Timber Frame
Community Hand-Raising
at the
Live Oak Family Resource Center
on December 11, 2004

Andy Wilson, journeyman timber-framer, organized this one-day frame raising.
This was the first time most, if not all, the other participants were involved with raising a timber frame.
Major timber cutting by Austin Pruitt and Randy Raven, with help from Scott Tribble.
Raising help from Karen Mallory, Randy Raven, Jon Hudson, Jim Danaher, Paul Franklin, Freddie Menge, Ron Garthwaite, Ken Thomas, Takashi Yogi, Don Burgett, Mark Tomlin and many more members of the community! Many tools for this project were loaned by Paul Vannerus, Austin Pruitt, and Mark Tomlin.
Photos © 2004 by Dean Lundholm, used with permission.
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This structure was assembled with traditional New England barn-style construction. Joints are mortise and tenon connections, held in place with 1 inch hardwood locust pegs. The posts are 10 x 10 redwood timbers; all other timbers are douglas fir. Andy Wilson designed and engineered the structure, layed out the timbers for cutting, and supervised the cutting and raising of the frame.

Gathering to raise the first bent. Andy gives the safety lecture before beginning to raise the frame. original image	Close-up of the posts that support the cupola. original image	Starting up with the first bent. This assembly weighs approximately 1000 pounds. original image	First bent mostly up. original image
First bent braced in position. original image	One bent up; one more to go. original image	Second bent going up. original image	Steadying the second bent into position. original image
Our two smallest helpers. original image	Andy screws a temporary brace to the second bent to keep it up while girts are inserted. original image	Preparing to install the first tie girt. original image	Preparing to install the first tie girt. original image
Steadying the brace before inserting the girt. original image	Inserting the first tie girt. original image	Andy taps the girt into the far post with the beetle. Note the large wooden hammer at the upper left corner of the picture. original image	Bringing the tenon into the mortise at the other end of the girt. original image
Our fearless photographer, Dean Lundholm, with his daughter Erika and grand-daughter Mackenzie. original image	First tie girt in position. original image	King post braced in place with principal rafters. Note how the king post aligns to the corners of the frame, at 45 degrees to the girts. original image	Close-up of the king post, collar ties, and principal rafters. original image
Trimming some oversized timbers. original image	Some members of the Santa Cruz Live Oak Grange enjoy a break together during a lull in the raising. original image	How things looked first thing Sunday morning, after the raising day. original image	View from the parking lot. original image
Another view from the parking lot. original image	Cupola up on Sunday afternoon. original image	Close-up of the king post detail. original image	Success! original image