I realize that people who are simply shopping for the least cost and quickest turn-around time, or perhaps a contemporary timber design may not be interested in my building methods and traditional structures. But I also believe that there are folks out there who truly appreciate and value the craftsmanship inherent in a traditionally joined framework, one that will separate them from the mainstream timber frames and manufactured log structures that dot the suburban landscape.  One where traditional designs, the same hand-tools that shaped timbers 150 years ago, and the historic timber-joinery details are just as important to you as the end result.

     I have gone to great lengths in providing much detailed information (both on 

 this website and in my booklet) concerning my building system methodologies,

in the hope that what I can offer you is also a good fit for the building plans you 

have in  mind. I invite you to take some time, read through this site, then 

compare SPTJ with the other's that are involved in heavy timber carpentry.

   So if you're looking for an "old-fashioned" timber frame structure or dovetail log 

cabin that will be crafted using "old-fashioned" tools and methods, one that is a 

rustic alternative to the upscale/modern designs featured in the magazines, I 

sincerely hope that you will consider Square Peg Timber Joinery for that special 

building project that you've been planning!

                     Thank you for your interest.

         Ron Mansour / Square Peg Timber Joinery LLC
                         ronsptj@gmail.com
 

heavy Timber Carpentry ​​​​​​Inspired by 19th Century, Early American Building Traditions

​​​Handcrafted Traditional Timber Frames & Dovetail Log Cabins

 
    Welcome to Square Peg Timber Joinery, located in the Trumbull 

County area of northeast Ohio, where I’ve chosen to focus my business on the time-honored building traditions of a much simpler time in early America: constructing truly handcrafted, rustic, traditional timber frame structures and dovetail corner-notched log cabins. These two diverse, yet interwoven building styles from our American pioneering past are linked by a common thread that binds both crafts; wood-to-wood timber joinery, joinery that is crafted with the same hand tools of long ago, under the watchful eyes and patient hands of the craftsman. 

Interested? Get in Touch for More Info.

Please contact me for a 31 page booklet containing background info on myself & previous projects, behind-the-scenes details offering insight into my personal business philosophy as it relates to you and I, the 10 factors that dictate how I price my work, specifics concerning the services & materials you will receive from SPTJ, a VERY detailed budget worksheet, and a design questionnaire. No shiny glossy pictures, just LOTS of helpful and (hopefully) interesting information! Booklet cost is $12.

    Everyone approaches their craft/trade a bit differently, and those in the world of timber framing and log building are no different. There are some that believe in contemporary designs and use a more modern, mechanized approach, with an eye on high production. And there are those that choose to align their building philosophy more closely to the historical roots of early American heavy timber carpentry. I proudly fall within this latter group.  The 200 year old structures of the past have left a lasting imprint on the building philosophy that I bring to each and every project, strongly rooted in the designs, hand tools and joinery inherent in the vernacular frameworks common to 18th & 19th century American settlement areas, including the Western Reserve area of Trumbull County, where my family & I reside. Named after the governor of Connecticut, Jonathan Trumbull, and the town that bears the family name there, Trumbull County was originally settled as part of the Connecticut Western Reserve and formed into a township in 1800.

    The same hand-tools that crafted the mortise & tenon joints in the timbers of an old barn, and shaped the dovetail notches in an early settlers log cabin, are some of the same tools that fill my shop and craft timber joinery: antique & restored Disston handsaws, 150 yr old timber framing chisels, an 1870's hand-crank beam drill, wooden planes, draw-knives, auger-bits, and axes, all at one time owned, cared-for, and utilized by a proud craftsman of long ago.

Timber Frame Houses, Dovetail Log Cabins,
Timber Frame Pavilions, Horse Barns.

Follow me on Instagram @ronsptj for pics of recent projects!

     You will see the words "traditional" and "handcrafted" pop up quite often on this website, and as they relate to my work, have these core elements in common: a) skeletal timber-framework designs and log wall profiles replicating those of 18th-19th century America, b) timbers fastened together with mortise & tenon pegged wooden joinery strongly rooted in historical precedent, with same criteria applying to log wall corner notching methods, and c) all wood joinery crafted with non-power hand-tools. 

    During the time it takes me to craft your timber frame or dovetail log cabin, two issues are ever-present in the work-ethic that I bring to each and every project: attention-to-detail, and craftsmanship. The required time frame allotments (per project) allow me to spend the quality time during joinery layout and then with the hand tools that I believe is absolutely necessary in upholding the standards and concepts of a truly handcrafted timber frame or dovetail log home.