Brace re-creation and replacement

This was a fun challenge: I was tasked with re-creating and replacing two old wooden architectural braces that had rotted away. The scintillating part was that, like Indiana Jones being handed the half-eaten remains of a treasure map, I only had partial clues from which to conjure the original design. In this case: a single photo, and a rotten remnant of an original brace that looked more like a dog’s chew toy than a piece of architecture (see photo). I like carpenter's puzzles.

Using these scraps of information, I was able to infer and make educated guesses until a full size working template emerged; the kind of drawing you can lay right on the wood and cut to shape. It was geekily satisfying - like solving a crossword puzzle.

This template not only enabled me to produce two precise replacements in cypress (a naturally rot-resistant alternative to toxic pressure-treated wood) but also serves as a permanent pattern for fabricating future braces.