Pennsylvania bank barn — 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 × 9 | 19 | 4 | 513 | bent post, north wall |
| 9 × 9 | 18 | 4 | 486 | bent post, south (forebay) wall |
| 9 × 9 | 16 | 8 | 864 | interior post (drive-floor aisle) |
| 8 × 10 | 21 | 6 | 840 | girder, lengthwise |
| 8 × 10 | 19 | 8 | 1,013 | mow girt, upper (12.2 ft), south · mow girt, lower (6.7 ft), south |
| 8 × 10 | 17 | 12 | 1,360 | tie beam, full width |
| 8 × 10 | 15 | 8 | 800 | mow girt, upper (12.2 ft), north · mow girt, lower (6.7 ft), north |
| 9 × 8 | 23 | 6 | 828 | sill, south wall · sill, north wall |
| 9 × 8 | 22 | 4 | 528 | sill, gable end |
| 8 × 8 | 23 | 6 | 736 | wall plate |
| 8 × 8 | 9 | 4 | 192 | girder post, lower level |
| 9 × 6 | 23 | 3 | 310 | forebay sill |
| 6 × 8 | 23 | 6 | 552 | purlin plate |
| 6 × 8 | 22 | 4 | 352 | wall girt (12.2 ft), bay 1, between wall posts · wall girt (12.2 ft), bay 3, between wall posts |
| 6 × 8 | 19 | 2 | 152 | wall girt (12.2 ft), bay 2, between wall posts |
| 6 × 6 | 9 | 8 | 216 | purlin post |
| 4 × 6 | 21 | 4 | 168 | collar between purlin posts |
| 4 × 5 | 28 | 42 | 1,960 | common rafter (26.0°, 5.9/12) |
| 4 × 4 | 13 | 8 | 139 | long brace, tie to purlin post head (38°) |
| 4 × 4 | 5 | 8 | 53 | inner brace, purlin post to collar |
| 4 × 4 | 4 | 8 | 43 | knee brace, wall post to tie |
12,106 board feet of green timber in 163 pieces.
Logs: 20 × 10 in, 46 1/4 ft — log joist, hewn flat on top, hewn flat on top.
15 members are longer than a 24 ft stick and are scarfed.
42 members are longer than a 24 ft stick — a post or a rafter is not scarfed, so these are a special order at full length.
Pegs: 285 of dry oak, 1 in by 11 in, estimated joint by joint — order a tenth over.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sill, south wall | 1 | 9 × 8 | 726 | A6-17 corner · A6-17 corner; scarfed A2-16 — no stick is 60 ft |
| Sill, north wall | 1 | 9 × 8 | 726 | A6-17 corner · A6-17 corner; scarfed A2-16 |
| Sill, gable end | 2 | 9 × 8 | 465 | A6-17 corner · A6-17 corner |
| Forebay sill | 1 | 9 × 6 | 726 | A6-31 housed on the log-joist ends · same; scarfed A2-16 |
| Girder, lengthwise | 2 | 8 × 10 | 678 | pocket in the gable wall (A6-22 pier case) · same; on 8x8 posts at the interior bents; scarfed A2-16 |
| Girder post, lower level | 4 | 8 × 8 | 86 3/4 | A6-22 foot on a stone pad · head under the girder, A6-02 tenon |
| Log joist, hewn flat on top | 20 | 10 in log | 555 | A6-29 notch over the south sill and the forebay sill on its end (A6-31) · A6-29 notches over both girders and the north sill |
| Bent post, south (forebay) wall | 4 | 9 × 9 | 197 7/8 | A6-22 foot on the sill · A6-02 head tenon into the plate; A6-05 tie and girts housed and double-pegged (sheet 13) |
| Bent post, north wall | 4 | 9 × 9 | 207 1/8 | A6-22 foot on the sill · A6-02 head tenon into the plate; A6-05 tie and girts housed and double-pegged (sheet 13) |
| Interior post (drive-floor aisle) | 8 | 9 × 9 | 179 1/4 | A6-22 foot on the girder / end sill · A6-02 head tenon into the tie; A6-05 girts |
| Tie beam, full width | 4 | 8 × 10 | 537 | A6-05 housed tenon into the wall post, 2 pegs · same; purlin posts A6-30 on top; knee braces A6-03 below |
| Mow girt, upper (12.2 ft), south | 4 | 8 × 10 | 210 | A6-05 into the wall post · A6-05 into the interior post |
| Mow girt, upper (12.2 ft), north | 4 | 8 × 10 | 159 | A6-05 into the interior post · A6-05 into the wall post |
| Mow girt, lower (6.7 ft), south | 4 | 8 × 10 | 210 | A6-05 · A6-05 |
| Mow girt, lower (6.7 ft), north | 4 | 8 × 10 | 159 | A6-05 · A6-05 |
| Purlin post | 8 | 6 × 6 | 92 1/4 | A6-30 foot tenon into the tie · A6-30 head under the purlin plate; collar and braces from the sides |
| Collar between purlin posts | 4 | 4 × 6 | 238 1/4 | A6-05 tenon into the purlin post · same |
| Knee brace, wall post to tie | 8 | 4 × 4 | 32 1/4 | A6-03 45° foot on the post · A6-03 head under the tie |
| Long brace, tie to purlin post head (38°) | 8 | 4 × 4 | 134 1/8 | A6-03 foot on the tie, 3'-5" in from the post · A6-30 head on the purlin post outer face |
| Inner brace, purlin post to collar | 8 | 4 × 4 | 46 3/8 | A6-03 foot on the purlin post inner face · A6-03 head under the collar |
| Wall plate | 2 | 8 × 8 | 726 | A6-02 on the post heads · same; scarfed A2-16 over a post |
| Purlin plate | 2 | 6 × 8 | 726 | A6-30 on the purlin post heads · same; scarfed A2-16 over a post |
| Wall girt (12.2 ft), bay 1, between wall posts | 2 | 6 × 8 | 246 | A6-05 into the wall post · same |
| Wall girt (12.2 ft), bay 2, between wall posts | 2 | 6 × 8 | 208 | A6-05 into the wall post · same |
| Wall girt (12.2 ft), bay 3, between wall posts | 2 | 6 × 8 | 245 | A6-05 into the wall post · same |
| Common rafter (26.0°, 5.9/12) | 42 | 4 × 5 | 324 5/8 | A6-20 seat on the wall plate, 12 in tail · A6-19 tongue-and-fork at the ridge; bears over the purlin plate (A6-30) |