« Previous Entries
» Next Entries

Category

Timber framing

Book stuff, Life, Sketchup, Timber framing
Elevation frustration
06.10.10 | Permalink | Comment?

I’ve been working on some elevation drawings for James’ house. Normally houses have a north, south, east and west elevation. This house is huge and has multiple gable ends. This means I have 3 gable end drawings along with 3 side elevations and none of them have been much fun. I just finished my third revision of each drawing, along with a site plan, and a foundation plan view, and hopefully that is it for that project.

I think all I have to do now is put everything together in a large multi-page .pdf, but I’m not sure until I talk to James. I regularly run into communication problems with him, which I believe can be attributed to his lack of computer knowledge, and our constant failure to both be looking at the thing we’re discussing at the same time.

Once this is over and done with I have to go through the entire book with him over the phone, so we can sort out all the edits. Originally he offered to mail me his version that he’s been scribbling edits in, but the other day he decided we should just do it over the phone. He says there isn’t much that needs fixing, so it won’t take long. Hopefully that means I won’t have a ton of text to shift when it comes time to edit. But again, this could be a matter of him not understanding computers, and I could be looking at a month worth of work and a two hour phone call.

I suppose I should be happy to be employed, but I want to build stuff.
Book stuff, Life, Sketchup, Timber framing
Cobra codex now officially PRO
05.28.10 | Permalink | Comment?

The other day Holly brought home a printed copy of the book layout. Today we took it to her mom’s work and borrowed their binding machine. It feels neat to hold it and know I made it. I looked at it at dinner last night before it was bound, and thought – If I saw this on a bookstore shelf, not only would I buy it I’d also be impressed with the illustrations. That makes me feel good.

This is just a copy for me to look at and find corrections I need to make, without having to sit in front of the computer. I spend too much time sitting at the computer staring at a monitor, as I’ve mentioned here many times before (I complain using the very computer I complain about… fuck you irony). These days I look forward to having things to read that aren’t on an LCD display. Earlier today I had to call and renew my Timber Framer’s Guild membership, and they asked me if I’d like to save $10 annually by receiving their regular publications (Timber Framing, and Scantlings) via email, instead of in print form. I explained to them as well that I look forward to staring at anything other than a monitor, and although I could really use the $10 I would prefer to still get them in print form.

I then explained to the woman from the guild that I have never received any of the publications I should have, and asked her to check my contact info. It was all incorrect despite numerous emails between myself and the guild rep last year. It also turned out I had expired almost 6 months ago. The lady was kind, and fixed all my info then renewed my membership for free. She’s even sending me a few back issues of Scantlings she still has copies of (which I should have already received a long time ago).

I’m excited to finally get them since their full of great industry related info, and neat things I’ve yet to learn. It’s also one of the first places I read about how useful Sketchup could be for the timber framer. Perhaps one day I’ll read about myself in Scantlings. Oooooh.

When she was updating my info, the lady from the guild asked if I was currently employed as a timber framer. I said I wasn’t, but that I was working on a timber framing text book. She said “Oh, well then I’ll put you in the directory as a PROFESSIONAL.”. I said “Fucking right I’m professional, have you seen my Kill/Death ratio?”, then I spin kicked a boulder into a statue of myself banging aliens and saving the universe.

So far since Holly brought it home it hasn’t left my side, and I doubt a single person has managed to visit us without being forced to feign interest after I shove it in their face. So be warned. If you are one of the lucky few invited to attended the birthday bash in honour of everyone’s favourite nine year old tango neutralizer, you can expect to suffer the same fate.
Log building, Photos, Timber framing
Cobras will cut you!
05.17.10 | Permalink | Comment?

My new collection of old chisels!

After our incredibly long day Friday, we came home and Mary and Brandie came by to hang out. Mary came by with presents (as she often does) in the form of antique chisels. Some are pretty beat up, but I figure that gives me a great chance to practice sharpening. Some of them are completely homemade (one is clearly an old triangular file someone took a grinder to) which makes me want to find out how well they work, and possibly make some myself.

I really want to get some wood and build something. I’d love to get building that shed I designed for my dad (that he hated) now that I have all these tools. I think I will take another look at the plans I made and create a materials list and estimate cost of materials.

I don’t think it would take me long to build, but it could cost quite a bit for the lumber. I also need to find out about permits, and figure out a way of avoiding having to get one.
Log building, Photos, Timber framing
Cobras <3 tools
05.10.10 | Permalink | 1 Comment

The other day Mary came by and brought me some new tools (new to me) she found in her parent’s antique shop. I had asked her to put aside anything she might come across that looked like it could be in that book she gave me, and said I mostly wanted axes, drawknives, chisels, slicks and most of all a boring machine.

She asked her dad about the machine and he said he had the chassis for one, but no handle assembly. Luckily for me, he was mistaken. Mary found the complete machine, and it works awesome. It’s missing auger bits, but I might have a few I can use. I really wish I had something to make right now so I could use it, or even a scrap timber so I could practice with it.

Mary also found me some other highly useful antique tools, including: a hollow shave, a chamfer knife, and a drawknife. All of them need some work before I can use them, but I look forward to sharpening and oiling them and seeing how well of a job I do, and then how well of a job they do.

I wish I lived in the woods. I’d go chop a tree right now and start building. Maybe instead I’ll go steal something already chopped at the Gorge later.
Log building, Photos, Timber framing
Cool tools, wise words
05.04.10 | Permalink | Comment?

The other day my friend Mary came by and brought me a book she found. Her parents own an antique store and she helps them sell stuff on ebay. Sometimes she finds things she knows I’ll love, so she brings them to me. I have been carrying this book with me ever since she brought it over, spending any spare moments looking at the images and reading it over and over.

It’s not a very long book (110 pages), but there is tons of great information on historical tools, their uses, and their creators. It also talks a lot about the connection between a craftsman and his tools (and more specifically their handles), and how these days most tools and their handles are made from plastic and cheap metals, designed to get jobs done quickly – not well.

It also talks about how timber and log building styles are superior methods to modern stick framing (balloon or platform), not only because of the lasting craftsmanship but also because of the pride and effort that went into them.

Here’s one of my favourite quotes from the text regarding the difference between framing methods:

“A building pinned together with hand whittled wooden pegs? We don’t have to do that sort of thing today! But if we built for lastingness and for handing down to future generations we would do so, for wooden pins work much better than nails: they hold tighter, they don’t rust or rot the beams.”

The book also illustrates some different methods of making log notches, some of which I have never seen but would like to try.

The main focus of the book seems to be attempting to convince craftsmen to revert back to the ways of their forefathers, blaming modern society and mass production (as well as the laziness of man) for shifting the goal of most trades from creating beautiful, long lasting things, to making money as easy as possible.

“How poor and dishonest and ugly and temporary are the results of so many modern workers whose constant aim is more to make the most money from their profession instead of producing the most honest and beautiful and lasting things.”

I couldn’t agree more.

I find it weird that I share a lot of the same opinions at 29 – in 2010, as this 70 year old man had in 1963. I guess no one listened to him, because I feel everything has gotten worse than what he describes in the text, and craftsmen are getting further and further removed from their creations.

I wonder what episodes of Antique Roadshow will be like in the year 3000.

The book is titled A Museum of Early American Tools by Eric Sloane. There is a sample of it here on google books.
Angry Art, Book stuff, Life, Sketchup, Timber framing
Book’em
04.04.10 | Permalink | Comment?

Yesterday I finished the entire Post and Beam section of the book. It was a huge project for someone of my skill/work ethic, and I was incredibly relieved to have it done. I got up this morning and realized I forgot to update the remainder of the table-of-contents, and fix some character code errors. I spent a couple hours fixing it, then sent it off to James.

I finally got in touch with him this afternoon, after our hike. He loved it, and said it was perfect. The only issue with it, is the fact that I found a drawing he didn’t mention in the text, but couldn’t get a hold of him (powers been out on the island for days) to find out what was up. I carried on, omitting the image and figured I will fix it if I need to. It turns out the image was mentioned, but not where I expected. So I now have to go back and shift basically everything from that point on. For now it doesn’t matter, this draft is specifically for the students, and will be edited by them.

Now I take a day off, then move on to Timber Bents. The book in it’s current state is 92 pages in length without the appendix (my dad says it doesn’t need an appendix since I don’t have one). I now have to add another section around 80 pages or more, plus another 30-40 pages of appendix and glossary at it’s end.

I have to get all that done before his Bents course starts on the 3rd of May. Hopefully I have an easier time with the rest of it, considering I know what format he wants it in. Oh, and I also have to add a bunch of photos to the middle at some point.
Book stuff, Life, Sketchup, Timber framing
Exhaustion and esteem elevated
04.02.10 | Permalink | Comment?

Yesterday I worked another insane day. I started around 11am, and finished around 4am this morning. I took two breaks for about an hour to eat and socialize, but that’s about it. I managed to get a ton of work done, and made all the changes James asked for. I also got the cover and introduction layouts finished, and most of the table-of-contents (I can’t finish it entirely until all the pages are complete, because I won’t know what page numbers to associate to the chapters/sub-chapters).

While I was laying out the introduction I actually decided to read it for the first time. I was surprised to see me mentioned as the first acknowledgment, and pleased to see my efforts don’t go unnoticed.

“I wish to express my gratitude and thanks to all my students for the feedback so necessary for refinement, in teaching and ultimately in this book. A special acknowledgment and gratitude to student Eric Clark for his efforts and talents in creating this book’s computer drawings, a massive undertaking in content and interpretation of hand sketches.”

I also noticed there is a spot reserved for me to list a personal url and some other minor info, so I’ve decided to register a domain and setup a site (hopefully with Jon’s expert help) to act as a portfolio and means for potentially procuring more design work. I’m not sure I want to do more books, but more modeling would be awesome.

I plan to finish the whole thing this afternoon, but right now I’m procrastinating. I slept in this morning, but I either didn’t get enough sleep, or last night’s Mandarin isn’t agreeing with me because my guts and head are killing me.

*The above image is not the book’s cover, but it will be something very similar.
Book stuff, Sketchup, Timber framing
Resi-dunce
03.25.10 | Permalink | Comment?

Front

Right Side

On top of working on the layout of James’ book, lately I’ve been doing lots of drawings for his residence (which he hopes to be living in before winter I believe). Until yesterday, I thought I was making these images so he could pass them to his engineer, and the engineer could use them to create official drawings. After a phone call with James in the afternoon, I found out he was wrong, and the engineer now wants me to be creating AutoCAD files.

I said that was impossible as far as I know, but gave him some other options. basically the guy’s complaint is that these drawings are too ‘design’, not enough ‘technical’. I agree, but it’s James who asks for these things, and approves them, so I just do what I’m asked.

Left Side

Rear View

These are elevation drawings I did yesterday, while awaiting a response from him regarding whether or not I should do them. He took too long (not his fault, there is three hours between us), so I just did them and had them done before he called.

Originally they were perspective views which looked 3d, but after talking to him I switched to a parallel projection, and made them look more like industry standard elevations. These still need dimensions if they’re going to be used, but I won’t bother with all those details until I know if these are what he wants or not.

Here is a detail drawing of the typical foundation wall, and footing for the house. It’s got a butt-load of rebar, an elaborate anchor pin setup, 2″s of extruded polystyrene , and a pressure treated sill. This drawing also shows the plans to include radiant heat lines through a poured concrete floor, which sits on top a boxed sub-floor. When it’s finally done, this place is going to be awesome.

And here’s a 3d/x-ray view of the footing/foundation wall/rebar/pin/sill for all you cobras who can’t get enough of my super exciting construction creations. I dig this stuff, but that’s because I made it. I can see how this would bore the pants off of most people. If you’re one of those people, sorry. If you’re an engineer and you love AutoCAD, but can’t figure out how to convert a .jpg to a .pdf, fuck you.
Angry Art, Food, Life, Random, Sketchup, Timber framing
Bongbot blasts books
11.25.09 | Permalink | Comment?

I didn’t end up uploading the images off my mum’s DSLR today. Instead I talked to my friend Ryan, who I hadn’t spoken with in a long time, then the Dude came by and had me help with his model. Then I got a brutal headache, took some pills, and had a nap. I woke up around 6pm, and Holly said she’d been trying to wake me for an hour or so. We went to the Mandarin for dinner (first time since they got busted for reusing uneaten food off people’s plates), then Holly passed out shortly after we got home.

I decided to do some more work on the book, since Holly brought home two faxes James sent me yesterday. One was a new drawing he had forgotten about, the other was a drawing I did which needed corrections, but a written explanation wasn’t working for me (I often need pictures). I managed to get all the work I currently had left on the book done in the last 6 hours, plus I snuck in a conversation with James. I gave him a minor progress report and told him to expect everything tomorrow in an email. I asked what he wanted to do next, and he told me to see if I can figure out In Design. Looks like that’s what I’ll spend my morning doing (after I send the email of course). He also mentioned something about paying me (hooray!).

*Bongbot did not actually shoot the timber book. This is just an old image I never used for anything, and happened to find tonight.

Fooled you.
Random, Sketchup, Timber framing
Cobra come-alongs in action!
09.23.09 | Permalink | 1 Comment

Look how sweet those come-alongs look! Fuck me I’m glad I spent an hour or so modeling them. And how about those kicker plates, and straps? (the straps are actually weird looking cube things) I also love those hooks. Maybe I’ll use them to design some crazy suspension rig for the BME kids (HA!).

It’s weird working on my desktop computer. I totally need to re-familiarize myself with this keyboard.

« Previous Entries
» Next Entries