News

Spring 2008 Timber Framing Project
Friday afternoon, March 28 to Tuesday evening, April 1, 2008
Lexington, Virginia

Each year in what has become an annual tradition for Guild volunteers and the cadets at Virginia Military Institute is a spring timber framing project organized by VMI Professor Grigg Mullen. This year the project involves building an outdoor shelter for Rockbridge County's Central Elementary School in Lexington, VA. The school has recently upgraded the playground facilities and this project will be the icing on the cake.

The frame will be a three bent, two-bay open shelter. The structure dimensions are 22’ x 28’ at the outside of the posts, with large roof overhangs. The 10:12 pitch roof uses a kingpost truss system with principal rafters, principal purlins, and common rafters. The connection at the wall plate will be the English tying joint. This frame is one of the many adaptations of Ed Levin's Penetanguishene frame. The plan is to raise the frame using quiet technology such as gin pole, shear legs, and block and tackle.

Drawing by Andy Smith

We will gather up on Friday evening, March 28. Saturday and Sunday will be spent laying out and cutting. With any luck, Monday will be spent prefitting and loading the trailer. Tuesday will be raising day at Central. The work will be done at my (Grigg Mullen's) shop. The deal is the same as always. Show up and you will be worked hard, fed well, and be given a covered horizontal surface to sleep on.

Come join the cadets and local timber framers for a rendezvous. All skill levels welcome. Beginners especially encouraged. If you are interested in coming, please call Grigg at 540-464-7410 (O), 540-464-6578 (H) or 540-817-9255 (cell). We'll email or send you directions. You are welcome to arrive unannounced, but if you let us know we'll do a better job of feeding you.

Hope to see you in the Shenandoah Valley in late March. The daffodils will just be starting to bloom by then.