It was a small, but enthusiatic group of new timber framers for this workshop. Participants were from Arizona, Illinois, and Wisconsin. We had a beautiful fall week. The fall season and timber framing just seem to go together naturally. I had my first female student in this workshop and everybody left with their own timber framing visions for the future.
I had a husband/wife team sign up for this workshop. Lynn had very little experience with power tools before the workshop started, but by the end of the week she had gained confidence in cutting the joinery. She left the big 16" saw cuts for Dave, though.
New timber framers from Grand Oaks Academy of Timber Framing
The other crew,Ron and Denny, teamed up well and cut a really nice looking bent that came together perfectly.
Discussing those timber frame dreams over a good lunch prepared by my daughter.
Raising Bent 1 by hand.
Dave and Lynn made a great timber framing team and I know the frame that they cut together in the future will look nice!
Final photo of the hand-raised timber frame. We just made a little bit of history! A hundred years from now this photo is going to be hanging inside of this timber frame!
"Superduper, Fantabilous workshop! A MUST for beginner timber framers."
The weather turned a little chilly on raising day and with a small number of participants we did not get all of the timber frame prepared for the raising, but we were able to do a partial raising. It is great to see all of the learning of the week come together so nicely.
History is made again at Grand Oaks Timber Framing on Oct 23, 2006 with another successfully hand raised timber frame. Some of the rafters were cut but not completely ready for the raising.
After the workshop ended, Scott oiled the timbers. He will gradually complete the timber frame on his own. It will eventually have a shed attached to the side of the frame. Check back for photos of the progress.
"Scott, Thank you for a great time. You made learning a new skill enjoyable... Your class was exceptional. We came away feeling we could build something for ourselves...
D. & L. Y., Illinois
With the help of his tractor, Scott started adding on the shed portion of the timber frame. This will be an open shed. with the main portion of the timber enclosed.
Shed rafters completely raised.
A timber framer has to have all his "ducks in a ...", I mean his "dovetails in a row" to get the raising done!
With the help of a forklift we finished the raising of this timber frame on February 25, 2006, with the assembly of the main rafters.
Trimming the final pegs of the completed raised frame. This timber has 12' x 16' workshop area with two 8' wide doors and an 11' x 16' open shed.
The Rafter Raising crew included my wife, her father and a couple of friends who actually helped me raise my first timber frame, "The Little House in the Little Woods."
A few shots of the progress being made on the workshop. The windows were recycled. The floor is made from 1 1/2" x 6" x 12' yellow poplar boards with 1" peg inlays. The doors were made from 2" x 8" T & G cypress boards. All of the wood in this frame came rough cut from the sawmill, except the Birch T & G paneling in the ceiling, and was planed and milled at Grand Oaks.
A couple of photos of the mostly completed timber frame workshop. These cypress siding was stained with semi-transparent stain that matched up nice with the oak timbers. Eventually, there will be a deck on both ends of the workshop. Inside the workshop there is a bandsaw and table saw. All of the planning of the timbers will be done under the shed, since that produces the most wood chips. The majority of joinery work will be done under the shed, as long as the weather is nice.
