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Relish (Timberbee)

From the Quicksilver Metaweb.

Relish is the name for the wood which is left between the Wall of the Mortise and the End of the Timber the Mortise is cut into.

An Example of this would be the Mortise on the end of a plate. Let’s say that it is a 3 bay, 4 bent barn, overall length is not important. In fact, it’s Never important, other than when measuring an existing building, and for the purposes of specifically referring to one particular structure.

Let me emphasis that. * In Traditional Structures, design comes first. Design is centered around Joinery and not True dimension. A 3 Bay, 4 Bent, Queen Post Truss, 36’ Long, 23’ Wide, Vertical Sided, Barn Frame that is 14’ to the Top of the Plate, has the Identical number of joints, in it’s Longitudinal sections, as does a 3 Bay, 4 Bent, Queen Post Truss, 48’Long, Vertical Sided, Barn.

If that Barn were also 23’ wide it would Have Exactly the same Total number of joints as it’s smaller Cousin.

Well, except that the longer one would have more common rafters – hey.

To get back to Relish;

In the above mentioned Barns (Both of them), lets say that the Barns are layed out using the Square Rule system, and the Posts are 12” wide – their widths don’t matter for this example. the Mortises in the underside of the Plate which receive the Tennons of the Wall Posts would be 11” long.

That is, the Mortises for bents II & III, would be 11” long, as they don't require any relish.

The Mortises for bents I& IIII, on the other hand, are only 9” long. This is to allow for 2” of wood between the mortise and the end of the Plate.

If you say that 2” of wood will not resist a 15-16’ Post in racking, you are right. The 2” Relish, here, is intended, almost solely, in order to keep this Mortise from being an Open Mortise. Open Mortises dry differently than do closed ones. Timbers, whose ends are Compromised by Open Mortises often flare out like a head of Cabbage – To be Technical. Just that little bit of wood, 2”, is often enough to keep this outward flaring to a minimum. Try it for yourself.

In Critical Stress Areas, where the Relish Truly is there to resist force, the distance between the end of the Mortise, and the end of the Timber is increased. The amount of Relish, for any given joint, depends entirely upon several factors;

  • How much, and what kind of, stress the Joint will be submitted to.
  • How critical is this joint – if the joint were to fail, would this lead to a Catastrophic Failure?
  • Is this joint vulnerable to Rot (from weather, animals, etc.)
  • Is this joint vulnerable to Owner Inflicted Damage?

These are some factors involved in determining the amount of relish for any given joint. The amount of Force the Joint must withstand and the relative importance of the joint are the two greatest factors in the final measurement. While concerns of exposure to weather, Owner Neglect, and outright Owner Vandalism figure greatly in the choice of one joint over another, one species of wood, over another, and the overall size of the timbers – to combat rot, periods of neglect, and unforeseen stresses imposed upon the frame from weather, Owners, And/or damage.

Relish is more than merely the 2” of wood left between a Mortise and the End of a Timber.