Rookie Error #1 – the green oak barn

Wednesday 2/12/20

Today started well. Both Ben and I were on site. Ben was working on the long post at the rear right of the building and I was working on the short post at the rear left. The details of the joints we were working on are given in yesterday’s post.

The joint at the top of these posts is a haunched tenon with massive potential for error and so I took great care. First I did all the cuts I could with my circular saw.

Cutting the haunched tenon - 1

I then finished off each side with a handsaw and chisel.

Cutting the haunched tenon - 2

And slowly…

Cutting the haunched tenon - 3

…bit by bit…

Cutting the haunched tenon - 4

…a haunched tenon appeared. I then moved to cut the mortice and that went smoothly.

Cutting the haunched tenon - 5

The joint fitted really well. I just needed to run the saw across the shoulder to line it up perfectly and at right angles to the wall plate. Unfortunately I went too far and before I realised, I’d cut half way through the tenon!

Adjusting the shoulder too far

So the whole tenon had to come off and I had to start again from scratch.

Sawing off the tenon

Fortunately, the post was long enough to accommodate this error. Meanwhile things were going swimming at the other end of the frame.

Ben on the morticer

The second tenon I did was a bit fat so I took a bit off the side using a rebate plane.

Fettling the tenon with a rebate plane

Despite my error, by lunchtime the site looked like this.

Lunchtime on 2/12/20

In the afternoon we drilled the offset peg holes, secured the legs with pins and started working on the two braces.

The weather over the next couple of days looks grim so we might not get much done but we are pleased with the progress made. In a few more hours on site the rear wall will be complete.

Onwards and upwards.

 

 

 

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