Want to know more, have questions, or simply want to interact with fans?
Looking for exercises to improve your skills, documentation, links ..

Join us on Forum-Charpente.

The forum dedicated exclusively to timber framing.

Monday, September 7, 2015

Irregular Hip Rafter: le dévoiement

Irregular Hip Rafter: le dévoiement

Dévoiement ? What does that means ?
This word comes from verb "dévoyer" which means to move out of its trace, out of its path.
The purpose of "le dévoiement" is to keep the same chamfer height on both sides of the Hip Rafter.



Download file: Devoiement.pdf

Video 01: Why ?


Video 02: Step-by-step


Video 03: Example with an obtuse angle.


Video 04: Example with an acute angle.


Questions about this course? Go to Forum-Charpente

Friday, August 14, 2015

Frame-15

Frame-15

Next week will be the Frame-15 meeting, organized by Carpenters Fellowship in St Fagans, South Wales, from Thursday 20th to Sunday 23rd.


The study case is extracted from the Mazerolle book, pl 17, bottom of the page.

Both workshops will be "à la française": a scale 1 drawing on the ground.
First day: "à la sauterelle", second day: "par rembarrement".

Those wishing to attend my workshops can download the study topic below to add their annotations during the workshop. You can also re-draw it to a larger scale if you find it more comfortable.

Download file: Mazerolle_01_Taillage.pdf

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Regular Hip Rafter and Purlin with Lip Cut "à la sauterelle"

Regular Hip Rafter and Purlin with Lip Cut "à la sauterelle"

This serie of video to show you how to find the cuts of a purlin, including the Lip Cut with the method "à la sauterelle".

New ! I provide you an empty file of the project, download it, print it and trace it following the instructions on the videos.


Download file: PurlinLipSauterelle.pdf


Video 01 : Introducing the project


Video 02: Recall of the spirit of the method


Video 03: The side cut in global context, 3D


Video 04: The side cut in global context, 2D


Video 05: The side cut in local context, 3D


Video 06: The side cut in local contet, 2D


Video 07: The plumb cut, 3D


Video 08: The plumb cut, 2D


Video 09: The lip cut in local context, 3D


Video 10: The lip cut in local context, 2D


Video 11: The lip cut in global context and comparsion of the two contexts.


Video 12: How to trace the piece of wood


If you have questions about this course, please go to Forum-Charpente (english forum)

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Regular Hip Rafter and Purlin with Lip Cut par rembarrement

Regular Hip Rafter and Purlin with Lip Cut par rembarrement



Download document: RegHipPurlinLipCutRembarrement.pdf

This course is to show you how to find the cuts of the purlin, including the Lip Cut on a regular Hip Rafter, with the method called par rembarrement.

Video 1 : intoducing the study case


Video 2 : Recall of the spirit of this method


Video 3: General view of the method (3D to 2D)


Video 4: To remind the three steps of the method


Video 5: How to trace the cuts, step-by-step


Video 6 : How to trace the piece of wood, step-by-step


Video7: How to trace the footprint of the Purlin on the Hip Rafter

If you have questions about this course, please go to: Forum-Charpente (english section).

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Regular Hip Rafter and Jack Rafter with Lip Cut "par alignement"

Regular Hip Rafter and Jack Rafter with Lip Cut "par alignement"


This method is a mix of the rembarrement method and the sauterelle method.

Download pdf file: RegHipJackwLipAlignement.pdf


Video 1: intoducing the study case.


Video 2: 3D views to explain the method


Video 3: Step-by-step of the tracing process in 2D


Video 4: How to trace the piece of wood


If you have questions about this course, go to : Forum-Charpente

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Regular Hip Rafter and JackRafter with Lip Cut à la sauterelle

Regular Hip Rafter and JackRafter with Lip Cut à la sauterelle

This serie of video to show you how to find the jack rafter head cuts, including the lip cut with the method called  à la sauterelle.



Download file: RegHipJackwLipSauterelle.pdf


Tip: download pdf file, print it, watch the videos following the process on the print. Once you think you understand the process: draw it ! This is the only way to be sure that you control the process.
Try to do some models, because carpentry is not only drawing but also cutting.


Video 1: introducing the study case



Video 2: the side cut



Video 3: the plumb cut



Video 4: the lip cut



Video 5: tracing the timber


If you have questions about this course, please go to Forum-Charpente (english forum) and ask them.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Regular Hip Rafter with Jack Rafter with Lip cut par rembarrement

In this course we are going to see how to find the head cut of the jack rafter when there is a lip cut.

Download file: RegHipJackwLipRembarrement.pdf



Description of the study case



How to check if there is a Lip Cut ? First method


How to check if there is a Lip Cut ? Second method.


Determining the cuts on the plan view


Tracing the cuts on the Jack Rafter Elevation


Tracing the cuts on the Timber

Questions about this course ? Please go to Forum-Charpente

Monday, January 12, 2015

Regular Hip Rafter With Jack Rafter à la sauterelle

In this course I am going to show you how to find the cuts using the method called "à la sauterelle"


Download file: HipJackSauterelle.pdf

Presentation of study case


Hip rafter head cuts 3D


Jack rafter side cut 3D


Jack rafter plumb cut 3D


Jack rafter footprint on hip rafter 3D


Hip rafter side cut 2D


Hip rafter plumb cut 2D


Jack rafter side cut 2D


Jack rafter plumb cut 2D


Jack rafter footprint on the Hip rafter 2D


Complete drawing finished

Monday, December 1, 2014

Regular Hip Rafter with Jack Rafter par rembarrement

In this course I will show you how to find the cuts using the rembarrement method.



Purpose of the course



Reminders about the rembarrement method


The Jack Rafter Head Cuts


See what happens if you are not accurate enough


The Hip Rafter Head Cuts


The Jack Rafter Footprint on the Hip


If you have questions about this course and/or need more detailled pictures of the process, go to Forum-Charpente/ English Forum/ Beginners/ Regular Hip Rafter with Jack Rafter par rembarrement.

Download: RegHipWJackRembarrement.pdf

Friday, November 14, 2014

A few concepts...

..to know, about French Timber Framing, before starting.




Since a few weeks two English people join me to help on writing this blog.
We exchanged a lot and I conclude from our discussion that one of the biggest problems is that the  English language does not have translations for French timber framing terms. This is why I decided to keep some French words. But these French words need to be explained, that the purpose of this course.

-        “La sablière”: this word has two meanings, it is the wall-plate(*) - the piece of wood lying on the wall on which carry the rafters. In le trait it is also the theoretical line which represents the lowest plane of the roof. This line is in the same plane as the base line (ligne de trave). It is located at the intersection of the base line and the "lattis". This is the meaning in which we are going to use it.

-       " Le lattis": This word also has two meanings. It is a lath or tiling-batten but in le trait, it refers to the plane of the roof at the top of the rafters to which the tiling-battens are nailed. In French we say it is where the carpenter's work finishes and the tiler's or slater's work begins. When we draw the surface development of this plane - la herse of le lattis - we draw this surface in its true dimensions and angles.

-        “la herse”: a developed view of a plane in which lines in that plane are shown in their true lengths and at their true angles. La herse - or developed surface view - is obtained by 'rotating or folding' a surface into a (usually) horizontal plane about a line sometimes referred to as a hinge-line (for a roof surface the rotation line is “la sablière”).

-     “la vue par bout” or The end view: Is the auxiliary plane developed from perpendiculars to both the elevation and plan of the line formed by the meeting of two planes. It is used to show the end view of a component in that plane. The angle formed where these two planes meet is the dihedral angle. A hip rafter lies along the line formed by the meeting of the side and the end planes of a roof. When the auxiliary plane is developed by hinging it down into the plan view, the end view of the hip rafter is shown in its true dimensions and angles.

-        “le rabattement”: Is the technique we employ to rotate a figure about a line and by which that figure is moved from one plane to another. So to draw la herse of a roof, we have to do le rabattement of the real length of the profile rafter. In this case the line of rotation (the folding line), is la sablière. Another case in which “le rabattement” is used, is to show the underside of a piece of wood by rotating it a ¼ turn.

Note: study case drawn on Concepts_01.pdf file is delimited by the a-b-c-d letters on the drawing on the Concepts_02.pdf file.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

The basics of hip

There are two ways to design a hip in traditional French timber framing:
-        “L’arêtier sur lierne”
-        “L’arêtier sur tasseaux”



I didn’t find any translation for those words.

What they have in common: the sides are plumb, backing cuts (or not) and the principal hip rafter can be thicker than the hip rafter.


“L’arêtier sur lierne”

In French, “une lierne” is an element, often of small size, set against another element. 
In this case, the hip rafter is set above the principal hip rafter. 
The jack rafters are set against the hip rafter. 
The purlins are set against the principal rafter.
Following the chosen wood sections, there can have a claw to the purlin.
Depending on the chosen wood sections of the hip jack rafters and the purlins, the rafter can be designed with one single piece of wood.




“L’arêtier sur tasseaux”

In this case, the hip rafter and the principal hip rafter are separated: the purlins come between these two elements, unlike in the previous case. 
The hip jack rafters are set against the hip rafter (and can sometimes have a claw). 
The purlins are set on the principal hip rafter, they can’t have a claw but need to be cut at the top, to give a support to the hip rafter. 
The top face of the principal hip rafter need to be notched to let the passage of the purlins. 
A cleat has to be set on the principal hip rafter to avoid the rotation of the purlins. 
Sometimes the support is not wide enough for the hip rafter, in this case the best way is to do “un chevron d’arêtier chanlatté” (translation?). 
It’s a rotated hip rafter, composed in two pieces aligned with the top of the roof and supported by the purlins. 
In this case the hip jack rafters do not have plumb cuts but square cuts.


Thursday, October 23, 2014

Elevations Comparison

This article is to explain the difference between a truss elevation and a profile rafter elevation.



The profile rafter is a theorical line (the French word is: "chevron d'emprunt", "emprunt" meaning: that has no existence.)

Do not confuse it with the Common Rafter. 
On the plan view a profile rafter is ALWAYS perpendicular to the overhang. 
Wisely used in “l’art du trait”, it is THE reference in French carpentry.

Bounded by three lines:
               - The run line (or base line), always horizontal, this line is located at the lowest top point of the roof. Its length corresponds to the width of the roof. (fr = ligne de trave).
Identified by this symbol:


                     - The axis line: (or rise line), always vertical, this line’s length correspond to the rise of the roof. (fr = ligne d’axe).
     Identified by this symbol:



                    - The battern: top of the roof. It’s the border line between the frame and the roofing.


      Unlike the profile rafter, a truss is not necessary perpendicular to the overhang (e.g. on a sloped ridge building). Its elevation is used to design it, that means that the dimensions of the pieces of wood composing it need to be know.
      On the opposite a profile rafter has no element. It has to be drawn only with simple lines (French : "par simple ligne".)

Monday, October 20, 2014

WHAT IS "LE REMBARREMENT"

"Le rembarrement" is one of the three methods used in french carpentry traditional scribing.


It has two meanings:

-        Drawing: this method requires to plot accurately the dimensions of the timbers to determine the intersecting points of the cuts. The next step requires to move those points from the plan view to the elevation view. 


-       -        Marking timbers: the carpenter puts the timber on the full-scale drawing (on the floor, called “l’épure” in French) and moves the points from the drawing to the timber, then turns it to finalize the marking.

      This method can be used only on straight and square timbers.
The general meaning of this word is: moving a point from one context to another.

Friday, October 17, 2014

WHERE DO I START ?

The training I offer is organized into three parts: beginners, intermediate and advanced.




The beginner section contains all the basic knowledge needed for further learning French scribing. The main objective of this section is to help students acquire the spatial vision and the discovery of the main methods used in "le trait" to be able to determine all the cuts necessary to perform a work of carpentry.
"La herse" (real surface), hip rafter, valley rafter, purlin rafter and jack rafter cuts.


The intermediate part of this study deepens the study of more complex structures.


The advanced part will reach to the most complex part of the French scribing: 

- “le dévers” (rotated timbers) 


- “le croche” (curved timbers).


During this training course you will learn about three techniques used in French carpentry scribing:
- "le rembarrement" (see here what this is)
- "la sauterelle" (see here what this is)
- "l'alignement", which is a mix of the two other methods. (only to advanced)

If you know absolutely nothing about the French Scribing process, be sure to start with the beginner section.

WHAT IS "LA SAUTERELLE" ?

"La sauterelle" is a tool (a bevel square). 



It's also one of the three processes used to find the cuts of the Timbers.

Based on the intersections plans of the faces of the components. 

The results are angles and length. 

This process does not need to put the timbers on the ground plan: we measure the length, set the bevel gauge at the cutting angles and mark them on the timbers.

The real name of this tool is “false square” in French, but we carpenters call it “sauterelle”, which means “grasshopper” according to the fact that this tool looks like the hind legs of the grasshopper. 

Many animals names are used in French carpentry terminology. 

The name of the process is “à la sauterelle”.

Unlike the "rembarrement" method, there is no need here to draw the dimensions of the timbers.

WHY THIS BLOG ?

My purpose with this blog is to help non-French speaking people to understand our French Timber Framing Traditional Scribing system.

This system called “le trait” or “l’art du trait” is inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, by UNESCO, since 2009.

 “..Scribing is a combination of the graphic processes used in France since the thirteenth century that make it possible to express accurately through the design the actual volumes of a building, its interlocking, and the characteristics of the wooden components…
..Through this process, the carpenter can determine all the components before they are built, however complex they are, and thus be sure that all the assemblies will fit together perfectly when the timber frame is built

The purpose of this blog is to teach you the art of scribing as it was relayed to me by my elders.