What's a timber frame?!

Do you remember that barn raising scene from the 1985 Harrison Ford movie "Witness" (see
clip below)?  Well, that was timber framing.  Sundance Timbers does the same thing, but
we're (a) not Amish and (b) we use power tools.  Oh, and we're not as good looking as
Harrison Ford either (but we certainly know more about timber framing than him!).
  
  The old barns you
played in growing up are
probably timber frames.  
That is, these structures
use mortise-and-tenon
joints with wood pegs to
keep the joint together.  
The frame is left
exposed - creating that
sense of strength and
beauty that is the
hallmark of timber
frames.  It is our
admiration of these old
barns that inspired us to
start Sundance Timbers.
 
 
    More on timber framing...
 
Historic Timber Frames
Old timber-framed house at
Rhenish Open Air Museum
Kommern (Germany)
Timber frame church
(Champagne France)
Timber frame church
(Champagne France)
Shaker South Family Barn
Worcester County, MA
(built circa 1835)*
Thatched timber frame
cottage in Suffolk (UK)
Flint Bridge
Orange County, VT
(built circa 1874)*
Old timber-framed house at
Rhenish Open Air Museum
Kommern (Germany)
Framing marks from
1787 NH home*
Bunker Hill Bridge
Catawba County, NC*
Japanese timber frame
(Kyoto, Japan)
 Japanese timber frame
(Kyoto, Japan)
 Shaker Round Barn
Berkshire County, MA
(built 1826)*
Inside 14th Century
Worcestershire (UK) tithe barn
Tyringham Shaker Settlement
Berkshire County, MA
(built circa 1800)*
Thomas Clemence House
Providence County, RI
(built circa 1679)*
Thomas Clemence House
Providence County, RI
(built circa 1679)*
Phillips Bank Barn
New Castle County, DE
(built circa 1760)*
Tyringham Shaker Settlement
Berkshire County, MA
(built circa 1800)*
*Photos courtesy of the Library of Congress Historic American Building Survey
     
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