The right project for the right group at the right time.
Friday
Itty Bitty Timber Frame Raising for the Archibald Community Garden
28 Archibald Street,
Burlington's Old North End
Sunday November 8th
Burlington's Old North End
Sunday November 8th
Tuesday
Japanese Hand Planes
There's more than exoticism tied up in how some woodworkers feel about Japanese tools. While they are fundamentally the same tools we have, the are also profoundly different. 90% of that is because the tools reflect two geographically separate cultures finding solutions to the same problems with technology.
But some things are different. For example, Early American timber framing chisels are composed of two types of steel in order to maintaing a sharp edge while not being so hard they become brittle. Many of those old chisels are superior to today's chisels.
America's early carpenters had nice steel produced by skilled blacksmiths. However, Japan's nicest chisels are made by the hands of craftsmen directly descended from Samurai sword-smiths (for real, there's documentation of the career changes sword-smiths made after the Samurai were banned). There is a measurable difference in the cutting ability of those tools.
They were a pleasure to use. They're also crazy. This link will bring to a video of a Japanese Plane Competition. At one point a ribbon of planed wood is measured at 9 microns. To give you a sense, in woodworking, 1/64th of an inch is small. It's also 396 microns.
Every dog has some wolf.
German Timber Framing, Session 3: The Hip Rafter
THAT was a long couple of weekends. We started this season camping outside and sweating in the autumn sun. We're still camping outside and sweating in the sun, but boy it's more intense!
There's been a theme to all of our classes, and I'm not talking just about the enormous truck-stop sandwiches. What's made this series unlike other timber framing opportunities was the lay out method. Often introductory classes teach square-rule framing - for which you make all joinery to geometrically-perfect imagined timbers contained in a larger, imperfect timber. It's a beautiful and straightforward method and it caught on like wildfire in the states after it's introduction (back in the day). It requires units of measurement and accuracy with those measurements, but once you have the design clearly defined each piece could be cut in different locations and assembled like a puzzle of perfectly-fitting orphan pieces.
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| Snapped lines |
German Lofting is more of a family affair. First, all the measured drawing happens on a series of 1:1 scale drawing of the building - typically snapped chalk lines - which are very precise. From there, all the cut lines are made by connecting dots either derived from the snapped lines or from simply laying one timber on top of it's sibling. The difference is a separation of the two steps in the process: square-rule cutting is peppered throughout out with laying out your cuts, while lofting requires about the same amount of time total, but plowed to the front-end. It also frees the wood's milling from being a determining factor, though math always wins.
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| Layed out after being lofted. |
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| Hip rafter meets lower plate. |
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| Common rafter. |
Looking forward to what the spring may bring...
German Timber Framing, Session 2: The Stuhl
As advertised, one of the focal points of this class was a review of classic timber frame joinery. There where an assortment of garden-variety connections made, but the cross half-lap caught the eye of a couple folks. It came together like a dream.
AND this is what arrivals to the final class were greeted by...
Sunday
German Timber Framing, Session 1: Saw Horse
Crisp weather, freshly milled pine, and
pancakes. Greater than the sum of their parts. This weekend was the
kick off of out German Timber Framing Suite. Focusing on a
centuries-old lofting technique, this first session introduced the
method of mapping out the project to scale – each student built a
saw horse. Once checked, timbers were laid over the drawings and
lines were derived from transferred marks. Then we cut. Then we
assembled. Then we highfived. Then we made dinner.
The next session will be bigger and
bolder. Taking what was learned in this course we'll be constructing
a stout roof structure with more compound joinery and even wilder
intersections. Don't be bashful.
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| Walking through the example layout. |
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| Students composing their own layout boards. |
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| Pulling marks from the layout. |
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| Outside and cutting. |
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| 4 legs. |
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| Roughing out housings. |
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| What are you doing October 26? |
Tuesday
German Loft Timber Framing Suite
This fall Measure Twice is excited to co-host a three-session German Loft-Style Timber Framing course in the northern Upper Valley of Vermont. The lofting technique dramatically simplifies complex joinery by utilizing full-scale layout and a story pole. Any of the three sessions can be taken as a separate module, though the course is a coherent suite which builds upon the experience of the previous. Each weekend session begins on a Friday night with meals & camping provided. Class runs through Sunday at noon.
Through the exercise of building a pair of sawhorses the course introduces students to basic layout principles of German timber framing techniques. Beginning Friday evening, there will be an introduction to terminology, the project and the process. Saturday and Sunday will be spent working independently on layout, transferring marks, cutting timbers. Hand tools will be in use for the majority of the cutting. $150.00 (includes meals, camping, wood for 1 saw horse (not pair) and all requisite layout materials).
The Stuhl Truss: Mortise & Tenon and the Half Lap. (October 25th, 26th, 27th)
Taking the methods learned in the first session, participants will deepen their understanding by applying the Lofting technique to the under squinted braces of this unique truss formation.
Through the construction of the plate system of a hip roof the students have ample opportunity to practice the different ways to go about laying out and cutting the most prevalent joints in timber framing and some of their variations.
Inspired by an article in Timber Framing #108, this frame has been outfitted with a stylized simple version of a liegender Stuhl. This is not a common choice for a hip roof, but this way the frame provides plenty of learning opportunities: Layout by measurement, Layout by simple scribing and lots of extra birdsmouths for the hips and common rafters.
Combination of hand and power tool use for cutting. There will be an evening session on Friday introducing terminology, the project and the process. $150.00 (includes meals and camping).
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The Hip Roof: Demystifying the Notorious (November 8th, 9th, 10th)
For the layout of common rafters and hip rafters we return to the layout method used for the sawhorses. Students will create a 1:1 scale drawing of three different roof profiles. There will be an evening session on Friday introducing terminology, the project and the process. The test of planning, draftsmanship, layout and execution will be set up on the second weekʼs plate system. $150.00 (includes meals and camping).
Session Format:
Friday
5:30 – 6:30 pm - Students arrive and settle themselves.
6:30 pm - Welcome dinner.
7:30 pm - Discussion of session syllabus.
Saturday
7:00 – 7:45 am – Coffee & Breakfast (provided).
8:00 am – Introduction and demonstration of techniques.
Break
10:15 am – Continued.
12:00 – 12:30 pm – Lunch (provided).
12:45 pm – Independent practice of methods.
Break
3:00 pm – Continued.
5:30 pm – Work concludes.
6:30 pm – Cook Out (provided).
7:30 pm – Slideshow, lecture, continued practice.
Sunday
8:00 – 8:45 am – Breakfast (provided).
9:00 – Complete project as need be
11:30 – Break Camp
12:00 – Lunch, adios.
Instructors:
Gerald David is a German-American woodworker, who received his initial training as a
Zimmermann in Germany. His apprenticeship with the Barthel Korr GmbH in Aachen
started in 2000 and went through 2002. He graduated at the top of his class. During
this time Gerald participated in the the restoration of the Aachen cathedral and other
historic structures. He continued his formative years on the traditional three year journey known as
ʻWanderschaftʼ. These years of travel in his trade brought him to many different job sites
throughout Germany, Europe and the United States.
In the Spring of 2006 he moved to Plymouth Massachusetts where he joined forces with
preservation specialist Michael Burrey. Together they have completed many restoration
and preservation projects on historic buildings, private residences, churches and barns. To name a few: Winslow House in Marshfield MA, Harlow House in Plymouth MA, Atwood House in Chatham MA, Second Congregational Meeting House in Nantucket MA. From time to time Gerald builds new timber frames as well. Starting in October 2011 Gerald has been working for the Wooden House Company in Wells River VT, building log homes and log additions as well as performing restoration work.
Gerald joined the Timber Framers Guild in 2007 and has since attended many
conferences and TTRAG symposiums as well as presented at some of them. He has
participated in many Guild projects throughout the US. He was part of the leadership
team for the TFG at Gwozdziec Synague Replication project in Sanok Poland, and the barn project for the Old Stone House Museum in Brownington VT.
Jacob Mushlin grew up the Upper Valley of Vermont and spent his childhood dinking around in the woods building things with friends. He studied architecture and art a multiple institutions and has been teaching since his teens as a camp counselor.
Now living in Burlington, Jacob has been a carpenter and woodworker for ten years and teaching for 15. From wood-and-canvas canoes, historic restoration, to project management he’s been a Timber Framers Guild member for three years and sits on Preservation Burlington’s education committee.
In 2012 he founded Measure Twice, a school of wood crafts based out of ReSource’s Waste Not Products woodshop at 339 Pine Street with the aim of establishing a competence in wood butchery, cultivating reverence in the build world, and empowering individuals through skill building and crafts.
Location:
All sessions will take place at the Wooden House Company in Wells River, VT. Camping is provided for free and while there are minimal amenities on site (restroom), there are showers available just down the road at a truck stop. For those who would prefer there is a hotel minutes away. Wells River will be gorgeous in autumn, but it will also brisk, so we encourage campers to plan accordingly.
Food:
In order to maximize time for instruction and practice meals will be provided for the weekend. Breakfast (continental) and lunch (sandwiches from town) will be simple and efficient. Saturday night we will grill and provide side dishes. If you have any eating patterns we should be aware of please contact Jacob
(802-578-2286).
Tools:
Students should come with their own set of hand tools including but not limited to the list below.
Tape, chisels, saws, knife, chalk line, combination square, framing square, hand plane, pencils. If you have a circular saw you’d like to bring, feel free.
Registration:
In order to best prepare for each session and coordinate meals we ask that you register for sessions two-weeks prior to the start date. We will be as inclusive and flexible as possible, but quality is born from good planning.
To register call or send an e-mail to the information below. Any questions can be fielded there as well.
MeasureTwiceSchool@gmail.com
(802) – 578 – 2286
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