Scribes in the Heartwood

Scribes in the Heartwood is a specialised historical register and timber-deformation workspace for vernacular architecture preservationists, historic timber framers, and researchers documenting traditional load-bearing frames. Each joint can be recorded as an individual structural specimen with a photograph, registry code, joint type, carpenter’s marriage mark, tenon geometry, trunnel offset, timber species, peg construction, estimated shear capacity, moisture content, grain deviation, ring density, diagnostic status, tags, and field notes. The register supports traditional forms including mortise-and-tenon, scarf, lap, dovetail, trunnel, and marked joinery. Records can be searched and filtered by joint type, then opened as detailed dossiers containing their structural and material specifications. The Draw-Bore Tension model visualises how changes in wood moisture may influence shrinkage vectors and tension around a riven peg over time. A building map places recorded joints within the wider frame, making it possible to inspect each connection in its structural context. Frame Intelligence summarises the archive through joint counts, type distribution, timber species, diagnostic health, and available shear-capacity data. Together, these tools preserve the geometry, markings, materials, and field observations that give a historic timber frame its individual record. Diagnostic values and deformation models are estimates intended for documentation, comparative study, and preliminary investigation. They do not replace an on-site structural survey or professional engineering assessment.