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Plates

Timber Truss Plates

Laser-cut steel plates for timber trusses and frames: king post, peak, heel, collar tie, strut, fan, T, corner, and splice plates, in six collections for 3" to 12" timbers, or designed to your own. 3/16" or 1/4" steel, made in Texas, and shipped free in the lower 48.

Design your own plate

A timber king post truss with struts, drawn in isometric, with a steel plate at each joint.

Which plate goes where

A king post truss with struts takes 2 king post, 2 fan, 4 strut, and 4 heel or collar tie plates: one king post, one fan, two strut, and two heel plates on this face, and their twins on the back. Plates are sold singly and used in pairs, through-bolted with threaded rod, with a washer and a nut on each face (bolts also work, but leave a head on one side).

King post truss plate (W)
at the peak, on the king post
Fan truss plate (F)
tie beam to king post and two struts
Strut truss plate (Y)
strut to rafter
Heel truss plate (VB)
at the heel, where the rafter sits on the tie beam
Collar tie truss plate (VT)
the tie beam raised and hung from the rafters

Plan your truss

Elevation of a 12/12 king post truss with struts in 6x6 timbers, Taiga plates: a king post plate (W4) at the peak, a fan plate (F4) at the bottom center, a strut plate (Y4) where each strut meets its rafter, and a heel plate (VB4) at each heel.

01 Collections

Six collections, drawn to one scale.

Each collection fits a range of timber widths. Pick a plate to see it from every collection, all drawn to one scale from our cutting files, so you can compare their sizes honestly.

Compare

At the peak, on the king post

King Post Truss Plate

Part W

12" at this scale. Plates are 3/16" or 1/4" steel, with 11/16" holes for 5/8" bolts. They ship unfinished; add matte black powder coating in the cart. Drawn at 12/12 pitch.

Strut to rafter

Strut Truss Plate

Part Y

12" at this scale. Plates are 3/16" or 1/4" steel, with 11/16" holes for 5/8" bolts. They ship unfinished; add matte black powder coating in the cart. Drawn at 12/12 pitch.

Tie beam to king post and two struts

Fan Truss Plate

Part F

12" at this scale. Plates are 3/16" or 1/4" steel, with 11/16" holes for 5/8" bolts. They ship unfinished; add matte black powder coating in the cart.

At the heel: the rafter sits on the tie beam

Heel Truss Plate

Part VB

12" at this scale. Plates are 3/16" or 1/4" steel, with 11/16" holes for 5/8" bolts. They ship unfinished; add matte black powder coating in the cart. Drawn at 12/12 pitch.

The tie beam raised and hung from the rafters

Collar Tie Truss Plate

Part VT

12" at this scale. Plates are 3/16" or 1/4" steel, with 11/16" holes for 5/8" bolts. They ship unfinished; add matte black powder coating in the cart. Drawn at 12/12 pitch.

Tie beam to king post

T Plate

Part T

12" at this scale. Plates are 3/16" or 1/4" steel, with 11/16" holes for 5/8" bolts. They ship unfinished; add matte black powder coating in the cart.

Tie beam to column

Corner Plate

Part L

12" at this scale. Plates are 3/16" or 1/4" steel, with 11/16" holes for 5/8" bolts. They ship unfinished; add matte black powder coating in the cart.

At the peak, with a welded saddle for the ridge beam

Ridge Beam Truss Saddle

Part W Saddle

12" at this scale. Plates are 3/16" or 1/4" steel, with 11/16" holes for 5/8" bolts. They ship unfinished; add matte black powder coating in the cart. Drawn at 12/12 pitch.

Leave a little wood showing around each plate, and measure your timbers: a store-bought 4x4 is really 3-1/2" square.

  • Ships free in the lower 48 states.
  • 5% off orders over $2,000, 10% off over $5,000. No code needed.

02 Design your own

Design a plate to your own timbers

Every catalog shape, drawn to the timbers you measure. Set the size, bolts, and ends, and see the plate drawn and priced as you go.

No charge for design and no approval step: you pay for the steel, priced by weight, with shipping in the lower 48 built in. 3/16", 1/4", 3/8", or 1/2" plate.

See all custom plates

03 Sizing

Which collection fits my timber

Measure your timbers: a surfaced 6x6 is 5-1/2" square, and a rough-sawn one a full 6". Pick a collection whose range takes their width, then the look you like.

The six plate collections by timber width
CollectionTimber widthPlate widthThe look
Cornice3" to 6" 3" spokes Long, narrow spokes with chamfered ends
Taiga4" to 8" 4" outside, 3" on the webs Long, plain lines; the least steel and the lowest price
Cuesta4" to 8" 4" outside, 3" on the webs Taiga's lines, with arches based on the fleur-de-lis
Massif6" to 10" 6" throughout Heavy, uniform proportions
Esker6" to 10" 6" throughout Long and curving
Sierra8" to 12" 8" outside, 6" on the webs A double row of bolts, for large beams

Plates are 3/16" or 1/4" steel. Between sizes, or outside every range? Design your own to your exact timbers.

04 Shapes

Every plate shape

Each shape from the Taiga collection, drawn to one scale from its cutting file. Every shape comes in all six collections, or designed to your timbers.

12" at this scale. Drawn from the Taiga collection’s cutting files.

05 Gussets

Gusset plates for wood trusses

A gusset plate is a flat plate that joins the timbers of a truss where they meet. In timber framing it's a steel plate bolted over the joint on each face, rather than the plywood or toothed metal gussets of a factory-made lumber truss. Every plate on this page is a timber truss gusset plate: the king post plate at the peak, the heel plates where the rafters sit on the tie beam, and the strut and fan plates on the webs, each laser cut from 3/16" or 1/4" steel and through-bolted.

They're for heavy timber trusses you build, show, and bolt, not for repairing a manufactured truss: changes to those are the truss engineer's call. Our plates are architectural hardware, not engineered or load-rated, so have your engineer confirm any truss that carries your roof. For a joint no catalog plate fits, design your own.

06 Questions

Questions about truss plates

What thickness should I choose?

3/16" is our standard plate and suits most decorative work. 1/4" is a third heavier and stiffer. Our plates are architectural hardware, not engineered or load-rated: if a plate is part of how your truss carries load, your engineer decides whether it's suitable and how thick it should be.

How many plates does a truss need?

A king post truss with struts takes 2 king post, 2 fan, 4 strut, and 4 heel or collar tie plates: one set on each face. Plates are sold singly and used in pairs, through-bolted with threaded rod, with a washer and a nut on each face.

What size are the bolt holes?

Catalog plates are cut with 11/16" holes for 5/8" bolts. On a plate's page you can choose another hole for your bolts or lag screws. Custom plates are cut 1/16" larger than the bolt you choose.

Which roof pitches do you make?

The catalog plates come in pitches from 3/12 to 12/12. The custom plate designers take any pitch from 3/12 to 24/12, as a rise in 12 or in degrees.

What finishes are there?

Bare steel, or matte black powder coat added in the cart. Galvanizing is by quote.

When will my plates ship?

Every plate is cut to order in our shop in Texas, and the current lead time shows in your cart before you check out. Shipping is free in the lower 48 states.

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Santa Anna, TX 76878