Green Oak braces complete - workshop maintenance after working with green oak 

I did a 4 year apprenticeship with the company that literally wrote the book on traditional timber framing in the UK and frankly it is Framing 101 - braces MUST be dry before they are fit for use because: 1.The shoulders will shrink back a lot at the heel (which is why mitres never work outdoors i.e. changes in moisture content.) 2.Much more importantly,the shrinkage will shorten the distance between the abuttment points i.e. between the ends of the tenons so they will no longer be in contact with the ends of the mortices i.e. useless.Shoulders on the ends of the tenons might hide that but it won't stop it. Even in 'green oak' framing i.e. traditional timber framing where the posts,beams,plates,rafters,purlins etc are unseasoned (minimum 2 years after felling) the braces are always air dried before use for the reasons outlined above.This means storing under cover but well ventilated for 1 year per inch thickness + 1 more year. Because the braces are green,no amount of e.g. clingfilm is going to help as they are going to be drying out afterwards anyway but being (so unecessarily) thick the cupping will be negligible.As far as bowing is concerned,your only chance is to have straight grained timber,ideally quartersawn. You need to understand that the techniques and principles used in joinery are completely different to those used in traditional framing.Joinery uses wood and relies on the wood being straight,square and dried whereas proper traditional carpentry uses timber and assumes nothing regarding straightness,squareness,wind and takes shrinkage into account. I think your best bet is to get some air-dried oak and remake them prior to erection or you could end up in all kinds of trouble . :-) Assemble the frame on levelled stools without the braces,check for level across the face and along the timbers,confirm square (diagonals/pythagoras) and only then scribe the new slightly longer dried braces a bit further from the corners and then extend the mortices slightly to where the nibs will be(12-15mm back from ends of initial shoulder. For future reference- unless the timbers are huge ie 8x8posts or bigger then braces of 3" thickness with tenons 3.5"long by 1.5" thick will be adequate.Also after scribing the braces to the frames,u'd usually cut the tenon ends square to the shoulder but 12-15 back from the end of the shoulder and bring in the far ends of the mortices accordingly and extend the mortices by 3-5mm at the angled ends without any shoulder on the outside of the curve. Then peg the tenons with 19mm octagonal(ish) pegs (not dowels!) 1 1/4"(32mm) back from the face of the mortice,offsetting the holes in the tenons towards the shoulder by 3 mm.

Not got a lot of interest in a tool raffle, but would buy a ticket to win a day in your workshop learning

Nice Job. I remove resin from tools with ballistol resin remover, awsome stuff

I’m still in awe at your economy of movement when you are working, and your knowledge and expertise. One other thing I like about this community is everyone’s willingness to show mistakes as they could so easily be edited out. Keep up the good work. And, folks, only do burn outs and wheelies in a farm, not on the road (I have a video of someone who almost became a hood ornament) 🌞

raffle for your festool kit 😛

Raffle sounds good.

A great set of videos showing your process for these braces. To be far, all the videos are excellent. The method, templates, tools, storage etc - it's all great to watch. This set seem slightly different. You seem to have a real energy throughout these videos. Keep up the great work and thanks for sharing -

good morning and thank you from New Zealand

Whenever I've wrapped ANY green timber in poly or clingfilm it went mouldy.

I just made 16 of 1000 x275x75 stair treads and each time I cut them I clamped them tight together. Competition sounds fun!

Really don’t want a give away. Rather have your knowledge as the give away….. ty

Clamp and damp ! to stop the twist a couple of piles strap them with nylon pallet band and keep them out of the sun some where a bit humid should keep the wind out of them

I’ve never been able to stop green oak splitting, moving, checking. I read about leaving the pieces in water - but eventually, they will dry out.

Nice one dude..! I like your accuracy & tidyness. What I use on all my planes, rip-snorter blades,& hand-saws, is silicone -spray. It makes every surface SUPER SLIPPY..👍. But be VERY careful not to get it onto a smooth floor, as you WILL end-up head-over-heels..!!😳☺️

Green rough bowls are left packed in shavings to dry out slowly without deforming too much.

Wrapping them completely in cling film will help. Has to be completely sealed. Putting them inside bin bags would do the same thing if you tape them shut. They are way too thick for any sort of clamping, whether it's cling film or actual clamps. They'll fight that.

Great video !!!!! thanks

Oh, and I’ll join your raffle for charity 🌞

Yes please to the raffle Is the video clip of using the bandsaw in real time ? I can never under stand why quad bikes are nor compulsorily fitted with roll over bars like tractors given the frequency of acidents withn them

What if yo tried some end grain sealer on those tenons? Would trap moisture in there, just not sure long term though / re. Issues with trapping moisture in there…🤔 But wouldn’t be to dissimilar to you gluing them on install? Unless you’re just draw boring them in? Just thinking aloud

I wonder if you could put the braces in one of those vacuum bags that you store seasonal clothing in? The ones you hook up to a vacuum and suck most of the air out. They are pretty cheap, I think one manufacturer is “space bag”. 🤔

I’d be up for a raffle! (Could do with a palm router - just sayin’ 😂)

how about a raffle for your countersink bit 😁

Yes to the raffle and to piss off the haters something by Festool 😂.

Raffle for Joe the sheep

Did you remove too much meat from the braces? They look too skinny? Just my gut reaction…

I noticed the tennon itself has a 45 degree cut one side is this so you can slot the braces in insitu when frame is already erected?

👍🐸

Well if you're raffle is for charity, count me in please. However, since I'm now retired and no longer have any use for tools, may I suggest you create some bespoke unique small items with your channel name on as you could make them out of your offcuts 👍👍

Thanks for the video, very informative as always. Why was I aware of this? I'm looking for exactly such a wax oil to protect my old steel planes against rust. It's just clear that it's not available in Germany. Do you know of a similar wax?

👏👍

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I agree with @markfiges999. Had same experience. Just a thought if you have a smallish container area and a humidifier? Use distilled water

The fabrication of all those braces look great. However they will give you hell if you use them anytime soon. If you install them now they will shrink, crack and twist up on you. Even if you let them air dry for several months they will still become potatoe chips.