Courses

Northern Lights Timber Framing is committed to the craft of timber frame construction. We offer many educational opportunities to both professionals and non-professionals. All classes are taught by our owner, Clark Bremer, at a variety of locations across the country. Here is a list of upcoming classes and seminars:

Courses for Professional Timber Framers

Timber Framer's Guild Eastern Conference, Rockport Maine, November 6-9 2008 (***Tentative***)

90 Min Conference Session: Joinery Design using Google Sketchup

90 Min Conference Session: Compound Joinery Design with Google Sketchup

	Private Lessons
	Hosting your own workshop

Courses for Non-professionals (DIY and Professional tradesfolk new to Timber Framing)

Timber Sawhorse Trestles at North House Folk School, Grand Marais, MN

Jan 16-18 and Feb 20-22 2009

Introduction to Timber Framing at Northern Lights Timber Framing, Minneapolis, MN

Winter 2009 - Watch this space for details

Timber Frame Joinery Design using Google Sketchup

November 7-9, 2008 (Tentative - Exact Date TBD)

Timber Framers Guild Eastern Conference, Rockport, ME

This 90-minute presentation is part of the Guild's Eastern Conference. There is no additional cost for conference attendees. Register for the conference directly with the Guild. The exact date and time for the session have not yet been determined.

Workshop Overview:

This will not be a hands-on workshop.

Teaser Example. The presentation will open with a demonstration: the creation of a set complex shop drawings from an existing model, to show how easy it is if you've laid the proper groundwork beforehand.

We will then discuss how to customize Sketchup for timber framing using Ruby plugins (developed by the instructor).

Finally, we will go through a detailed example of how to create a timber frame model that can be used for creating shop drawings. The following broad points will be covered:

Timber Component Libraries. Discuss and demonstrate the use of component libraries to quickly assemble a frame from pre-defined timber components.

Joinery Libraries. Discuss and demonstrate how to create new timber components using pre-defined joinery components, which are used to expand the timber component library.

Joinery Creation. Discuss and demonstrate how to create new joinery components for expanding the joinery library.

Shop Drawings. Discuss and demonstrate how to create precise, four-sided shop drawings automatically. We will then polish them off with dimensions, and shop notes.

Participants will leave the seminar with a list of resources, including:

Where to find general tutorials for using Sketchup

Where to get the latest timber frame ruby scripts

Where to get joinery and timber libraries

Where to share their timber and joinery components with the rest of us

Compound Joinery Design using Google Sketchup

November 7-9, 2008 (Tentative - Exact Date TBD)

Timber Framers Guild Eastern Conference, Rockport, ME

Workshop Overview:

This is a follow-on presentation to Timber Frame Joinery Design and Shop Drawings with Google Sketchup. We will further explore the capabilities of Google Sketchup for joinery design to include compound joinery. Compound joinery can be designed in situ, without using trigonometry.

The target audience consists of timber framing professionals who are responsible for timber frame design, joinery design, and creating shop drawings. The presentation will be of particular interest to those who currently draw shop drawings by hand, or use a drawing program that is not integrated with their whole-frame design program.

Participants will learn how to design compound joinery in situ without using any math.

Participants will be able to create dimensioned shop drawings of compound timbers using the TF Rubies, which are custom extensions to Sketchup developed by the presenter.

We will begin the session by reviewing several examples of compound joinery designed using this system. We will then step through a detailed example of how to create a compound timber and it’s joinery in an existing model. The existing model will be a simple common purlin design, to which we will add a third gable bumpout. This will involve adding valleys and jack purlins. If time permits, we’ll look at some other examples. Due to the limited amount of time, this will not be a hands-on workshop.

Private Lessons

Private lessons on using Google Sketchup for Timber Framing are also available by special arrangement with the instructor, either in our Minneapolis office, or at your site. The private consulting rate is $60/hr, and need not occur in solid blocks of time. Contact us for more details. 612-216-2205.

Hosting a workshop

Timber Sawhorse Trestles

Jan 16-18 and Feb 20-22, 2009

North House Folk School, Grand Marais, MN

This 2-1/2 day course is perfect for the beginner who just want to "dip their toe in the water" Each student will bring home a set of sturdy sawhorses, built timber-frame style. The North House campus is located right on the harbor in Grand Marais, on the beautiful North Shore of Lake Superior. Our long association with North House has been very rewarding for us, and we love teaching classes there. Cost is $165 plus a $75 material fee. Register directly with the school. Click here to see photos from past classes.

Here's the course description from the North House Catalog:

Whether they are built for the workshop or used to support a tabletop or workbench, timbered sawhorse trestles are reliable, sturdy and reflective of the craftsmanship that goes into timber framing. During this course, you'll focus on the layout and cutting of the mortise and tenon joints needed to create a timbered sawhorse. You will create a pair of trestles made of 6”x 6" timbers (or larger if desired). This class is a great introduction to the basic techniques used in traditional timber framing. Students will have the opportunity to try out professional-grade timber framing tools, as well as learn to use a variety of traditional hand tools.

Students may choose timbers up to 10"x10" for an additional cost. Please inquire at the time of registration.

Introduction to Timber Framing

Winter, 2009 - Watch this space for more details

Northern Lights Timber Framing, Minneapolis, MN

(Note: This description is from our 2008 course, which was a big success. We'll be updating the course and offering it again next winter)

This 1 week course is held entirely indoors at the Northern Lights Timber Framing shop in the historic NE Minneapolis Warehouse district. Cost is $500 per person. Contact Northern Lights Timber Framing to register, or for more information: 612-216-2205. Local students will be able to commute daily. Call us for local lodging information if you're from out of town. There are lots of great ethnic lunch spots in the neighborhood, but students should feel free to brown-bag as well.

As a class, we will cut and assemble a small timber frame, which we will raise indoors on the final day, using our overhead bridge crane! You'll learn how to lay out and cut many types of joinery. You'll get to learn to use traditional had tools and professional power tools. We'll cover tool sharpening, frame design, wood species, and much more. You'll leave the course with enough skills to tackle your own small project, and who knows what might happen after that! The course is taught by Clark Bremer, and will be assisted by his staff of professional timber framers.

About the Instructor:

Clark Bremer is the owner of Northern Lights Timber Framing in Minneapolis, and has been a professional timber framer since 2001. He has been teaching timber framing at North House Folk School, in Grand Marais, MN, since 2003. He has been a member of the Timber Framer's Guild since 1999. His former career was as a computer designer and researcher for Bell Labs. He enjoys inventing new tools for timber framing, both hardware and software.