Carpentry Made Easy - The Science and Art of Framing - With Specific Instructions for Building Balloon Frames, Barn Frames, Mill Frames, Warehouses, Church Spires. William E. Bell

      The Science and the Art of Framing.

      No apology is offered for introducing to the Public a work on the Science and Art of Framing. By the Science of Framing is meant the certain knowledge of it, founded on mathematical principles, and for which the master of it can assign intelligent reasons, which he knows to be correct; while the Art of Framing is the system of rules serving to facilitate the practice of it, but the reasons for which the workman may or may not understand. That Carpentry has its rules of Science as well as its rules of Art, no intelligent mechanic can doubt. The rules of the Art are taught by the master-workman at the bench; or, more commonly, insensibly acquired by habit and imitation. But by whom have the rules of the Science been laid down, and where have its principles been intelligibly demonstrated?

      Something New.

      It is believed that this is the very first attempt ever made to bring the Science of Carpentry, properly so called, within the scope of practical mechanics.

      Deficiencies of Former Works on Carpentry.

      Whatever has formerly been published on this subject, that can, with any degree of propriety, be classed under the head of Science, has been only available by professional Architects and Designers, being written in technical language and mathematical signs, accompanied by no adequate definitions or explanations; and are as perfectly unintelligible to working-men of ordinary education as Chinese or Choctaw. On the other hand, the numerous works upon the Art of Carpentry, de signed and published for the use of working-men, are sadly deficient in details and practical rules. They seem to take it for granted that the student is already familiar with his business; they furnish him with drafts and plans to work from; they tell him authoritatively that such or such an angle is the proper bevel for such a part of the frame; but they neither tell him why it is so, nor inform him how to begin and go on systematically with framing and erecting a building. These works are, in fine, chiefly valuable for their plates; and even these it is not always possible to work from with confidence and accuracy, because no man can work with confidence and accuracy in the dark: and he certainly is in the dark who does not understand the reasons on which his rules are founded.

      The Author’s Experience.

      These facts and reflections have been impressing themselves upon the mind of the Author of this work for twenty years past, while he has been serving the Public as a practical car penter. During much of this time it has been his fortune to have large jobs on hand, employing many journeymen mechanics,