My friend Dave stopped over this morning to help me put the top plates in place. He's a famous TV star, so I can't say his last name
without sounding like a name dropper. Fortunately the plates dropped right in without mishap - always a tense moment when putting something heavy,
with lots of joints, in place. It's 90+ and humid in the shade - another sweaty august day in the Berkshires. I have the first 2 rafters cut and in place.
They are knotched into the top plates and held to each other with bridle joints. The following pics should illustrate the rafter knotchs, the bridle joint,
and the posts morticed and tenoned into the top plate. I will also mention that when finally assembled on site, the frame is "draw pegged" together.
The holes through the mortices and tenons are offset (in this case about 3/16") so that the peg going through the holes pulls the joint tight.
The flexibility of the white oak pegs keeps the joints tight as the frame drys out and all the timbers shrink.