Suka2

I originally had money in my bid to buy the Hema Chain Mortiser/Slot Cutter or Mafell Chain Mortiser/Slot Cutter for this timber framed, steel plate framed, barn in Portola Valley California. However, I had to lower may bid to get the job and I still needed a way of cutting the hidden 52 -- 3/8" x 8" deep steel knife plate slots in the timbers. I designed a slotter/mortise jig that I called the California Knife Plate Slotter - Mortiser for the 6x6 post and another jig that I called the Okie Knife Plate Slotter - Mortiser for the 5 1/2" x 9" GluLam Beams. This is the first time I've assembled a roof structure without using any nails. Not even a nail to tack the exposed post or beams together. I had more problems with the bolt hole layout than making the knife plate slots. Steel Knife Plates Kerf Plates Flitch Plates Steel Plate Framing California Knife Plate Slotter - Mortiser for the 6x6 post. We slotted all of the 18-- 6x6 post in about 20 minutes with the

Tim Uhler and Kyle Davis layout, frame,sheathe and lift rake walls on a daily basis. They make it look as simple as tying your shoe laces. I had a two hour fire wall (1600 pounds) to lift this last week, so I asked Tim for the correct way to attach the lifting straps to the wall. I didn't want to jack up the wall and attach the lifting strap on the underside of the wall. Sim, We use nylon lifting straps we bought at whitecap. Make sure they are rated 10,000# or greater. On this last house we used Simpson screws because they are bigger then the Ledgerlok http://www.strongtie.com/products/connectors/SDWS-SDWH.asp?source=fastenhp I would use 4 screws per pick point minimum. If the bottom plate on the way stays down, the pick points, and forklift will "see" less load as the wall goes up. We've thought about making rips of 1.75" x 5" Lvl to use instead of 2x6 to screw to the top plates. We haven't had anything break yet.  Tim _________________________________