Marc Banks

Yes, your question makes perfect sense.
What you are trying to do is calculate the load bearing capacity. I'm still a bit in the dark myself, but I was recommended Jack Sobon's "Build a Classic Timber Framed House" as there is supposed to be a pretty good section in the back on the math for engineering a beam. I've got it on order at my local library, I'd suggest you do the same. If you're not interested in doing that, then all I could suggest would be finding a architectural engineer and either hiring him, or plying him with dinner and a six pack to walk you through the math to do it.

Right, so I got a job working at a timber framing company and I'm a blacksmith when I'm not working there.
Right now I'm wondering what sizes of chisels and slicks I should make. My current thought is to do a full set starting at 1/2" and going up to 2" in 1/4" steps. I'm asking this as I'm still reasonably new at the job (less than a year in), and I want to expand the selection of equipment I have available to me.
Currently my hand tool selection is entirely comprised of stuff made by me, and I like that theme. Right now I have a 2" slick, 2" chisel, 1" chisel, and a 1" corner chisel. I'm thinking of adding in chisels stepped in 1/4" increments from 1/2" up to 2 1/4"

So, what should I add? Even if it's not a chisel or slick, what other handy tools should I consider?

Sounds more like you're after what's known as a swan neck chisel. I know several blacksmiths who would be quite happy to bang out what you want in fairly short order.

I'm curious about what specific things you need for planning this structure. You said you need to sort the frame, I'm assuming that you need to determine the truss details before you can suss out the remainder of the structure. I'm just guessing that you're looking for something like the following?

Howdy do folks, I was injured on the job awhile back and have been twiddling my thumbs while I recover. The upshot is that I was injured doing timber framing, and it was/is my job.

Since I'm lothe to leave my mind idle for long I've been doing a bit of design based on some of the past projects that I worked on during my short time working with the company. So I've an ounce of experience, a pound of ambition, and about 7 months and counting of nothing physically challenging to do.

Most of my designing is done first with pencil and paper, then I move on to the computer and do a full deal in Google Sketchup, the linked file is one of those done in sketchup.

Right now I'm looking for feedback and other ideas on what I can do differently to change or improve the design.

Cheers and thanks for looking

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_e1p6D-UyycWmtNaGdiZHVPVG8/view?usp=sharing