Text-Book Of Modern Carpentry | by Thomas William Silloway

Preface

The following work has been prepared as a book of reference for the master-carpenter, and as a manual of instruction for the journeyman and the apprentice. The costliness of the works of Beli-dor, Ron...

Carpentry

The Art of Carpentry is one of the leading parts of the sciences of architecture and engineering. It has claimed and received the attention of the masters in those sciences, and must always be a subje...

Nature And Properties Of Timber

Timber is the substantial substance of all trees. Woods differ in their properties; some being tough and hard, while others are brittle or soft. They are, therefore, of value proportional to the kind ...

Building-Timber

There are but five kinds of wood in common use for carpentry in this country. These are spruce, pine, oak, hemlock, and chestnut. Spruce (Abies) is indigenous to the colder parts of North America, wh...

Foreign Timber

As many scientific experiments have been made in Europe on woods which are, in their general properties and strength, nearly identical with those in common use in America, a brief synopsis of these wi...

Felling Timber

The felling of timber was looked upon by ancient architects as a matter of much moment. Vitru-vius was so minute in giving advice on this subject, as to urge that timber should never be felled but in ...

Seasoning Timber

Nothing contributes more to increase the value of timber than thorough and judicious seasoning. The principal objects to be attained are, first, to remove the saccharine or loose vegetable matter, whi...

The Preservation Of Timber

To preserve timber is next in importance to obtaining it; for, unless properly cared for, however good may be the material, all previous precautions avail but little. Wood is liable at any time to cha...

Durability Of Timber

The durability of timber is almost incredible. The following are a few examples for illustration, being vouched for by Buffon, Du Hamel, Rondelet, and others: The piles of a bridge built by Trajan, af...

Strength Of Timber

To discover rules which will in all cases determine the exact strength of timber has for many years been an object of interest with scientific men. Mr. Tredgold, an eminent writer on the science of ca...

Timber-Strains

Timber may be subjected to three kinds of strain: 1st, When the force tends to pull the piece in the direction of its length: this is called tensile strain. 2d, When the force tends to bend it in the...

Tensile Strain

The following table exhibits the tensile strength of an inch-square rod of each of the kinds of wood in common use; or, in other words, the power each will resist when so applied as to tend to tear it...

Cross-Strain

When a piece of timber is supported only at the ends, and a weight or power is applied at the centre, it will, if the force is sufficient, bend or sag. If the power of resistance be great, the wood is...

Cross-Strain. Continued

The following table exhibits the breaking-weight of various kinds of wood as given by the authors therein named: Experiments on the Strength of Woods. KIND OF WOOD. Length In Feet. ...

Compression

Compression is the power exerted on a post when loaded with a superincumbent weight, as that which is exerted on the collar-beam, or struts and rafters of a truss. It has been discovered, that a timb...

Resistance To Crushing

According to Rennie's experiments, the power of wood to resist crushing (a cube an inch square being used, and the power applied to the end of the grain) is as follows: - Kind of Wood. Res...

Geometry And Square-Root. Geometry

Geometry is the foundation of architecture, and the root of mathematics. Such being the case, a knowledge of its leading principles is essential to a successful practice of the art of carpentry. Whi...

Geometry And Square-Root. Geometry. Continued

Problem III. To Find The Area Of A Triangle Whose Three Sides Are Given Rule. - From the half-sum of the three sides subtract each side severally. Multiply the half-sum and the three remainders toget...

Square-Root

As the extraction of the square-root of numbers is required to calculate the strength of timber, the rule will be given below, more to refresh the memory than to give original information as to its pr...

Equilibrium Of Strains On Timber

A knowledge of the relation that one part of a frame sustains to each of the others is of great importance to the carpenter; for, if ignorant of the force that each piece will be required to exert or ...

Position

The strains to which the timbers of a structure are subjected will always be governed by their position; and their particular inclination will increase or diminish these strains in accordance with the...

To Determine The Strains Exerted On Timber

Being in possession of the foregoing facts and deductions, the carpenter is enabled to determine the exact strain to which the parts of any piece of framing will be subjected. Suppose it be required ...

Scarfing, Floors, And Trussed Beams. Scarfing

It frequently occurs in the practice of carpentry, that single lengths of timber are too short for the distance required; in which case, the carpenter unites two or more pieces by a process technicall...

Floors

The construction of floors is a branch of carpentry which does not demand much scientific consideration. If the timber be of proper size, sufficient in quantity, and the work well done, all is accompl...

Trussed Beams

It frequently happens that beams are required to support a great weight, while they extend across a wide space, and can have no support from beneath. In such cases, it is necessary to truss the work. ...

Roofs

There is no article, says the learned Ware, in the whole compass of the architect's employment, that is more important, or more worthy of distinct consideration, than the roof; and there is this sa...

Timbers Of A Roof

A trussed roof employs the following timbers, - tie-beams, principal rafters, collar-beams, struts, purlines, and common rafters. Tie-beams are the large and long timbers which lie in a horizontal po...

Iron Work

The bolts used at the foot of principal rafters should not be less than five-eighths of an inch in diameter, nor more than an inch. For most purposes, three-fourths of an inch is best; and, when one o...

Iron Work. Continued

It will be seen, by an examination of the plate, that at the line AB there is a tie-beam, which, with the work above it, comprises a segmental roof, complete in itself; and its rise may be increased a...

Partitions

In cases where a large partition cannot have a proper support from below, - as, for example, where it stands over a hall or large room, - it should be trussed, so that its entire weight shall rest on ...

Domes

To frame a dome is one of the simplest branches of the art of carpentry. It was, however, till a late day, thought to require great ingenuity and scientific skill. A dome is, in all directions from t...

Bridges

The designing of wooden bridges was for many years intrusted to the architect, but has, of late, been considered as more properly belonging to the engineer. As the mechanical part of bridge-building m...

Bridge-Centerings

A centering is a frame of timber designed to support the stones of an arch while building. Where the bed of the river is not very deep, nor the tide strong, a centering may be made at small expense; b...

Joints In Framing

Nothing is more essential to the permanency of a piece of carpentry than properly made .joints. If the parts do not so fit together that each may have its full bearing, the structure will inevitably b...

Iron

As cast and wrought iron are used in all heavy framing, a few pages of this work will be devoted to a consideration of its nature and properties. Iron is a metal found in nearly all parts of the worl...

Tables Of Timber-Measure

The accompanying tables exhibit the scantling, or dimensions, of building-timber reduced to board-measure. The figures in the left-hand column of each section represent the length of the piece in feet...

Glossary Of Terms In Common Use Among Carpenters

Adze An edged tool used by carpenters to chip surfaces lying in a horizontal position, or in situations where they cannot easily be cut with an axe. Angle A term in geometry signifying a corner, or...

Glossary Of Terms In Common Use Among Carpenters. Part 2

Beam A large and long piece of squared timber, used in horizontal positions for supporting a superincumbent weight, or for counteracting two opposite forces, tending either to stretch or to compress ...

Glossary Of Terms In Common Use Among Carpenters. Part 3

Camber-Beams Beams which are cambered. Camberated Archedor vaulted. Campanile A tower for bells. In Italy they are usually separate from the church, and are, in general, highly ornamented and cos...

Glossary Of Terms In Common Use Among Carpenters. Part 4

Chit An instrument formerly used for cleaving laths. Chord The right line which joins the two extremities of an arc. It is so called from its resemblance to a bow and string, the chord representing...

Glossary Of Terms In Common Use Among Carpenters. Part 5

Cross-Grained A twisted or irregular disposition of the fibres of wood, as in that part of a tree where the branches shoot from the trunk*. Cross- Springers In a groined ceiling, the ribs springing...

Glossary Of Terms In Common Use Among Carpenters. Part 6

Draft A drawing representing the plans, elevations, and sections of a building, drawn to a scale, thus exhibiting all its parts in the same relative proportion to each other as they are intended to b...

Glossary Of Terms In Common Use Among Carpenters. Part 7

Flush A term which signifies that surfaces are on the same plane or line. The studs of a wooden building are said to be flush with the posts and girts. Foot A measure of length, containing 12 Engli...

Glossary Of Terms In Common Use Among Carpenters. Part 8

Jack-Studs The shorter stills in the side of a building, which are cut in under or upon the braces. etc. Jack-Timber Any piece of timber in the frame of a building, if cut short of its usual length...

Glossary Of Terms In Common Use Among Carpenters. Part 9

Mensuration The science which teaches the methods of calculating the magnitude of bodies, lines, and superfices. Model A miniature pattern of the whole or some part of a building, showing how the w...

Glossary Of Terms In Common Use Among Carpenters. Part 10

Any piece of timber used in a vertical position to support a superincumbent weight, or to support the horizontal timbers in the frame of a building Protractor Aninstru-ment for laying down angles. T...

Glossary Of Terms In Common Use Among Carpenters. Part 11

Scantlings A term sometimes used to denote small timbers; as joists, etc. Scarfing The joining, or splicing, two pieces of wood, so that the whole may appear as but one piece. Scribing Fitting th...

Glossary Of Terms In Common Use Among Carpenters. Part 12

Studs Those short timbers, or joists, framed into the sides and ends of wooden buildings to complete the framing of the wall. Those at the sides of windows are generally made somewhat larger than the...

Glossary Of Terms In Common Use Among Carpenters. Part 13

U Uphers An old term denoting small poles or sticks of timber partially squared. They were used for scaffolding, common roofs, etc. V Valley The line at the internal meeting of the two inclined s...