After fitting the post and beams the wind braces need to be done. These stabilize the building providing racking strength, when the wind blows on one side of the house it will try to push over the building, the braces help to stop this. They are fitted at 45 degrees using traditional mortise and tenon joints which are then drilled and pegged. The beams we removed and put on the bench to make the mortises.
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| Mortise marking template |
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The mortise marking template is offered up to the flat surfaces which have been left on the post and beam. It is adjusted to suit the length, clamped and then the 2"x4" mortise positions are marked.
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| Mortise in post |
We had to adjust the heights of the mortises as they were meeting in the posts, amateur mistake! And next time I'm working with round wood put centre lines on everything and work to these for all setting out and positioning. I placed the post and beams lining up on the outside edge, this caused a fair bit of difficulty for everything I had to do with them afterwards.
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| Magic box for marking and cutting the braces |
Our magic box is then adjusted to the same length as the mortise template and the brace is placed in the center and fixed in position with loads of big screws. There are marks showing the tenon positions. A hand saw is used to make the cuts with the blade snug against the 45 degree ends. Ben Law's Roundwood Timber Framing book explains all this a bit better. Thats where I got this idea from and it worked out really well, these templates were definitely worth making for making braces with roundwood.
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| Karel checking the tenon surface for flat |
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| Beam and wind braces ready for fitting |
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| Ben lifting the heavy beam onto the scaffold solo! |
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| Lining up brace tenons with beam mortices |
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| A little encouragement and then its done |
Next the joints are drilled and pegged with a 7/8" 22mm pegs made from dried spruce branch.
This is great, thank you for sharing! Where did you find out how to make the wind brace jig and template?
ReplyDeleteThis was a wonderfully informative post! It’s always fascinating to see the behind-the-scenes structural elements that give a building its strength and resilience. Your explanation of wind braces and their function was clear and engaging—it’s one of those architectural details that often goes unnoticed but plays such a crucial role. I really admire the thought and precision you bring to your projects, ensuring that beauty and integrity go hand in hand. Seeing traditional techniques like these in action is not only educational but deeply inspiring. If you’re ever looking to collaborate with professionals who share your respect for strong, well-designed structures, check out R for Remodelers. They specialize in bringing structural soundness and design elegance together for home renovations of all sizes. Looking forward to following more of your hands-on building adventures!
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