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The Oak-Apple Style |
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Contacts: Andrew J Crabb & James Fraser-Harris Widcombe Farm, Culmhead, Taunton, Somerset, TA3 7DX. Home: 01823 421 395 Mobile: 07971817092 Email us on: james.fh@btinternet.com
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We control the whole process from tree to finished frame, starting by
ensuring that all the Oak trees used in our frames come from properly
managed woodland where the principal aim is to preserve native broadleaf
woods for future generations. (Click on thumbnails for a larger
image).
Having the sawmill on the same site as the frame building gives us unique advantages, enabling us to minimise waste and reduce transport, but above all it gives us the opportunity to select individual trees to suit the job in hand, especially when matching curved timber in restoration work.
All our buildings are based on traditional designs using medieval carpentry methods. We believe they have stood the test of time and fully expect our buildings to still be up in 400 years! Their strength comes from the hand-cut mortise and tenon joints which are cut in the workshop and then assembled on site.
Where possible (and appropriate) we like to work with the wood, using the natural shape of the timber rather than sawing it all square-edged, so all our buildings are unique. The natural curve and wane of the timber can be incorporated by sawing the log flat in one plane, while following the grain in the other, thus maximising both the strength and the aesthetic appeal. A couple of examples are shown in the photos below. We feel that this characterises the "Oak-Apple Style" and makes our frames that bit more unique!
Once all the joints have been cut and drilled in the workshop the individual components of the frame are packed together and transported to the site. The frame can then be assembled and draw-pegged with hand-crafted Oak pegs.
We do not have a 'stock' or 'standard' design since every building, being hand-made is designed individually to take into account the clients taste, needs and budget.
Our hope is that every client ends up with the Oak-framed building of their dreams. Have a look at the gallery for photos from a few of our projects.
We like to make the best use of the whole tree and use off-cuts from the saw-mill to make rustic Oak benches and tables ideal for the garden. |
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