Multi-faceted Timber Framing

Pattern for Valley Rafters

 Here at Vermont Timber Works we pride ourselves in our craftsmanship.  We have the flexibility to adjust to the particular demands of each and every project.  Some of the projects we are working on now have compound joinery in them (see above).

Tiny Tenon for Rails

Some of the projects require attention to detail with crafting a rail system for a Welcome Center in Vermont (see above).

Hand Hewing Pine Beam

We also have the tools to be able to hand hew beams the old-fashioned way, with an adze and a slick, to achieve the look and feel of a hewn beam.

Whatever your project is we have the skills and expertise to be able to provide you with the timber frame of your dreams.

Boat House

Boat House

Here at Vermont Timber Works we design, engineer, and build custom timber frame buildings.  This building was a challenge for a number of reasons:  the weight of the boat(s), the location of the piers, the fenestration of the gable wall, and the time frame.  We were able to come up with a solution for all of the problems, with the end result that the client was very happy.

Here are some pictures of the fabrication process.

Hips

Mortise for boat house

Compound joinery

Rafter Tail detail

We like to cut unique frames, and this particular frame was a lot of fun to work.  Give us a call for your unique design.

Compound Joinery

Dormer rafter

We specialize in unique designs, and difficult designs.  One tricky thing about carpentry is compound joinery.  Whenever you have roof lines intersect, whether it is cross gables, dormers, hips, etc., you have to have compound joinery.  The beauty of timber framing is that you can get that joinery into the beam itself.  This means that you have to set your saw at something other than a 90 degree angle.

Most people have circular saws at home.  Have you ever noticed that you can set your saw at any angle from 45 degrees to 90 degrees?  Well the same is true of our 16" Makita saws.  And whenever you have a compound joint you have to set your saw at the necessary angle.

Our craftsmen are skilled at getting those cuts right, and making the timbers beautiful. 

Traditional Joinery Vs. Steel Joinery

Custom plates for a pool house

We get asked a lot about steel joinery versus traditional joinery.  To be sure, the beauty of the joinery is in the eye of the beholder.  Some people prefer steel joinery because of the industrial look, and some prefer a more traditional mortise and tenon type of joinery.  Here at Vermont Timber Works we are comfortable with either kind of joinery. 

Rafter tenon

Because we are a timber frame shop we can fabricate the timbers either for steel or for mortise and tenon.