Weekend Workshop in Vermont

Join us at a "Timber Framing for Beginners" workshop in Vermont.

In a basic timber framing workshop for beginners you'll just learn the basic joints, mortise and tenon, laid out and cut using square rule joinery techniques. No fancy rafter tails or seats. No complex compound joinery.

Other than a standard mortise and tenon the only other joints we'd be doing is brace layout, including brace tenon and brace pockets in post and beam, which are the basic joints in timber framing.

Each student will be cutting the joints to construct a mailbox post like the one pictured below.

The mailbox post that you cut is yours to take home (mailbox not included). If you can't transport a finished post home, and you want to donate it to a school fund raiser; we have found two local schools who will accept the donation in your name.

These workshops would be held on a Saturday, and a Sunday. The first weekend we will be having a workshop is November 19 & 20^th, 2011. Other workshops at the same location will be scheduled in 2012.
The day would consist of start time at 8 am and working on joints till noon. Lunch provided by the host, till 12:30. Then working on joints till 5:30 pm or so. During the first hour of the first day we will spend a little time on tools needed to do timber framing.

And you'll have a chance to use a boring machine, and/or a chain mortiser, or both.

The cost for this two day workshop is $225. A lunch will be provided both days as well as coffee and snacks in the morning. The timber costs of the mailbox post are included in your registration fee.

If anyone would like to join us at Beaver Brook Farm in Marshfield, VT they could send me an email, I'll add your name to our roster. Class size will be limited to 8, so that you can have some dedicated one on one instruction from Jim Rogers.

The location is Beaver Brook Farm, in Marshfield, VT. Directions will be forwarded to you.

We will be in a very nice heated timber frame barn.

You'll have to bring some of your basic layout and cutting tools with you to this workshop. Our inventory of our timber framing tools that we sell will be available for a participant to purchase as well.

Please email me at jrsawmill (at) verizon (dot) net for any questions or other details. Jim Rogers

 

We're just about three weeks out on this workshop. And we still have openings.
If you'd like to sign up just let me know.

Jim Rogers

We still have opening for this workshop.
Sign up now, we're only one week away.

Jim Rogers

Can you tell us about how timber framing is considered green building?

A couple of things jump right out at me first off. The timbers used take less energy to produce than say steel studs. And I believe a timber frame has less wood in it then a stick built house. Lots of timber frames are enclosed with structural insulated panels, (SIPS). The SIPS enclosure system saves a lot of energy in the long run over conventional insulation methods.
And I'll continue to do some more research on this for you. When I have some more answers I will post them.