Hardwood Wedges used in Post-and-Beam construction ??

[Terry King]

I need to make lots of hardwood wedges to use in joints in large green hemlock beams. I see these in some books on the subject, but I don't see much about:

- Dimensions / slope ?? Any guidelines you can suggest

- How to cut MANY from hardwood stock? Any suggestions on layout on something like 1" maple boards to cut lots of small wedge-shaped pieces without ots of handling??

Suggestions or pointers appreciated!

[Andy Dingley]

I make these for timber-framing work, and for tusked tenons on oak furniture. Mine are usually 3/4" thick oak, cut at 5°. I've made a bandsaw sled that takes a wide strip of short timber, then cuts them off. There are two sets of stops and end-stops, for both the straight cut and for the sloping cut.. The sled slides back and forth and I move the timber between the two sets for each cut.

-- Smert' spamionam

[Terry King]

Thanks, Andy! I like your sled design.

I realize there are MORE things I don't know. Following is a post I put on the Timber Framers Guild, but have no responses yet:

---( copy )---

I have read through 3 or 4 books on timber framing, and generally understand the use of wedges in wedged dovetails etc, and in tightening other joints.

There is lots of information on Pegs.. BUT I have not found any design guidelines for the size and wedge angle to be used in different wedging situations. And all the references are to "hardwood" with no specifics. I'm sure I'm missing this somewhere. Can someone point me to information on wedges?

I have a specific case in mind (but I'm sure I'll have others). Right now I am building a utility barn using a combination of traditional framing techniques and some metal fasteners in some cases. I am now placing 4x6 inch joists for the main floor on 18" centers into 8x8 inch beams that are supported on 8 foot centers. The engineering numbers for hemlock work out well for a vehicle up to 6000 pounds on this frame with 2 inch floor boards. My Question: I am setting the 4x6 joists (reduced to a 4x5 'lug') into 4x5x2 simple pocket mortises in the 8x8's. (Note: the square layout means the 8x8's have joists let in on only one side, in a 'checkerboard' sequence). Still, I want to wedge the 2 inch sides of the tenons to help compensate for drying over time, and to reduce the effect of the 4x5 by 2 deep mortises in the 8x8 beams. I see quite a few examples of this kind of wedging in the books, but nothing specific on the size and shape of the wedge.

1. Should the wedge be the full 2 inches wide, or is it better to avoid the opening edge area?

1. What would an appropriate wedge angle be?

2. Would maple be an OK 'hardwood' for wedges?

1. Frosting on the Cake: Does anyone have a favorite layout for cutting a number of wedges out of hardwood stock??

And ANOTHER Late question:

Should I design the initial joint tolerance to be "tight", and expect the wedges to be doing some compression and taking up later shrinkage? Or should I design in some spacing that the wedge will start in?

I've learned a lot from the TFG "Joinery and Design Workbook" and other books like Steve Chappell's, and these forums.

I would appreciate any pointers, comments or critiques!