Timber frame joint rings

[Jim Wilkins]

Does anyone have experience with using metal rings to reinforce timber frame
joints?
https://www.splitringconnectors.com/

I'm thinking of cutting some scrap 1-1/2" steel tubing (1.66" OD, like water
pipe) into rings that could be split open to fit into the kerf of a 1-3/4"
hole saw. They would mainly take the shear stress on diagonal braces of the
replacement shed frame I'm building from 5" square oak. 5" made full use of
the logs I slabbed to 21" wide to fit between the uprights of my bandsaw
mill.

The joints can be drilled 1/4" for trial assembly, then the 1/4" holes used
to pilot the hole saw into the joining faces of the disassembled frame, to
align the ring kerfs. A lag screw will pull the joint together but not have
to hold all the shear force between the brace and frame. This avoids a metal
splice plate on the outside that would wear holes in the tarp covering. The
tarps open completely to dry the lumber stored inside.

tia, jsw

[James Waldby]

Post by Jim Wilkins
Does anyone have experience with using metal rings to reinforce timber frame
joints? https://www.splitringconnectors.com/
I'm thinking of cutting some scrap 1-1/2" steel tubing (1.66" OD, like water
pipe) into rings that could be split open to fit into the kerf of a 1-3/4"
hole saw. They would mainly take the shear stress on diagonal braces of the
replacement shed frame I'm building from 5" square oak. 5" made full use of
the logs I slabbed to 21" wide to fit between the uprights of my bandsaw
mill.

It might be worth trying a 1 - 11/16 hole saw, to see if you could
avoid having to split the tubing side. (But if you're only doing half
a dozen or so connections and don't have that size, it might not be
worth getting one, even at only $7)
https://www.acmetools.com/milwaukee-1-11-16-in-hole-dozer-bi-metal-hole-saw-49-56-9620/045242222490.html

[Jim Wilkins]

Post by Jim Wilkins
Does anyone have experience with using metal rings to reinforce timber frame
joints? https://www.splitringconnectors.com/
I'm thinking of cutting some scrap 1-1/2" steel tubing (1.66" OD, like water
pipe) into rings that could be split open to fit into the kerf of a 1-3/4"
hole saw. They would mainly take the shear stress on diagonal braces of the
replacement shed frame I'm building from 5" square oak. 5" made full use of
the logs I slabbed to 21" wide to fit between the uprights of my bandsaw
mill.

It might be worth trying a 1 - 11/16 hole saw, to see if you could
avoid having to split the tubing side. (But if you're only doing half
a dozen or so connections and don't have that size, it might not be
worth getting one, even at only $7)
https://www.acmetools.com/milwaukee-1-11-16-in-hole-dozer-bi-metal-hole-saw-49-56-9620/045242222490.html

-------------------------------------------

Thanks. I found the hole saws I wanted at a second hand store with lower
prices and a better range of sizes than HD or Lowe's. I tried them, a
1-5/16" hole accepts 1" pipe to sleeve 1"-8 adjusting screws in wood
columns, 1-11/16" accepts (snugly) the 1-1/2" (1.66") tubing for the joint
rings, and I bought 2-3/8" for 2" fence posts if I can find the damaged
piece to cut up. I have the Greenlee punches for conduit so I hadn't bought
the hole saw sizes as well. My electrician experience is industrial (sheet
metal) instead of residential (wood).

1.66" is the actual OD of 1-1/4" pipe. Thin-walled tubing has the OD of pipe
but is named with a fraction nearer its measurement. I tabulated the readily
available pipe, tubing and conduit by its actual measurement to clear up the
nominal vs physical size confusion. It turns out that tarp shelter tubing
and fence posts have the OD of pipe, EMT the ID of Sch40, and some sizes may
telescope.
Lamp fixture tubing is in pipe sizes with straight threads. 2"/50mm OD is
also readily available in short lengths, as exhaust pipe and for DIY brewing
etc. The low chromium stainless grade for exhausts does rust somewhat,
"sanitary" stainless is better.

The swaged ends of 1-1/2" tubing salvaged from a collapsed tarp garage fit
over the legs of the HF 10' x 20' canopy closely (after deburring), to raise
it above my gantry hoist.

They also had the watch lathe, without any accessories. The watch lathe
users manual I found on line suggests that they are more suited to repair
than manufacturing parts or tooling from standard-sized rod stock, and I
have 5C collets down to 1/32" and 1/16".

Unfortunately that store is selling off and closing.

[Bob La Londe]

Post by Jim Wilkins
Does anyone have experience with using metal rings to reinforce timber
frame joints?
https://www.splitringconnectors.com/
I'm thinking of cutting some scrap 1-1/2" steel tubing (1.66" OD, like
water pipe) into rings that could be split open to fit into the kerf of
a 1-3/4" hole saw. They would mainly take the shear stress on diagonal
braces of the replacement shed frame I'm building from 5" square oak. 5"
made full use of the logs I slabbed to 21" wide to fit between the
uprights of my bandsaw mill.
The joints can be drilled 1/4" for trial assembly, then the 1/4" holes
used to pilot the hole saw into the joining faces of the disassembled
frame, to align the ring kerfs. A lag screw will pull the joint together
but not have to hold all the shear force between the brace and frame.
This avoids a metal splice plate on the outside that would wear holes in
the tarp covering. The tarps open completely to dry the lumber stored
inside.
tia, jsw

Okay, I looked and I read. Why are they better than nailing plates?
Price? Production truss plants made the nail plate popular, but trusses
were built with plywood plates and and nails before that, and small
pieces of plywood are pretty cheap. Even as expensive as plywood sheets
are these days.
--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff

[Jim Wilkins]

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message news:vdkbhc$3cilr$***@dont-email.me...

On 9/24/2024 4:27 AM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
...

Post by Jim Wilkins
This avoids a metal splice plate on the outside that would wear holes in
the tarp covering.

Okay, I looked and I read. Why are they better than nailing plates?
Price? Production truss plants made the nail plate popular, but trusses
were built with plywood plates and and nails before that, and small
pieces of plywood are pretty cheap. Even as expensive as plywood sheets
are these days.
Bob La Londe

---------------------------------
They will extend my dwindling supply of increasingly expensive long 3/8" lag
screws.

I haven't found much engineering data on them, such as comparisons to other
joining methods, thus my question. They are neater than splice plates if an
industrial mill appearance offends your artistic sensibility. I built
theatre scenery and had to consider such things, for cost sensitive
non-professionals it's commonly 1x3s joined with plywood gussets so I'm
familiar with their proper use. I think the main advantage of inlaid rings
is in shear, such as the end joints of compressed diagonal braces. The rings
won't help a joint in tension.

There will probably be metal or scrap plywood splice plates on the inside of
the joints and where the rings are difficult to install. I have a strip of
1/4" x 5" steel to stiffen the center junction of the end cross braces that
will depend on it for out-of-plane torsional stiffness during assembly.

[Snag]

Post by Jim Wilkins
Does anyone have experience with using metal rings to reinforce timber
frame joints?
https://www.splitringconnectors.com/
I'm thinking of cutting some scrap 1-1/2" steel tubing (1.66" OD, like
water pipe) into rings that could be split open to fit into the kerf
of a 1-3/4" hole saw. They would mainly take the shear stress on
diagonal braces of the replacement shed frame I'm building from 5"
square oak. 5" made full use of the logs I slabbed to 21" wide to fit
between the uprights of my bandsaw mill.
The joints can be drilled 1/4" for trial assembly, then the 1/4" holes
used to pilot the hole saw into the joining faces of the disassembled
frame, to align the ring kerfs. A lag screw will pull the joint
together but not have to hold all the shear force between the brace
and frame. This avoids a metal splice plate on the outside that would
wear holes in the tarp covering. The tarps open completely to dry the
lumber stored inside.
tia, jsw

Okay, I looked and I read.  Why are they better than nailing plates?
Price?  Production truss plants made the nail plate popular, but trusses
were built with plywood plates and and nails before that, and small
pieces of plywood are pretty cheap.  Even as expensive as plywood sheets
are these days.

Every truss used in our house has plywood plates and nails . I
cheated though , I used a pneumatic nail gun . The scissor trusses for
the vaulted ceiling in the kitchen/dining room were the most fun .
Nothing has failed and killed anybody yet ...

[Jim Wilkins]

"Snag" wrote in message news:vdkupa$3iv9n$***@dont-email.me...

Every truss used in our house has plywood plates and nails . I
cheated though , I used a pneumatic nail gun . The scissor trusses for
the vaulted ceiling in the kitchen/dining room were the most fun .
Nothing has failed and killed anybody yet ...
Snag

-------------------------------

The rings hold shear forces in joints in thicker timbers, as in post and
beam framing. In a truss the butt joints in compression don't need them,
those in tension won't benefit from them. Other steel shapes can be used to
distribute and transfer the loads such as vertical ribs in saw kerfs, rings
are just easy to cut and install in heavy timbers with a hand-held drill.

In this case the beams and columns are 5" wide, because I could cut 4 from a
21" wide cant (squared log) that barely fits between the uprights of my
bandsaw mill. The shed is overbuilt to store the less than perfect wood
somehow rather than use it efficiently. These old trees were cut down
because they could fall onto my or a neighbor's house and had
disappointingly little clear furniture grade wood in them.

I've been using the 2" pot collet for the first time to turn the steel blade
guide rollers. It's repeatability is a considerable help for turning several
parts to identical length and diameter, in this case boring the four ball
bearing recesses to a hand pressure fit.