawing together" (tightening) of frame joinery once the tapered pegs have been driven home. The majority of the beams in this frame were milled from Eastern White Pine (EWP); the braces were milled from Black Birch and Cherry; the pegs are octagonal hickory and black walnut; and the splines were milled from Red Oak, as previously explained.
As I mentioned earlier, I plan on using the same type of joinery in our frame. The splines promote strengthening of the joinery, as well as easing the frame raising process somewhat. As with all things structural, however, the frame must be designed properly, and that design must be followed during the actual construction process.
I hope this clarifies things a bit, mate ...
Last edited: