Timberframe Scarf joint / Mortise and Tenon

Putting together the sill timbers of our timber frame workshop, showing how our bridled/halved scarf joint, as well as housed mortise and tenon joints.
mrchickadee.wo...

[@dejavu666wampas9]

I so love hearing no annoying music; just the lovely sounds of nature, and tools in the hands of an artist.

[@villain1409]

I totally agree with you,i could listen to to0ls & nature all day long. Preferably hand t0ols like this man achieves on a daily chore. Music in a video,just makes me hit that off button. Respects to Mr Chickadee & his wife & pets,thanks for keeping your videos AWESOME,to me the Viewer!

[@shanechambless8]

Most satisfying videos no talking no music just some good old timey craftminship

[@Zeemike1]

Done in the style of Primitive Techknowledge..,no talking just ambient sound and demonstration of great hand work...nice job.

[@macf4426]

You've got to love any project where you hear the timber more than the tools 👍

[@julesf7816]

Great job mate! No power tools + made by hand = maximum appreciation. Look forward to seeing the finished product.

[@738polarbear]

This young chap has some olde worlde skills rarely seen today

[@167curly]

It's a real treat to see such well sharpened tools like saws, chisels, augers etc doing their work so well.

[@jamesmac9]

I love how methodical and patient you are, even the way your saw guards are tied on with string, you’re in no rush. Nearly everybody else in modern society is flying through life at one million miles per hour stressed out and frantic, yet you’re in the woods almost meditating with your tools. You’ve inspired me to get out and make a set of doors by hand rather than using my machines!

[@cabinman]

The way you film is interesting because you can just listen without watching and it seems to audibly tell a story without any words...just the sounds from the tools.

[@musinkaboi6665]

2Tiedup - and the birds chirping

[@piotrr5439]

Glad I found this video finally. Today, I am half through this kind of joint with a mortise for a post in the middle. I am using 5.5" pine. As a first timer, I am surprised how often my chisels need sharpening.

[@timur6359]

such a pleasure to watch working that wood with calm and skill, thank you! we need more men and fathers to be like you, teaching each generation how to work in harmony with nature.

[@MrChickadee]

+Grigoras Ene Thank you for the kind words.

[@chadbre6629]

The birds singing, amazing! What a beautiful sound.

[@petrondacus1671]

Slow,precise movements.A craftsman and an artist.

[@joydavis4087]

I really appreciate your videos. I’m learning a lot. Thank you. I’ve had an interest in working with wood for a long time, with no teacher. I enjoy the creative process. And you are a true craftsman. Thumbs up.

[@ceno8039]

That timber looks beautiful to work with.

[@EarthshipChile]

beautiful photography, beautiful work, beautiful house...thanks for sharing.

[@nathanielslattery7789]

I've built pole barn style before but am thinking about all kinds of ideas for other foundations. You know when you do one thing all the way through you kind of get tunnel visioned on that one way of doing things. This is a really fascinating foundation

[@ToddKesler]

love it! All Action and no talking!!

[@rickjames4882]

Why do I feel like that dog got lost from the set of Legally Blonde and ended up here! Fantastic work.

[@GuruBrew]

A hard working, skilled worker..... great job!

[@FauxtakuLounge]

I see too many people do this with power tools. Man, what a trooper you are. Cheers.

[@Krisszhu1990]

You Sir have some really really awesome skills :D How this building looks in the last episode is just amazing. Keep on the work, and the videos also pls.

[@MrChickadee]

+Flankeinstein Lord Thank you for the kind words! It really turned out better than we dreamed.

[@markgoode4109]

super video. A great lesson in timber frame work without a lot of needless chat. Excellent! Thanks for sharing

[@ianclarkson1835]

Hello Mr chickadee awesome video on hand tools showing my 16 year old son at moment about doing joints with hand tools he wants to use power tools but I won't allow as he has to learn to cut straight with the saw

[@MrChickadee]

thats great thanks

[@HeroOfTime303]

You're a good father. Tough love to steer them in the right direction is necessary some times.

[@markconniedavis3802]

Good to see fine woodwork traditionally done. Also, noticed the boots...Semper Fi Marine.

[@robertsbushcraft]

I can watch this with or without sound and enjoy it just the same.

[@cindyr3720]

♡♡♡ your old techniques.

[@MrChickadee]

Glad you like them!

[@jessieancestor]

Who knew Bill Hader was such a stoic carpenter?

[@sathancat]

My cat always perks up at the birdsong in every video but she was particularly interested in this video :D

[@biancaiosif7319]

congratulations, is very good for a former warrior from a comrade in Romania

[@regthebackyardjackofalltrades]

Thank you immensely for your videos. I will definitely use the method of Wattling for my pergola walls and privacy fencing. Reg

[@mikealman63tab]

4:29 Simply the LAST thing I expected to see LOL

[@robertbrunston5406]

More awesome joints Mr. C, thank you for sharing.

[@glenkelley6048]

That's the way my Grandpa used to do it. He was tired at the end of the day.He could turn a pile of lumber into an oil drilling derrick in a few weeks.

[@MrChickadee]

+Glen Kelley Id love to talk to him!

[@morgansword]

Some assembly required by a master craftsman that is. The tools are probably older than me and I am 72, so if they could talk then ears would be pointed to them. What can't you build with wood besides a car with a engine that run unless a wood powered steam engine counts

[@shaneroper477]

Good job. Old world skills. Who needs the power grid. Back to the books and back to the basics. What more do we need but to survive and appreciate all that is around us in the natural world. City dwellers seem to have lost that connection with the natural world, the one that gave rise to us. Keep building those calluses! ✌

[@natxounzurrunzagaarana734]

este tio es un maquina muy buenos y educadores estos videos

[@MrChickadee]

+natxo unzurrunzaga arana Thank you!

[@georgemcconnell5405]

I love those saw protectors

[@tendalwilson7117]

I recommend wood glue :) and a strong spirit to sit by the fire with because you are the internets most interesting man.... Cheers

[@robertbrunston5406]

Very interesting joints Mr. C. Thank you.

[@ronanrogers4127]

Bear Grylls & Butch the Dog. Great work, very meditative.

[@dmartin1650]

Pink suits.. both you and the dog ☺. But seriously, excellent job mate! Thanks for sharing.

[@MrChickadee]

Thanks

[@matrixi4i]

Absolutely fantastic.

[@MrChickadee]

+matrixi4i Thank you!

[@kvnmhl]

idk why but you are just like a silent bob ross of woodworking for me

[@Doxymeister]

If I had to guess, I would have guessed you as a setter, Golden Retriever or even a Rhodesian Ridgeback kind of guy. Imagine my shock!

[@soldtobediers]

Granpa was a carpenter in the 20's and was missing the 1st 2 knuckles of his left forefinger. i was about age 5 when i ask him how he lost them. He replied with a very sharp handsaw. At age 5 i knew what a handsaw was and what sharp meant... for Dad had just given me a pocket knife to learn mumbleyy peg with. For those unfamiliar... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumblety-peg Of which he had taken a file to, in order to match the dullness of the blade's back. i ask my Dad after Granpa passed when i was about 13, if it was true when Granpa told me a very sharp handsaw had taken his finger off. Dad respectfully replied... Carpenters, before power saws, kept their saws very sharp to ease the long day's strain of cutting lumber. They also used white Lightning to dull their sore muscle pain. Sometimes the 2 together could easily cause such an injury with just 1 stroke. Recall as well when Granpa was still alive, that my Dad had bought a brand new handsaw and the saw vibrated and bound up near the last 4" of the tip. Granpa told him he didn't need the last 4' inches of that blade unless he was 7' tall. You need to cut that last 4" off son. Dad was a mechanic all his life and knew how hard the saw blade steel was... and laughed back to Granpa... with which? A hacksaw, or torch? Grandpa then pulled a pair of right handed tin shears out of his canvas bag and cut the blade 4" shorter. Dad repeated this tale then on to friends and relatives when the subject of saws come up. So Thank's for help making the subject come up. -gilpin 10-11-16

[@MrChickadee]

Wow, thats the man I would love to have learned from, a true craftsman from the hand tool age…Ive caught myself pretty bad a few times with a sharp saw, luckily never to that extent!

[@brandonfritz7672]

That is one very large wood chisel. I want one lol

[@fedupinl.a.7810]

I just stumbled upon your videos the other day and watched almost everyone. Were you ever a fan of the 'Woodwright shop' on PBS years ago? Your talents are always needed in places like Colonial Williamsburg, Greenfield Village etc. Great Job!

[@MrChickadee]

I LOVE the woodwrights shop, that got me started down this path...

[@frabcescodantonio6054]

Sei veramente molto bravo. Grazie per il video.

[@keithbyrne4872]

loving them saws keep up the good work

[@idahopotato5837]

You are a patient man.

[@fatherschild721]

Excellent discipline skill and knowledge

[@MrChickadee]

thank you

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

I don't suppose you have much use for the gymn - nor any trouble sleeping at night. Thanks for the interesting upload.

[@MrChickadee]

Too true! The hard part is waking up in the morning! ;)

[@X02switchblades]

11:57 fifi inspects the joinery!

[@marilyntaylor6716]

Just wondering what got you interested in using all hand tools? For me, I’ve always had a love of them. Probably from watching my grandpa use his.

[@mobius972]

Outstanding videos. We are loosing some of these skills and its great to see people keeping them alive. I noticed you offset the hole for the peg to make the joint self tightening, what was the offset? about 1/8" ? those joints will be there and tight for generations

[@schmidthappenslimited3028]

Your a unit mate! Nice work!

[@MrChickadee]

THank you!

[@kevinwoodcock7578]

Just subscribed . You are one talented man.

[@andrewmccarthy9839]

That mallet you have made out of a tree trunk...I gotta make me one of those.

[@Maxid1]

Joinery, like the hokey pokey, is what it's all about.

[@JoelWetzel]

I know it's been a long time since this was made but, did you ever look up to see the poodle in booties and chuckle?

[@erikbradford456]

Your a bad ass, plain and simple.

[@JohnMartinez-sm1sk]

Great craftsmanship 👍👍

[@wxfield]

🤙 Your dog and your girlfriend in the hot pink outfits crack me up every time.

[@TheindefatigableGovernor]

I knew it!! Army. 87-95. Cheers.

[@kennethtalbott2233]

ages since i used my brace and bit. was normal practice when i first started.

[@MrMarkpeggy]

Awesome! Beautiful! Thank you for sharing this.

[@w4shep]

Mr. Chickadee Maybe you tire of hearing this but, WOW!! What amazing work!! Thank you for sharing your craftsmanship and skills. I am new to the channel my apologies if this has been asked or answered somewhere else, but I want to ask if you have a list of the tools you use, and where we mortals can find them for purchase? Thanks again. I am looking forward to binge watching your channel soon 🙂

[@MrChickadee]

i use almost all antique hand tools found at flea markets, yards sales, and ebay I have not compiled a detailed list, but show in detail what I use in each video and for each joint. In future books or online classes we will go more into teaching what we have learned than just showing.

[@coast2coastauctions472]

So very satisfying.

[@ionut5316]

nice work and nice auger bits :)

[@MrChickadee]

Thanks!

[@sirfishslayer5100]

Mr. C., I am not at all versed in woodworking, so this is a question: Regarding the holes for the pegs....Why would you drill them first? Why not fit them together, then drill the holes? Thanks for the vids, and thank you for your service.

[@MrChickadee]

The holes are offset, this is called Draw Boring, you put the memebers together, mark the peg hole on the tenon then drill it slightly off toward the shoulder, as you drive the peg in it pull up tight.

[@sirfishslayer5100]

That makes sense. I did see you put some together and drill them afterwards in later vids. Just wondering if there was a reason for it. Thanks again!

[@shortfuse43]

@@MrChickadee And all along, I thought you just couldn't drill a straight hole!!....... JUST JOKING!!! You do absolutely beautiful work, taking your time and striving for accuracy. Your work is as much art as skill.

[@chriss3373]

cute cat

[@PodicepsCristatus]

Great video! Only hand tools......amazing! Is that lumber dry ? Cheers!

[@keenowl1410]

Whoa! Never seen him without his tight pants and suspenders lol

[@738polarbear]

Cute little helper

[@Kobe29261]

That woman, thank God for that woman!

[@user-ye9gv5ey6i]

У вас такой же коловорот как и у меня . Хороший инструмент.

[@bobdinovo5827]

Awsome work. How often do you sharpen your tool's while working with Oak lumber?

[@selador11]

Would it have been possible to flare those tenons like dovetails? And if so, would it have made much difference?

[@bamaman39]

Hello where did you learn all these old school techniques? you look so young was it generational knowledge learned from your family? or was it through research of your own doing? I know ANYONE can do this kind of craftsmanship contrary to some peoples beliefs I'm a perfect example of that i'v done plenty of heavy timber construction and all of it self taught and I did it ALONE and I am Moore I was just curious Thanks :)

[@Carlg26]

You handle the hand saw with such skill. I am new to wood working and it seems I can not get it straight ... with much practice comes patients and skill and to me .. it looks like you have much skill. One question that has me stumped ... What type of wood is this? Thanks for making these vids ... keep them coming :)

[@MrChickadee]

+L Gorman Thanks for the kind words. Yes sawing straight, or at any desired angle just plain takes practice…for rough work I tend to just sight down the blade and "feel" for straight, for more precise work I use a knife wall which helps guide the saw kerf, you can see this in my widows making videos. The wood here is white oak, which we used for our bottom "sill" timbers as its the most resistant to rot and insects of the wood we have.

[@williamwiseman581]

Hey, in your descriptions you should post links to where you got your tools or where you would recommend getting these hand tools from. Between watching your videos and referring to my grandfather's 18th century cabin building books and a carpentry background I am ready to build a cabin. I need an experts opinion and advice.

[@thiagoamaral5912]

William Wiseman Would you please share the titles and authors of your grandfather’s books?

[@Roberto_trader_danger]

Very good, I'm open mouth with your work hug

[@graemehuia5964]

A good woodsman.

[@serranasuarez1152]

ah., me olvidaba en ese lugar con esos sonidos y esa naturaleza cualquiera se inspira,un saludo.

[@paulorchard7960]

I have cut a lot of scarf joints but have never seen that method, perfectly fine! You offset the holes for tree nails in the post and beam tenons but not in the scarf, any reason why?

[@SchwanRutoza]

I absolutely love your traditional methods and tools. What would early settlers use besides a metal square though? I understand why you were using one because it is extremely simple but what would they have done back then for a straight edge?

[@MrChickadee]

A scrude plumb bob and a board of the desired timber size is all you need, plumb gives you a straight line to lay your board on.

[@MrGoatflakes]

One thing you can do for a rough square is make a triangle out of string with equally spaced knots, so the sides of the triangle will be 3, 4, and 5 between knots long, Then when you peg it out taught, it will have a right angle between the 3 and the 4 side. Then use a chalk line and plumb bob to get it straight and plumb ;)

[@markc1894]

The thumbs down are the people who can’t do this

[@fl3082]

They're jealous because the dog is more fashion forward than they are 🐕

[@benfox9382]

is that a chisel or a sharpened spade?! looks awesome!

[@MrChickadee]

its called a slick

[@benfox9382]

@@MrChickadee whoops, sorry, was joking! as one woodworker to another - awesome work! Love the videos: the process and the end result are incredibly satisfying. cheers!

[@paulwatterson5992]

Did you add mortar to the stone foundation? Or something else? Very nice.

[@anijohnson8082]

Your wife must be so proud

[@dejavu666wampas9]

As usual, awesome, nicely quiet, video. You know stuff. A lot of stuff. But if, in the summer, you tried working in the woods in Minnesota dressed like that, you’d be carried off by mosquitoes.

[@christopherkershaw261]

Hello Mr. Chickadee! Your videos are some of my favorite when it comes to Timber Frame! Thank you for making them! I have a question. Do you a have a specific reason for preferring the western push saws to let's say the Japanese pull saws? What is one reason you usually don't use them in your videos?

[@MrChickadee]

Having tried both, for me personally, I find the western type saws to be easier to control, easier to sharpen, faster cutting and more comfortable to use. I will say I find Japanese chisels to be far superior but dont use them much due to cost and availability. I mostly reforge western chisels and create something similar to Japanese chisels.

[@christopherkershaw261]

@@MrChickadee Oh alright, that makes sense. I am new to Timber Frame and so I have only heard things about both saw types. And the Japanese chisels I have heard that too, yet also heard they can chip easily if you're not careful?

[@MrChickadee]

@@christopherkershaw261 They can chip if misused. They should always be used to chop and never as a pry bar. Also if going through a very hard knot like hemlock has for example, you should go slower and take smaller bites. Western chisels were tempered much softer so they tend to bend or roll edges before breaking, but they also tend to hold much less keen edges and were just used more roughly and with less precise joinery.

[@samwilliamson1125]

That dog though 😂 You should have a wolf!

[@johnw.peterson4311]

Mr Chickadee, could you recommend a good book to learn timber framing? I would be great full. Great job sir.

[@MrChickadee]

try roy under hill and Jack Sabon

[@JDK45ACP]

Nice work

[@serranasuarez1152]

un saludo desde uruguay muy buenos los videos mr.

[@RonnieStanley-tc6vi]

I dont know anyone except soldiers that would wear 8" issue boots with shorts to work in😂😂😂. I say that because thats how i roll in the summer too.

[@timhill2849]

new sub here. cool stuff. like your videos.

[@738polarbear]

9:10 What a little cutie .