Atwood-Higgins House — materials
A rough list to take to a sawmill. The frame is cut green — full-sawn timbers straight from the log — and pinned with dry oak pegs: as the timbers dry they shrink onto the pegs, and the drawbored joints pull tighter. The mill cuts every stick to its section and length; the framer cuts the joints.
Each length is the piece’s cut length plus 10 in for tenons and trimming, rounded up to the foot. A piece longer than 24 ft is ordered in two or more lengths joined by a scarf (A2-16), except a post or a rafter is not scarfed. Board feet are full-sawn: width × depth × feet ÷ 12. Sizes follow the model, which is proportioned from measured drawings, not engineered — a frame that will carry a load is sized by an engineer first.
| Section (in) | Length (ft) | Pieces | Board feet | For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 × 9 | 15 | 3 | 236 | first-floor girder (summer), lengthwise · summer beam, under the ties |
| 7 × 9 | 14 | 1 | 74 | summer beam, under the ties |
| 7 × 8 | 20 | 4 | 373 | sill, front wall · sill, rear wall |
| 7 × 8 | 15 | 4 | 280 | sill, gable end |
| 7 × 7 | 9 | 8 | 294 | wall post, front and rear walls (corner and bent) |
| 7 × 7 | 2 | 2 | 16 | cellar post under the girder |
| 7 × 5 | 15 | 4 | 175 | chimney girt at the plate line |
| 5 × 7 | 8 | 2 | 47 | first-floor chimney header |
| 4 1/2 × 7 | 16 | 14 | 588 | truss tie, across on the plates (a garret joist) |
| 5 × 6 | 19 | 4 | 190 | truss rafter, at a gable |
| 15 7/8 × 1 3/4 | 11 | 4 | 102 | gable plank above the plate line, top cut to the rake |
| 15 7/8 × 1 3/4 | 10 | 4 | 92 | gable plank above the plate line, top cut to the rake |
| 15 7/8 × 1 3/4 | 9 | 35 | 728 | wall plank, vertical · gable plank above the plate line, top cut to the rake |
| 15 7/8 × 1 3/4 | 8 | 4 | 74 | gable plank above the plate line, top cut to the rake |
| 15 7/8 × 1 3/4 | 7 | 4 | 65 | gable plank above the plate line, top cut to the rake |
| 15 7/8 × 1 3/4 | 6 | 8 | 111 | gable plank, cut at an opening · gable plank above the plate line, top cut to the rake |
| 15 7/8 × 1 3/4 | 5 | 13 | 150 | wall plank, cut at an opening · gable plank above the plate line, top cut to the rake |
| 15 7/8 × 1 3/4 | 4 | 8 | 74 | gable plank, cut at an opening · gable plank above the plate line, top cut to the rake |
| 15 7/8 × 1 3/4 | 3 | 4 | 28 | gable plank above the plate line, top cut to the rake |
| 15 1/2 × 1 3/4 | 9 | 7 | 143 | wall plank, vertical |
| 15 1/2 × 1 3/4 | 5 | 9 | 102 | wall plank, cut at an opening |
| 15 1/2 × 1 3/4 | 2 | 4 | 18 | wall plank, cut at an opening |
| 4 1/2 × 6 | 19 | 10 | 428 | truss rafter |
| 15 3/8 × 1 3/4 | 9 | 2 | 40 | wall plank, vertical |
| 15 3/8 × 1 3/4 | 5 | 5 | 56 | wall plank, cut at an opening |
| 14 5/8 × 1 3/4 | 9 | 8 | 153 | wall plank, vertical |
| 14 5/8 × 1 3/4 | 5 | 11 | 117 | wall plank, cut at an opening |
| 14 5/8 × 1 3/4 | 2 | 3 | 13 | wall plank, cut at an opening |
| 5 × 5 | 20 | 4 | 167 | wall plate |
| 5 × 5 | 15 | 4 | 125 | gable top girt at the plate line, west gable · gable top girt at the plate line, east gable |
| 3 × 7 | 15 | 26 | 682 | first-floor joist, sill to girder |
| 3 × 7 | 11 | 3 | 58 | first-floor tail joist at a chimney |
| 3 × 7 | 8 | 3 | 42 | first-floor tail joist at a chimney |
| 3 × 5 | 11 | 5 | 69 | truss collar |
| 3 1/2 × 3 1/2 | 20 | 12 | 245 | purlin, let into the trusses' backs |
| 3 × 4 | 4 | 3 | 12 | opening header |
| 3 × 4 | 3 | 14 | 42 | opening header |
| 3 × 1 3/4 | 9 | 6 | 24 | opening frame side, spiked to the planks |
| 3 × 1 3/4 | 5 | 24 | 52 | opening frame side, spiked to the planks |
| 3 × 1 3/4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | opening frame side, spiked to the planks |
| 3 × 1 3/4 | 3 | 14 | 18 | window rough sill |
6,309 board feet of green timber in 311 pieces.
23 members are longer than a 24 ft stick and are scarfed.
Pegs: 89 of dry oak, 1 in by 9 in, estimated joint by joint — order a tenth over. Keys: 2 dry oak keys for the tusk tenons.
Boards: floors about 1,750 sq ft at 1 in thick (≈1,750 board feet); roof boards about 1,262 sq ft at 1 in (≈1,262 board feet). Add for waste.
Not in this list: stone, brick and mortar; siding, trim, windows and doors; roofing; nails. Nothing here is priced.
Cut list, piece by piece
| Piece | Qty | Section (in) | Cut length (in) | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cellar post under the girder | 2 | 7 × 7 | 14 | A6-22 foot on a stone pad · head under the girder, A6-02 tenon |
| Sill, front wall | 1 | 7 × 8 | 421 | A6-17 corner · A6-17 corner; scarfed A2-16 |
| Sill, rear wall | 1 | 7 × 8 | 421 | A6-17 corner · A6-17 corner; scarfed A2-16 |
| Sill, gable end | 2 | 7 × 8 | 317 | A6-17 corner · A6-17 corner |
| First-floor girder (summer), lengthwise | 1 | 7 × 9 | 167 1/2 | pocket in the gable foundation wall: its stone brought up under the end, beside the sill · on the cellar post under it, beside the stack |
| First-floor girder (summer), lengthwise | 1 | 7 × 9 | 162 1/2 | on the cellar post under it, beside the stack · pocket in the gable foundation wall: its stone brought up under the end, beside the sill |
| First-floor joist, sill to girder | 26 | 3 × 7 | 158 1/2 | A4-14 cogged over the inner half of the sill · A3-16 dovetail into the girder |
| First-floor chimney header | 2 | 5 × 7 | 77 | A2-08 tusk tenon into the trimmer · same |
| First-floor tail joist at a chimney | 6 | 3 × 7 | 75 – 119 1/2 | A4-14 on the sill or the spine · A3-16 dovetail into the header |
| Wall post, front and rear walls (corner and bent) | 8 | 7 × 7 | 94 | A6-22 foot on the sill · A6-02 head tenon into the plate; A6-05 girts housed and pegged |
| Wall plank, vertical | 8 | 14 5/8 × 1 3/4 | 94 | A6-45 spiked to the sill · A6-45 spiked to the plate |
| Wall plank, vertical | 2 | 15 3/8 × 1 3/4 | 94 | A6-45 spiked to the sill · A6-45 spiked to the plate |
| Wall plank, vertical | 7 | 15 1/2 × 1 3/4 | 94 | A6-45 spiked to the sill · A6-45 spiked to the plate |
| Opening frame side, spiked to the planks | 34 | 3 × 1 3/4 | 37 – 92 1/2 | spiked · spiked |
| Opening header | 17 | 3 × 4 | 22 – 34 | A2-07 into the jamb · same |
| Window rough sill | 14 | 3 × 1 3/4 | 22 – 22 1/2 | A2-07 into the jamb · same |
| Wall plank, cut at an opening | 14 | 14 5/8 × 1 3/4 | 5 1/2 – 46 1/2 | spiked to the sill or plate · butts the opening frame |
| Wall plank, cut at an opening | 13 | 15 1/2 × 1 3/4 | 5 1/2 – 47 1/2 | spiked to the sill or plate · butts the opening frame |
| Wall plank, cut at an opening | 5 | 15 3/8 × 1 3/4 | 46 1/2 | spiked to the sill or plate · butts the opening frame |
| Gable top girt at the plate line, west gable | 1 | 5 × 5 | 317 | A6-05 into the corner post · A6-05 into the corner post |
| Wall plank, vertical | 31 | 15 7/8 × 1 3/4 | 94 | A6-45 spiked to the sill · A6-45 spiked to the plate |
| Wall plank, cut at an opening | 9 | 15 7/8 × 1 3/4 | 44 1/2 – 47 1/2 | spiked to the sill or plate · butts the opening frame |
| Gable plank, cut at an opening | 8 | 15 7/8 × 1 3/4 | 29 1/2 – 61 | spiked to the top girt · butts the opening frame or the rake |
| Gable plank above the plate line, top cut to the rake | 36 | 15 7/8 × 1 3/4 | 18 5/8 – 115 3/8 | A6-45 spiked to the top girt · cut to the rake, spiked to the end truss |
| Gable top girt at the plate line, east gable | 1 | 5 × 5 | 317 | A6-05 into the corner post · A6-05 into the corner post |
| Wall plate | 2 | 5 × 5 | 421 | A6-02 on the post heads · same; scarfed A2-16 over a post |
| Truss rafter, at a gable | 4 | 5 × 6 | 211 | A6-23 heel tenoned into the tie · A6-19 at the ridge, pinned; A6-09 housings for the purlins |
| Truss rafter | 10 | 4 1/2 × 6 | 211 | A6-23 heel tenoned into the tie · A6-19 at the ridge, pinned; A6-09 housings for the purlins |
| Truss collar | 5 | 3 × 5 | 112 | A6-12 lapped to the rafter · same |
| Purlin, let into the trusses' backs | 6 | 3 1/2 × 3 1/2 | 421 | A6-09 across each truss · butts the chimney or the gable |
| Truss tie, across on the plates (a garret joist) | 7 | 4 1/2 × 7 | 331 | A6-01 lapped over the plate · same |
| Chimney girt at the plate line | 2 | 7 × 5 | 317 | A6-05 into the post · same |
| Summer beam, under the ties | 2 | 7 × 9 | 156 1/2 – 161 1/2 | A6-32 tusk tenon into the girt · same |