ADVANCED TIMBER FRAMING Courses

Cruck Framing

Cruck frames use large curved timbers to transfer the weight of the roof directly down to the foot of the posts. In this workshop, we will build a small, three-bent cruck frame, from tree selection to layout to raising.

INSTRUCTORS

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english Scribe

The majority of historic timber framed structures in the United States built before 1800 were scribed using a system brought here from the British Isles. It did not involve the use of plumb bobs, piquage, or full-size drawings lofted on a shop floor.

In this seven-day workshop, we will scribe a small English barn. We’ll use both “tumbling” and the “double cut”, the two traditional scribing methods employed in the English scribe. We’ll learn about plumb and level marks, two-foot marks, and we’ll use traditional parts numbering systems. The workshop will culminate with the raising of the frame.

INSTRUCTORS

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Demystifying Roof Geometry - The Stereotomical Approach

Roof geometry is a challenge most framers must face eventually. These problems can be solved either mathematically or visually (drawing by hand). The skill of drawing complex shapes and practicing stereotomy has been taught for centuries by the French, German, and Japanese carpentry traditions; it enables the carpenter to directly measure working angles and scale dimensions rather than calculating them.

INSTRUCTORS

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Timber Frame Design & Joinery Decisions

This course is geared towards timber framers and covers the architectural and structural basics for designing timber frame structures that are both beautiful and functional. 

INSTRUCTORS

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Raising & Rigging

This course teaches the few, but necessary, knots needed by timber framers to safely lift heavy loads and equipment. The rigging of blocks and use of tackle will be demonstrated. You will learn how to construct and adjust a gin pole (luffing) using various rope hitches and tackle. Time permitting, we will show you how to arrange, rig, and raise tripods and shear legs (A-frames) and maneuver a load with a jib-arm. More maneuverable and versatile than shear legs, the gin pole requires more rope and guying points (anchors).

Splicing synthetic and manila ropes for eyes and joining lengths will be practiced. Finding lift points, center of gravity (CoG), and how to secure pieces and bents for raising will also be covered, as well as crane signaling and the basics of crane setup and operations.

INSTRUCTORS

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Introduction to compound joinery

This class will explore a Japanese approach to the challenges of compound joinery that result from a splay-legged form. We will be utilizing both a numeric/trigonometric method as well as a developed drawing method to directly discover the layout geometry with a hand made, full-size drawing. Students will create their own stool to take home at the end of the week, cut using hand tools. This is an intermediate-advanced class and prior experience with hand tools, mortise-and-tenon joinery, and basic trigonometry is encouraged.

INSTRUCTORS

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