A Timber Framing Workshop at
    Grand Oaks Timber Framing
April 17 - 29, 2005

This was a first time that I have offered a two week workshop.  I had 5 new Timber Framers and they were cutting on a 16' x 24' timber frame with a loft.  Since it was a small class, everyone gained a lot of experience cutting joinery.  Each person was able to cut the major pieces of the timber frame bents.  Participants, which included a pair of brothers, one from Florida and the other from Colorado, were from Tennessee, Indiana and another from Alaska.  Even though it was a smaller group, everyone did a great job cutting a larger sized timber frame!
Brothers at work on the corner posts for Bent  1.   See Honey, I really do need all those tools  that Scott told us about at  the workshop!
Cleaning up the floor joist mortises on Beam 2 with the chisel and mallet.
Squaring the end of a beam in one cut with the big 16" saw.
Cleaning up the tenon of a girt with a chisel.
Enjoying an evening cookout, complete with bonfire, at the Little House in the Little Woods.
TIMBER FRAMING TURKEY ????
Assembling  and trial fitting the posts, girts and braces of the timber frame sides.  The "meat and potatoes" work of timber framing.
Side 1 with the door posts completed.
Side 2 assembled with girts, braces and loft joist.
Nice looking joinery work!!!
Assembling  and trial fitting the queen post bents.  Putting their stamp on timber framing history by signing their work on April 29, 2005.
Enjoying a good meal, good stories and laughter on the final night together.  "Did we really drink all that wine?"  It was a great workshop and a great group of fellows.  Good Luck with your future timberframing projects!
Scott,
Thank you for a life changing experience... Your calm teaching style made it easy to learn... Thanks for sharing your timber framing knowledge...
T. M. Boynton Beach, FL
The following photos were taken after the workshop was over.  I finish up the timber frame, usually the floor joists and purlins.  The photo below is the lay out of the loft floor                                                                                 joists with a 1 foot overhand over Beam 2.
Housed dovetail joinery
Sill timbers- Timbers for a 12' x 16' timber frame are within the 16' x 24' for comparison of size.
This Grand Oaks Timber Frame found a great home in eastern Kentucky.  The new owner did a terrific job on the foundation work!  I arrived a couple of days before the raising and helped cut  timber frame floor joists, which made a perfect match to this strong foundation.
We did the majority of the raising by hand but we did have a backhoe available that helped in raising the final bent and the connecting girts.
View of the front of the timber frame.  I did add another door opening to the frame after the workshop was over.
Nice view of the bents and the loft area.  This 16' x 24' timber came together very nicely and will make a great living space tucked away in this "holler" of Kentucky.
View of loft area from inside the frame.
The geometry of the joinery at this post looks very nice!
It was a great day for a raising.  The weather was perfect and a great group of people showed up to help with the raising.  I actually had 2 former Grand Oaks Timber Framing students at this raising and one of them participated in the workshop that cut this timber frame.  With the dedication and effort that went into this foundation, I know this timber frame has found a good home and I look forward to seeing the progress as this timber frame is finished.
To purchase plans to cut this timber frame or any frame that you see on this website visit the TIMBER FRAME STORE
Purchase plans for this timberfraame online NOW!
Purchase plans for this timberfraame online NOW!
Sign up for an Introduction to Timber Framing workshop online NOW!
Sign up for an Introduction to Timber Framing workshop online NOW!