Father's Day Special

Father's Day is just a few days away and we have some great gifts! If you are like us you are still scratching your head trying to think of the best way to show Dad that you love and appreciate him! We've picked three of our favorite items with great value that are sure to fit the bill, no matter whether your Father is a woodworker, a tinkerer, a builder or homeowner and no matter what your budget!
Peltor WorkTunes make even the most boring jobs more entertaining with a built in AM/FM radio and 26 decibel noise reduction ($89.95).
The Tajima Caulk Gun is one of those go to tools that everyone should own, even if they already have a caulk gun. It comes equiped with an awl for opening your tub of caulk and will last a lifetime. ($16.50).
If your Dad isn't into building we have beautiful butcher block cutting boards that we have paired with Japanese Kitchen Knives ($100).

We are offering 20 Percent off of your entire purchase of instock items (gift certificate's included). Just mention the blog when you place your order and we'll take 20% off your purchase when we process the order. Orders must be placed by Sunday June 15th. This is a one time use and cannot be combined with any other discounts. Stop by, visit our online store or call to place an order!

Unfortunately our Dad has one of each of these favorites so if you have any suggestions let us know . . . we're still shopping for him!

Shelter Institute in the News

The high cost of fuel has forced many Americans to downsize their vehicles from SUVs to economy cars. The same trend is holding true in the housing market. The Shelter Institute in Woolwich, Maine is where students are learning to make a much smaller footprint.
NECN's Amy Sinclair has the story.

Small Housebuilding Class May 2008

We began our one-week small housebuilding class on Monday May 26th, 2008. We have ten students from all over the country gathered for five days to learn how to balance design themes with insulation value, passive solar elements, efficient and effective construction techniques, cost-saving strategies and the function of a small structure.

Timber Frame Kit

The simplicity of the 24x48 timber frame makes it an affordable and stunning structure to be used as a home, barn, garage or workshop. We built this home in Coastal Maine in November 2007. The homeowners have nearly completed the interior and we'll post finish shots shortly! Keep your eyes peeled for an update!

What to Look for in a Home

by Pat Hennin, Founder

I was recently asked by the local media for a sound bite: “What should a prospective house buyer be looking for in today’s market?”

The short answer is a series of questions to consider and whether you can live with the answers:

1. Can you afford to make the payments on a thirty year mortgage, increasing payment to pay it off in 15 years?


2. Is it air tight or does the heat blow out when the cold blows in?
   Insulation, insulation, insulation: What is the quantity and quality of installation of the insulation?


3. Does it have double or triple pane windows?


4. Does it have window shades sealing three sides of the window and are those shades easy to draw every evening – they should last at least twenty years.


5. Is it oriented to take advantage of passive solar (windows on the south wall comprising 15-20% of the wall)


6. Is the fuel choice consistent with local supplies? Solid fuel, oil, gas, propane, electricity. Electricity would be the most expensive per BTU, solid fuel would come from your own lot and be the least expensive. If two thru six are done well than solid fuel will be a small problem.

The longer answer is also a series of questions; more detailed and perhaps more critical. The real answer here is to understand what is important in today’s world of housing, as well as what is truly important to you.

1. Does this house work? Are the kitchen, bathroom, and master bedroom stacked so that only one small part of the house needs to be heated?


2. Is the garage door such that you can automatically drive in and have ample room to empty the car into the kitchen with the door closed?
   
3. Does the building shed water or does it have so many dormers, siding variety, porches, decks, chimneys, angles and corners that it will be a nightmare to maintain? These features catch water in hundreds of places causing rot. This is the base point for me: The entire exterior must be dry shortly after the rain stops. None of today’s "McMansions" meet this criteria and will be neither maintainable nor saleable.


4. And last, but really first, do you like it? It takes us sixty hours to teach this encyclopedia, to understand the substance of what “liking” a house really means.

I write this with Patsy in mind and the many ideas she and I developed together.

The Best Timber Framing Plane

by Gaius Hennin

It is uncommon to think of timber framers using hand planes, much less that one is particularly well suited to timber framing. Well, I’d like to introduce you to Lie-Nielsen’s number 10-1/4 Bench Rabbet Plane, patterned after the old Stanley number 10-1/4. Rabbet planes have a plane iron that is exactly as wide as the plane body, allowing you to plane an inside corner, or plough a dado as wide as the plane. Lie-Nielsen’s version has a Bedrock frog (patented by Justus Traut at Stanley in 1895) instead of the Bailey frog which had been the standard for about 40 years. The frog attaches the plane iron to the plane body; a solidly held plane iron is critical. Anyone who has ever dug a whole on the coast of Maine knows that bedrock is solid, and that is why Stanley chose the name for it’s improved frog; it all but eliminates blade chatter.

Lie-Nielsen’s plane body is made from iron, with a bronze cap and frog, and cherry handles. It exemplifies the plane makers’ precision, understanding of the art of planing, and ability to make the mundane, beautiful. When I first saw it, my mouth went dry and my hands got sweaty; I knew I had to have it. The smooth cherry handles (which almost feel soft), the gleam of the bronze, the ductile iron body, the movable knickers on each side just kept calling my name.

The plane is well suited for timber framing for several reasons, the first being it’s size: at 12 ¾” long with a 2 1/8” wide iron, it tips the scales at 5 pounds, which gives it plenty of momentum when planing the tenon on an 8”x12” carrying beam. What’s even more exciting, is that both the front and rear totes (handles) pivot both right and left. When you are planing the tenon on the right-hand end of a beam, pivot the handles to the right and your knuckles now comfortably clear the hard corner of the tenon shoulder, or any other tall inside corner. On each side of the plane body, perfectly flush, just ahead of the iron, are knickers which slide up and down and are affixed with a single screw. When planing a right hand tenon, simply drop the left hand nicker down 1/32” and it cleanly cuts the cross grain in the corner between the tenon face and shoulder.

The plane is stealthy enough to chamfer tenon ends, yet long enough to knock down planer snipe or true up a two foot scarf face, and I have even used it to ‘erase’ layout errors (on other peoples work.)

Lastly, being a timber framer myself, I know that some of us suffer from bouts of vanity. Owning and using this plane is guaranteed to make you look professional, plane a dead flat, bragging-rights grade tenon (at 90 degrees to the cheek), and look even more handsome.

April Timber Framing Class

The April 2008 Purely Post and Beam Class had 18 people from all over the country. They raised a 24x24 pine timber frame complete with dovetail, mortice and tenon, birdsmouth, and pocket tenon joinery. They learned how to calculate roof rafter angles and basic beam sizing as well as how to work together. Our next class is our Small Housebuilding Class (currently 16 enrollees), a one week long session in which students learn a variety of construction techniques from working with prefabricated panels to building your own panels, window and door installation and metal roof installation. Visit our web site or call for more information.