Great book on barns and timber framing

While reading up on barn raising project, I came across a fascinating book called Silent Spaces.  This book details a number of incredibly beautiful timber frame aisle barns from all over the world.  In addition to many detailed photographs, the writing is superbly interesting.  If you have any interest at all in timber framing, barns or the history of architecture (this book goes back to the Romans!), find this book.  It is out of print, but Amazon has a few used copies here (I bought mine from Amazon), and other sellers will have it as well.

Buy this book. Like me, you will not be disappointed. I like it so much that it has inspired my next run of custom furniture.  I do a lot of speculative work, hoping someone will like it enough to buy it, and I've got a few great ideas kicking around because of this book, including one for an upcoming well-known furniture show in the Boston area....

Until next time,

Zach

Barn Raising, 130hp at a time.

The bents are up! The bents are up!

I love the smell of old timbers in the early evening. Note my shave horse in the lower left

Go Go Gadget International. My father-in-law should win the Gold in the Tractor Olympics.
We used my father in law's 130hp International with bulldozer blade to raise the bents. I figured we'd need about 10 people to raise it by hand, or 3 and a tractor.  Well, guess what, a tractor won't sue you if a beam falls on it, so we went with the tractor.  No injuries were reported, no accidents to speak of.  An excellent day.

Of course, I would have loved to have a traditional barn raising, bringing neighbors and friends over for a great big feast.  But we don't have a new stove yet, and a couple of gallons of diesel is a far more affordable meal for the lifting crew....
My ugly mug on the frame. Thanks April!

My new shop :)

As many of you know, my wife and I are moving back to the country. Just today, I bought a 12 x 16 timber frame barn that will serve as the base for my new shop (the 1900 farmhouse doesn't have a shop space for me at the moment).  The building was delivered and I spent the morning sorting the pieces and powerwashing them to prepare for the raising.  Clearly, I will be taking lots of pictures, but here are a few...