WOODWORKING QUIZ for 21 July 04

[Ralph Jones]

Good Evening Friends,
Board and batten effect is created by nailing batten boards over exterior plywood sheets applied vertically.

What was the original reason for batten boards?

Respectfully, :)

[Barry_White]

To cover and waterproof the joins.

[bitingmidge]

Only partly right Bazza,

When we went metric, they stopped making the old 4'0" (1220) wide sheets, and started sending them out 1200. This of course meant that they were too short one end, and the sheets never met. The battens were introduced to cover up what would have been an ugly gap.

:D :D :D
(Does anyone ever believe this tripe?)
P

[journeyman Mick]

Actually as far as I know, here in Aus. board and batten refers to vertical cladding of boards (70 - 150 mm wide) with battens (50 - 70 mm wide) over the joints. Never seen ply with battens, but I have seen ply with cover strips. Nowadays if you wish to clad with ply there are profiles available with a shiplap type rebate.

Mick

[bitingmidge]

Never seen ply with battens,
Time you had a holiday in Noosa, Mick!

Cheers,

P

[silentC]

House across the road has a board and batten wall. The board is Shadowclad. The battens cover both horizontal and vertical joins (2 story wall) plus they've whacked in a few extras for good measure. Architects :rolleyes:

[Barry_White]

Only partly right Bazza,

When we went metric, they stopped making the old 4'0" (1220) wide sheets, and started sending them out 1200. This of course meant that they were too short one end, and the sheets never met. The battens were introduced to cover up what would have been an ugly gap.

:D :D :D
(Does anyone ever believe this tripe?)
P
Biting

You have to remember he's in Yankee Land and they don't know what metric is.

[Ralph Jones]

Good Evening Friends,
You fellows are correct as the batten boards are mostly for decoration today but, when they were first used the were placed over a joint to keep the weather out and also to help keep the board flat against the wall. Some times if too wide a board was used it didn't work.

I can remember when I was a youngster my family built barns with the wood from the surrounding area and was as green as grass. But today you can't even drive a nail into it as it is so hard. If you do need to nail it or install a screw you must first pre drill.

Oh, by the way, now that I have a metric converter thanks to Bob Wilson.
Metric conversion is no problem for me anymore.

Thank you for your support.

Respectfully, :)

[bitingmidge]

I can remember when I was a youngster my family built barns with the wood from the surrounding area and was as green as grass.

Much as I would deny ever personally having swung a hammer, if I had, I could tell you that I remember nailing up hardwood weatherboards that were so green they spat sap as we hammered.

Sort of like eating a grapefruit, only we all ended up blacker'n Bazza :D.

You can't imagine the weight of the timber Ralph, but 8" green weather boards were nailed with a two inch overlap, with the nails placed so that they only went through one board. It was nothing to see more than an inch of shrinkage, so if you accidentally nailed through two boards, you'd be back replacing the bottom one within two weeks.

No point in waiting for them to season, they'd end up with more bends in them than the proverbial and would be too hard to nail anyway.

Out of curiousty do they still sell green hardwood weatherboards?

Cheers,

P