When the pioneers of early Ontario
began to build houses, they were typically too far from a viable market to get
materials such as nails in bulk. So, many builders took to making nail-less
houses, using a style called “timber framing”.
The primary method of this was
using a beam, called a “tenon”, and a receptacle, called a “mortise”. Pioneers
would use chisels to create the shapes on beams, and then they would drill
holes in the ends of the tenons to place pegs, which would keep the mortise and
tenon system tight together.
This is still one of the strongest woodworking methods today, and it is completely nail-less. These beams came in multiple different types, such as dovetail systems and stub joints.
To make these as precise as
possible you need to use tools to measure out the joints and mortises of each
beam. One such tool is the framing square. The framing square is a right angle
with measurements along each side. One is two inches wide, and the other is one
and a half inches. Much of the wood would be separated into beams around five
and a half inches wide, so the framing square was perfect for putting a mortise
dead centre of the beam.
Over the years, this method was
more or less abandoned for building dwellings, as Canada became more and more
established. The “mortise and tenon” method was used for building barns, many
of which are still very strong to this day.
Few buildings are built this way today, because it is very time
consuming to carve every beam perfectly. However, some smaller projects, such
as sheds and gazebos are still made using the style.
Over the years, timber framing and
other nail-less building methods were important to the colonization of new
lands, as it was the sturdiest and most permanent building method available.
Parker is a grade 12 student at Trinity College School and guest writer for the Museum.