A Japanese timber framed garden shed

[GRadice]

OK, way down here seems to be where garden shed discussions hide. Hello?

I'm into an unusual or maybe even exotic project: a Japanese framed shed, in Oregon, USA. This came about because a couple of years ago my wife asked if we could have a shed closer to our downhill garden to keep tools and supplies rather than uphill in our garage. Since the garage is also my shop I was enthusiastic. I can finally get all that gardening c**p out of my space. My only requirement was that I over-do it. She agreed. Why I'm glad I married her.

Here is my current sketch of the shed. For scale, the plan is 6 feet by 9 feet to center lines. Sorry, Imperial because that's how I started but I promise everything after this will be in metric. Not just to be courteous but because I realized later that with my mostly Japanese tooling metric would be much easier. For example, the posts are 120 mm x 120 mm.
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The frame will be of Port Orford cedar, which I purchased 18 months ago from a sawmill about 5 hours from my home. After air drying it is now about 11-13% MC. I've milled the posts and beams square and to final dimensions mostly in my garage shop with jointer and band saw and some hand planing.

Here is the jointer with a hint of the band saw setup.

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Rather than having a sill on continuous perimeter foundation I'm using a design in which the shed posts are scribed to stones set on concrete piers. A Japanese style called ishibatate or "standing on stones." Threaded rod set into the piers pass through the stones and into the posts. The post bottoms are scribed to the contour of the stones. A bit tedious to carve the posts but I wanted the visual effect of a post seeming to rise from the stone. It is also very stable.

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More to come if there is interest.

Gary

[NCArcher]

More to come if there is interest.

Gary

Yes please Gary. Love the scribing to the stones. Looks great. Are you planning to build with traditional Japanese joinery?

[GRadice]

Yes, all Japanese joinery. The only metal fasteners will be screws to hold down the rafters, metal roof panels, wood flooring and some in the plywood and cement board wall panels.

Last summer I made a joinery study in smaller timbers to see whether I was on the right track. The joints are scaled about 2/3rds but the distance between the joints is vastly reduced to fit into my shop/shed. So not a scale model but a joinery model.
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A couple of the more complex joints. This is how the barge board/hafu will be joined to the eave beam/keta on the gable end.
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And here is a three way joint of the floor beams to a post.
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Fun, right?

[johknee]

Wow, your joinery is great. Nice work!

P.S. Awesome workshop.
P.P.S I spy a Trinacria flag too!

[GRadice]

P.P.S I spy a Trinacria flag too!

Good eye! I'm a proud descendant of grandparents on my father's side from Mistretta and Sinagra in Messina province. And I have cugini in Sinagra near Perth, too.

[Greg Q]

Beautiful work Gary. Is that a Northfield jointer? You've done a great job on the guarding on that black bandsaw too.

I'm not going to show this thread to my wife. I have lately been getting potting shed pictures in my email, unsolicited.

[GRadice]

The jointer is a 12" Crescent jointer made about 1948. It is a beast. The bandsaw is also a Crescent, 26", made in the late 1920's. The wheel guard is original. You might also get a glimpse of a 20" cast iron Fay and Egan bandsaw toward the back, made in the late 1950's. All of my machines are older ones that I've restored. I'm too much a miser to buy new. The youngest floor machine is a 1979 Rockwell/Delta Unisaw that I bought nearly new in 1981 but is now an antique, like me.

[Bushmiller]

All of my machines are older ones that I've restored. I'm too much a miser to buy new. The youngest floor machine is a 1979 Rockwell/Delta Unisaw that I bought nearly new in 1981 but is now an antique, like me.

GRadice

Your machines are to die for and your work excellent, but I am struggling to equate your Rockwell/Delta Unisaw purchase in 1981 with your listed age. Perhaps your other achievement is to have found the fountain of youth, although that in itself would probably not change your actual age: Only the apparent age!

JP joinery is amazing. Keep us updated.

Regards
Paul

[Greg Q]

I really like old ww machines. I used to restore machine tools as a hobby, and when I get time I will likely do the same with woodworking tools. Most of mine are from the 70’s although I am a 4th owner of a ‘95 Felder that is ripe for restoration. After the potting shed. And the Japanese inspired cedar bridge across the stream.

I did see the F&E bandsaw in the back too and think very well of it.

[FenceFurniture]

Fantastic work Gary. The posts rising out of the stones looks terrific.

P.S. Awesome workshop.
P.P.S I spy a Trinacria flag too!

Agreed.
So what else can we spy in the dude's workshop?

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Well I reckon that the red-handled clamp is stamped "Made in West Germany" on the lower jaw, and "100" on the other side, and was purchased around 1975-85.

[Greg Q]

And the orange ones are Jorgensen “Pony” from Garret Wade in the 90’s . I ain’t showing you guys my shop pictures ��

[GRadice]

When I prepped the site for construction, for fun and to honor a Japanese tradition I conducted a jichinsai ceremony. This comes from the Shinto religion and is meant to apologize to the local natural spirits for disrupting their peace and quiet in hopes of pacifying them. Otherwise, they might cause bad luck.

The ceremony can be more or less elaborate and also involve a Shinto priest. Those are thin on the ground around here so I did a DIY. The minimum needed is a branch of something evergreen, and an offering of rice, sake, and salt. I don't think the local spirits are familiar with rice or sake so I used home made sourdough bread and an Oregon pinot noir. The little green and red stool is something my grandfather made for me 65 years ago. I clapped my hands twice to get the spirits' attention, bowed in respect, and offered a silent wish for a safe and successful build.

My dear wife just rolled her eyes but after 34 years together she is used to my antics. I'm not religious at all but I think taking a moment to be mindful of the task ahead is always a good idea.

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[woodPixel]

If you want to see just how bad things can get by not following the rituals, watch Ghibli's Pom Poko.

Bbiiiggg trouble!

[GRadice]

I did see the F&E bandsaw in the back too and think very well of it.

There were very few made, probably in the 1950's or early 60's. Most F&E were made much larger for industrial use but they made this baby one to the same standards and I suspect that made it too expensive to be a popular. I was I lucky to find one locally a few years ago. It had been abused by someone who thought it would make a great saw for cutting aluminium. And then knocked it over cracking the trunnion. But I was able to find a cast iron orthopedic welder who set that right, and I cleaned and repainted the rest. The direct drive is really smooth for curved and everyday work but at 1 hp (I don't know the metric equivalent) a bit underpowered for resawing.

Here is a slightly better but still fuzzy view of it before I got the blade guides mounted and dust collection ducts attached.

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[GRadice]

And yes, you got those clamps identified. I don't have much new to report on the shed since I'm still just doing layout: How about these clamps?

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