Drawings of scribing tradition in French timber framing, the graphic system used by carpenters since the 13th century to represent structures and joints, carried out by Max Rutgers
The scribing tradition in French timber framing is a graphic system developed in France since the 13th century, allowing for the highly precise representation of both a building’s volumes and the joints between the wooden elements that compose them. This set of procedures constitutes a distinct discipline, separate from the general theory and practice of architecture, and forms part of the specialised training in timber framing. Thanks to this method, the master carpenter can determine in the workshop —in advance and in a way that facilitates prefabrication— all the required elements, even the most complex ones, ensuring that during on-site assembly all joints fit perfectly, including those of greater technical difficulty or scale. In 2009, UNESCO inscribed the scribing tradition in French timber framing on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Traditional tools of the structural carpenter
- Fleam-tooth saw or handsaw
- Alsatian square: thicker at the angle, thinner at the ends
- Two-man saw (passe-partout): used for both felling and hewing
- Auger (30 mm): for boring mortises and other joints
- Goosewing axe: for hewing timber
- Chalk line: for marking full-scale layouts on the workshop floor
- Spirit level: for alignment and leveling in conjunction with a plumb bob
- Bisaiguë twibill: iconic structural carpenter’s tool with a flat chisel at one end and a mortise chisel at the other, used to cut large traditional joints—its weight allows work without a mallet or hammer
- Guillaume curved blade: for removing burrs at the edges of rough-hewn beams
- Conejito cord holder: holds the end of the chalk line; shares its nickname (“bunny rabbit”) with the apprentices who hold the line when timber is marked out
- –Clameau clamp: holds a log in place during hewing or keeps a beam aligned, and can serve as a tension joint for connecting discontinuous beams across a main beam
- Marking plumb bob: used for aligning timbers over a layout marked on the ground and marking joints between elements
- Rule: always in the carpenter’s pocket, used to mark out joints, with a centerline for positioning over a guideline. Today it is normally 35 cm by 3 cm, but in the Middle Ages it would be one foot by one inch, as calibrated by the master builder
- Bevel gauge: used to transfer angles to timber pieces
- Dry-tip scriber
- Marking router: for cutting fine grooves in wood to mark out joints or leave marks to help pieces be recognized during assembly. At the top of the handle is a tool for guiding saw teeth
- String: traditionally wound on an oak peg, used for marking out full-scale templates
- Heavy-duty mortise chisel: with a metal-topped handle aligned with the back of the blade, designed for deep joints and direct hammering without damaging the handle
- Folding rule: kept with the other rule and a pencil in the carpenter’s pocket
- The mortise chisel (bédane): allows to excavate the bottom of mortises or other deep assemblies.