NE workshop

[Jim_Rogers]

I'm now here in Nebraska teaching a three day workshop to a great group of students.

When I arrived VictorH had some nice timbers ready and he had made up a new batch of saw horses for us to use so that each student had a workstation.



 

At the work area there was a spot for me to set up my laptop and be able to access the files and drawings of the frame we are working on.



 

The first thing the students watched was a tenon layout demonstration:



 

Later on VictorH provided us all with a great Sunday supper:



 

Yes, this tread has already gone to food.

The group enjoyed a good conversation about different building methods and other subjects.



 

Shortly after that, we were back to cutting joints.



 



 



 



 



 

While working on timbers it became apparent that we needed some more mallets for everyone to have their own.
VictorH found some nice left over walnut and we made up some mallet heads with the help of a drill press and a router:



 



 

We used some pegs from the on hand inventory for the handles and they came out quite nice:



 

And the students jumped right in and started using them:



 

Tomorrow we'll start working on mortises.

Jim Rogers

[John_P]

It looks like the Jim Rogers summer tour lately, nice work, keep us posted on the progress.

[thecfarm]

All looks good.

[Bruno of NH]

Looks like a great time  :)
Jim/Bruno

[VictorH]

The workshop is going great thanks to Jim and everyone who has attended.  Learning a few new things and being reminded of many from last years workshop.

[Piston]

Looks like a really nice shop to host a workshop in.  I think it's about time I take another workshop in the near future.

So, what is the frame your building, what's the end end use?

[Jim_Rogers]

We're making one bent entrance frame to VictorH's property:



 

Jim Rogers

PS. VictorH is on facebook as well as the forum and found out yesterday was my birthday. So he when out and got us some cake:



 

Thanks VictorH

[Brian_Weekley]

Happy Birthday, Jim!  I'd like to spend my birthday timber framing!

[brookerene]

Thank you for posting photos so I can see what my husband is up to..  8)

[sandhills]

Would've loved to be there and meet you guys but time (work) just wouldn't allow it  :-\, and Happy belated Birthday Jim.

[Carpenter]

It was fun!  You should have been there Sandhills.  Maybe next time?  I met a great bunch of guys, learned some stuff, had fun, very little sleep, and just made it home.  Maybe you can make it when I raise my shop. 

[woodsteach]

Well VictorH and Jim it looks like I missed a great time, maybe I'll get there next time. 

Paul

[Jim_Rogers]

Thanks to all the crew and a great host VictorH
It is a great time when all the joints get cut and you can raise the frame.

I'm on my way home now with a stop over in Baltimore to change planes

Jim_Rogers

[Jim_Rogers]

I'm back in MA now.
Dealing with a 96 year old mother who wouldn't cooperate much with the staff while I was gone.
She's back on track this morning. Because I won't take "no" for an answer.
Hopefully we'll all have a good day.

Jim Rogers

[Jim_Rogers]

I just downloaded some more workshop pictures.

Kevin and his son had to leave to head home to Omaha before we finished fitting up the frame pieces and erecting it.

So these are for Kevin and Andrew.

Andrew was using the boring machine one day:



 

Below is Kevin (a forestry forum member) working on a mortise in the long tie beam/bottom cord of the frame.


 

One lesson all students learned is to "knife by tape".....



 

By putting the knife point exactly where the tape says it should go ensures that the mortise or tenon will be exactly the right size.

A well used and needed item in any shop:



 

A bottle of Blue Creeper.



 

Above is Victor's "speed-o-matic" skill saw. Vintage tool for sure. But it worked.



 

When you work alone you have to use things that make your life easier. Victor has three sections of "skate" rollers to move his timbers in and out of the work shed area.

This made it easy to move the largest and heaviest timbers in and out to the waiting fork lift.



 

Once the timbers were outside we could use the many horses we had on hand to support them for "fit up" tests. Fit up is where we check to make sure each timber's joints will fit with the mating timber's joint.

Above we were test fitting the queen post long tenon to the bottom cord/tie beam timber.



 

Once we had the top all assembled we had to move it outside the gate. Victor borrowed a fork lift from a neighboring business that had taller reach then his. He used it to lift the 17' 6" wide frame over the gate and into the street.



 

After the frame was outside the gate we set it down and brought out the posts which were 14' long.

Then we assembled the frame and added some "strong back" timbers to help hold all the joints tight while raising it from horizontal to vertical.



 



 

We didn't quite get the lift exactly in the center but we got it up and in place, after a few minor adjustments.



 



 

The strong back timbers were removed and we had several group pictures.



 

From left to right is Gordon Coble (FF member GCoble at least he thinks that's his screen name) Jeff Carpenter (FF member Carpenter), our host VictorH is shaking hands with me Jim_Rogers and Brian Kaczor (wife's screen name brookerene).

Troy Schon was taking our picture (also a forestry forum member).

Afterwards, several of us when done the street to Dickey's and had a nice supper to finish off the evening.



 

A job well done by all.

Jim Rogers

[Carpenter]

Thank you Jim, for teaching this workshop.  This was the second workshop that I have taken, and as with the first, I learned more than I expected.  This one made square rule layout make sense to me.  I had some background in it before mostly from reading and from working on my own, this really drove it home for me.  To solidify this knowledge, After talking with Gordon about the potential profit in a spec cabin, I have been designing a spec cabin in sketch up, complete with housings and reductions and even including the triangles to signify reference and adjacent.  That for me will make the knowledge stick.  When I get the preliminary plan drawn up, I can make component sketches based off of those measurements.  And of course if it's all done right when the joints are cut it should fit together like a glove.  Even if I never build this cabin, having a firm grasp on the square rule layout method is like another tool in my toolbox.  I think I can put it to good use.  Thanks again.

Jeff Carpenter