Green oak frame - side walls

The first sections of the frame to be built are the side walls. We're working on on side wall at a time. Here the joints for 'top plates' have been cut out and the four posts are ready to be marked and cut by transferring the shape of the the top plate down onto top of the post. This is how its been done for centuries.

Above is a picture of the tenon and housing for the girder. The girder is a horizontal piece of oak which goes into the posts and will support the first floor floor joists.

Once the girders, top plates and posts have all been cut and assembled, we can lay the cranked braces on top in readiness to scribe the joint positions out. This is done with a plumb bob.

The same brace after it has been cut and fitted.

The finished side wall, test fitted and ready for disassembly!