I wonder if instead of hiding the joints you accentuate them, but keep with the look that it's made of old, solid beams. For example, make the appearance of a giant tongue and groove (or lap joint) and have the seams go on all three exposed sides as if it were a giant beam joint. Maybe, add a small bevel or round over along the joint before glue up to make it look like two separate beams butted together. Then, add like 6 big rusted carriage bolt heads and nut+threads on opposite sides with some rust staining across the joint.
Kind of like beam construction in this video?: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-U-x2cPnWKf8.html As a custom design/build carpenter/contractor, my goal is to learn the look each individual client is after and then achieve that look using whatever methods, materials and techniques it requires. When presented with various options, these folks chose the 'full length' beam look where the client in the linked video chose the 'accentuated joint' look you describe in your comment. What I like to say is "good thing everyone doesn't like the same thing, because if they did, there wouldn't be enough to go around". Best, Matt
I graduated high school in 1972. In June of '72 I joined the Carpenter's Union apprenticeship program in Dallas Texas. This program was 4 years long. I worked in the carpenter trade during the day and went to apprenticeship school 2 nights a week for 4 years. The very first thing I was taught was....there are 3 levels a man can achieve in his trade: laborer, craftsman, and artist. I asked what he meant and I was told the following: A laborer works with his hands; a craftsman works with his hands and his head; but the artist works with his hands, his head, and his heart. I've known a great many craftsman in the trade. The artist are extremely few and far in-between. After watching several of your videos Mr. Jackson, all I can say is you are most definitely an artist to your trade. Thank you for taking the time to share with us.
Yours is a very accurate description of the process to deliver the custom look the client is wanting. Using the Restorer/Burnished tool is a mixture of brawn and finesse. I really like your use of the rasp to blend the wood grain on each side of a splice. I will do that on the next faux beam project I am working on. Thanks for freely sharing your life experiences with us.
I have been building hollow beams for five years using old-construction pine beams sliced like bread only lengthways. 20 to twenty five lengths often without splices. You have a very nice process and product. Thanks for sharing.
Is your process anything like this? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pf_tG1hQGtg.html Curious how others go about it but maybe the ones you do are built 'in place' as wraps for structural beams?
@@NextLevelCarpentry We used a Dado plus a shaper for our corners. Giued with tight bond and pipe clamps. Simple plywood inserts were used to hold the square during the gluing process. I used an Eastmon Restorer with a wire brush for most of the finish. Very dusty process. A few beams were assembled on-site as needed. Hope this helps. Good luck and stay safe.
I’ve got the same Porter Cable belt sander. They sure don’t make them like this any longer. A workhorse of a belt sander. Excellent results with the beams.
Great 'little' sander! I fear they 'upgraded and improved' our favorite belt sander, turning it into a wimp, based on recent reviews of the "Porter Cable 3X21 Beltsander" on Amazon. Looks to me like the connection for the dust bag is dumbed down and the shroud around the belt itself looks 'chunkier'. Not sure if there's an equivalent/better brand/model on the market today to recommend since 'they sure don't make them like this any longer'. Best, Matt
@@NextLevelCarpentry I purchased mine back in 1997 at a specialty supply company that specialized in custom cabinet shop supplies and equipment. Solid heavy duty aluminum body and a very nice plastic carrying case. I also have a Porter Cable circular saw I purchased from the same company around the same time. It is a beast of a saw and still going strong. That saw is also no longer made the same way. In any case, my son will one day inherit some nice antique power tools.
I also found the quickest source of pigment for an aged stain is ash from the fire and soot from the chimney. Everything from pale grey to ochre through to black. Add to a medium of choice-oil base or water based and you’re good to go.
Matt, I may have asked this on Patreon, but I can't remember......how the heck are you going to get those TO the house and then INTO the house? Great work as per the usual. You are a wood magician.
If you already asked I don't remember either😟 Transporting and installing them is really a non-issue. Just last evening we loaded them onto the client's 24' flatbed trailer and held them down with a couple ratchet straps. The house is in a rural setting without access restrictions and it's very large and open so there's no problem bringing them in. They get 1" + wide iron 'straps' on each end so beams don't need to be scribe-fit to the walls so I'll just lift them into place and hold them up with 3rd Hand poles while I drive a dozen trim screws to hold them in place forever and always. The last remaining wild card is logistics for one full and one half beams 31' long. I plan to fab all the pieces in the NLC shop, transport them and do final fit, glue up, texturing and staining on site. They end up so rigid and relatively light weight that they should be pretty easy to install if lifted onto scaffolding in the great room for final installation. Wish me luck?
@@rickcimino5483 Update: Installed the 20'-6" and 24' beams yesterday. Went so well and relatively easy that I'm currently brainstorming how to do the big one (turns out to be 29'-10 long) the same way: build it complete in the shop and transport it in one piece and am 90% confident we can pull it off.... NOW I really DO need a bit-o-luck! FWIW should finish editing a Patron-only video tonight for release tomorrow showing the staining process in detail...
Well done sir. Well done. I e seen hundreds of attempts at making faux beams look real and I gotta say, yours takes the cake. I can spot a fake beam a mile away and that sample beam looked like a nice Mantle piece.
Thanks Joel. FWIW Here's another beam project from a few years back: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-U-x2cPnWKf8.html Other than the more-than-obvious 'wedge tenon joints' I felt pretty good about how 'convincing' this project was as well. It wouldn't fool those like you who know what they're looking at but are better than average for what designers and clients expect and get IMHO. Best, Matt
@@NextLevelCarpentry thank you for the reply and I’m watching my son tonight while my wife is out so I’m trying to find some cool walnut or wood wall art to make in the shop.
To me it is a satisfying thing to take some soft wood and hold it to a grinder with a wire wheel and just really push it in there hard. Makes a really rustic look in no time.
Consider using a length of chain to whip the timber. It creates ragged bruises. Lump hammer 👍 good Hammer pebbles into the surface, they work well too. Brush n burn is effective Axe and adze wounds look very authentic also. Sand or soda blasting is used extensively if you can have the stock all done before or the items done after-very cost effective method. Trust me on that one. I did museum and theatre props and theme parks for years. Machine wounds never look authentic in my humble opinion but a master like you pulls this off. Good work.
Thanks for some excellent tips Matt! I’ll add them to my mental toolbox for distressing wood, which we do a lot of here at the Aloha House of Hope. BTW, Gage shows off the toolbox to just about everyone who comes here. He’d probably sleep with it if I let him. LOL.
Great to see a comment from you Doug! Think about you from time to time wondering how things are going at Aloha House of Hope so thanks for the report on Gage's toolbox! Tell him I said "hey" 👋😁😎
@@NextLevelCarpentry I will let Gage know. Life has been super busy and are in the midst of homeschooling. I treated myself the other day while grading papers to watch your video.
Hey Matt; I intend to line my garage with OSB,and will cut the seams on a 45 like you did. Thanks for the prerequisite on blending seams. As always great video thanks!
Glad you liked the video Frank. As far as cutting OSB seams at 45 degrees while 'paneling' the inside of your garage: That method would result in loss of 1" in width/length from each full sheet (if you're trying to apply full sheets to framing at 16" on center) so might not be a practical option... just sayin. Don't get me wrong, that would be a 'next level' way to go about it but I'd hate to see you dealing with unintended consequences. I guess you could add furring strips for nailing and achieve the best of both worlds though. Enjoy the upgrade to your workspace, whatever method you use! 😁 Best, Matt
It’s all good, the structure is a Pole barn . I will install 2X4 nailer horizontally and run the OSB that way as well. 12’ side wall with a 10” header at the top so I can cut of quite a bit and still be okay. I just think it would look a lot nicer than a butt joint with a square edge. Would you put some kind of adhesive in the joints? Thanks Matt!
I've never done it the way you're talking about but think something like this product: www.amazon.com/1390595-Multi-Purpose-Polyurethane-Construction-Adhesive/dp/B07KMFX5JP/ref=sr_1_3?crid=Q62CI62IYOQ8&keywords=polyurethane+construction+adhesive&qid=1667365868&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI0LjE0IiwicXNhIjoiMy42OSIsInFzcCI6IjMuNTcifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=polyurethane+constr%2Caps%2C126&sr=8-3 just to keep everything stuck together. Probably overkill but might end up being amazing... let me know if/when you get a chance to try it? Sounds like you've got your bases covered for nailers behind all the seams after sheets are cut down in size with bevels. Not quite sure how everything will behave because OSB edges are usually swollen a bit so I'd do a bit of practicing to make sure you'll get the results you're after before committing to the whole project..
Thanks for the advice! Know what you mean about the swollen edges, which is the reason for cutting them in the first place. Also have considered putting a french cleat over the joints, that would hide them and give me a place to hang sh…tuff. Thanks again for the advice and great videos!
Hi Matt. Great detailed video on age distressing lumber so it looks correct. Enjoyed watching your processes and learned some good useful techniques. Tony
I'm no stranger to such work or the tools. Many people think that that restore is just for automotive use and that is far from the truth it is a woodworkers dream the same goes for the carbide bits a lot of people think that's in metal fabrication such as custom car work and that kind of stuff it's another woodworkers dream it just have their place and well deserved. What I really would like to have seen was watching you creating your miters for the box cutting the plywood into the I believe you said 45.5 fives and a little bit more about the purpose behind that rather and trying to you know 45.1 or 2 so that the outer corners close up tighter I think you really missed something bypassing that section IMHO.... I enjoyed this kind of woodwork which is why I got out of the fast-paced world of home construction cookie cutter homes that you can almost do in your sleep. When I started getting into the personal needs of the homeowners and put 90% of my commercial work to the side I began to find a whole new world of woodworking techniques and I found it very fulfilling working at those little nuances and I would have enjoyed seeing your corner mitered corner techniques everything else I loved about the video but just thought I'd pass that on.
Thanks for bringing this to my attention Larry... not sure when or how the link got busticated but I updated the link in the video description with this link where you can find the great Graf carving disk and restorer tool: www.amazon.com/shop/nextlevelcarpentry/list/2YDX33SWCBWMR?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_aipsfnextlevelcarpentry_TW01AGW99ES2FEMJTY8Q_1 Please let me know if this answers your question and/or if you have others and I'll try to help you for helping me! Best, Matt
This my second vid of yours I am watching.. We had a nice discussion the other day on you other vid. The one where you integrated the imitation mortises.. I know each client has different tastes but this beam is just what I am looking for. And it seems to take less time if you purchase the proper tools. Especially if several need to be made. My next obstacle to overcome is marrying the slanted beams, the ones following the 12/12 pitch, to the taller, horizontal, center beams. The dilemma is once they are aged, gouged, wavy, they no longer have a smooth, undisturbed area to mate too. So, do you hang them fist, outline to exact locations/intersection/contact point, and make a great effort not to disturb it during the aging process?? EDIT - I need to go to bed! 😴
I've not done a 'rafter' and beam style faux beam project yet so I don't have a real-world answer for you. The simplest way would be to use a faux iron strap/hanger at the connection to make it easy to install the 'rafters' without extensive scribing it would require otherwise. The same holds true for beam 'splices' and is much more common than the faux wedged tenon design I used on that other project.... hope that helps? FWIW when you wake up and have some time, search other faux beam videos on Next Level Carpentry like this one where I've developed a much faster/better/more practical method of making them: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pf_tG1hQGtg.htmlsi=Wrq5BEitihEi6VpF
@@NextLevelCarpentry Thank you my friend. I just concluded watch the lates vid. I liked the way you keyed in the internal pieces helping in alignment also the creating the pitch of the ceiling for the mounting plates. Though this practice (keying in) would add time to my approx 20 foot beam which will be the longest (center horizontal beam) the many 20+ (10 ft.). Quick question regarding your other vid (last night) were you stated you use a miter of 45.5 deg. to assemble the bottom to the sides. Your reasoning is the keep it tight as you start grinding etc.. I assume you're using std. 3/4" brds. Why not just glue the factory finished edges to each other. This will give you just over an 1" to gouge/grind/sand away? It is the same length - just removing a pain step when working with such lengths. .75 sq + .75 sq.= C sq root. One more question (HaHa) do they have faux iron straps that I could use for a 45 deg connection? Great idea by the way! If so where do I find them? Thank you for all of the time you have spent with me..
Thanks for your interest in these videos. The reason I miter corners on faux beams is because the seam is hidden better that way because different Grain on two pieces that come together at a single line instead of having a glue joint plus Edge grain that I get if I just used Factory edges. Hope that makes sense. On the other hand if the beans are going to get painted then the joinery you suggest would be simpler and just as good. I don't know of any beam straps available for a 45° joint but that's something that would be pretty easy for a metal shop to fabricate.
@@NextLevelCarpentry Good reasoning. You gave me another + point for mitering when you talked about the end grain. When grinding on a mitered corner the linear joint is skewed by the depth you grind or wood removal one the corners. Thus changing the linear to more of a wood grain look.
Since I never do the same job twice I can't give you a good answer on price. This video will give you a better idea of what's involved in making custom beams though: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pf_tG1hQGtg.html
@@brianb7388Nope... my clients and I never know what the price is until the work is complete and I submit my bill for payment in full. I don't want to sound like a prima donna but it really is the only viable way to be profitable in a business making custom one-off stuff like these beams.
Complete SD hard drive failure pretty much shut down my entire video production system for about 6 weeks, Rollo. Finally feel like I've got my feet back under me and looking forward to producing Episode #2 of the GROAT build series which was first in line when the hard drive failure hit. Best, Matt
Don't mean to up-sell you Charles but I just completed a fairly detailed Patron-only video sharing the 'recipe' and showing the 6-step finishing process,,,
The term "pecky" is new to me with this project but I've come to understand it as referring to the 'holes' left by a fungus in cypress (and cedar) trees. The 'pecky pores' or 'pecky pockets' as I call them are decayed wood and, as such, are definitely 'punky', which is what I call any wood that's softened by rot/decay. Best, Matt
Sooooo sorry!! Please compose a detailed script with dialog for this video that conveys all the necessary information I shared but in a more succinct manner that you view as acceptable. Forward that script to me and I'll promptly re-produce the video to meet your reasonable standards that 'just get to the point' so as not to disturb your sensibilities. NOT! Jackwagon... 😠
