Scantlings #167 by Joel McCarty

scantlings Newsletter of the Timber Framers Guild number 167 January 2012

Scenes from Leesburg: a sampling The 2011 Eastern Conference in Leesburg, Virginia, saw a small uptick in attendance (about 220) from last year. Thursday’s well-attended Timber Frame Engineering Council (TFEC) symposium brought many members out early, as did the two-day intensive pre-conference sessions on lumber grading, raising and rigging, project management, conserving historic frames, plumb line scribe, and developed drawing. In a nod to our architects, we designated over 30 sessions as American Institute of Architecture continuing education courses. Here are summaries of a selection of conference events. See also page 12 for an unusually in-depth look at the Guild auction. —Marnie Jones

Mill tour From left, J.P. Morris, instructor Bruce Lindsay, Joe Milo, Tim McGee, Neil MacNeil, Jim Holzknecht, and Bill Keir discussing lumber grading during a pre-conference workshop.

Marnie Jones

Mez Welch demonstrates hewing on the National Conference Center lawn.

Friday’s mill tour, led by restoration expert Douglass Reed, was a conference highlight. Nearly two dozen of us rode the tour bus to nearby Clermont Farm, where we were able to see a 1755 timber-framed house and its many historic additions. Bob Stieg, Clermont Foundation CEO, explained that the 361-acre property is maintained by the Clermont Foundation on behalf of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources as a working cattle and sheep farm. The buildings, with timber frames ranging in age from 256 to 95 years old, have just undergone a five-year intensive assessment. Decisions on how best to preserve the historic character of the property are still being made, but the foundation hopes to open the facility to the public after a careful restoration effort. Notable architectural features on the main building include original jerkin-head gables, a rare feature on houses this age. These were extended to form a more traditional roofline in the 1830s, when the house was also converted from a hall-and-parlor to a central-passage style. An adjacent saddle-bag slave house was also of interest, with its steeple notch log construction and round-bottomed joists. Tying Clermont Farm to our mill theme was a horizontal water wheel stored in the barn and likely dating to about 1832. Called a tub wheel, it sat in a warehouse near its Fauquier County excavation site for several decades See Leesburg, page 6

scantlings Newsletter of the Timber Framers Guild Number 167 January 2012

In This Issue Scenes from Leesburg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Western Conference in a very special place. . . . . . . 2 French apprentices coming to U.S.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 TFG 2012 Board of Directors and staff . . . . . . . . . 4 Apprentice log. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Guild news. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 TTRAG members meet on Nantucket . . . . . . . . . . 5 Auction items donated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 On the Guild auction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 EcoLogic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 From the Business Council desk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Notices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Welcome, new members! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Founded 1985 © 2012 Timber Framers Guild. All rights reserved. PO Box 295, Alstead, NH 03602 www.tfguild.org, 559/834-8453. Lisa Sasser, president • Clark Bremer, vice-president • John S. Miller, treasurer • John Mumaw, clerk • Collin Beggs, Randy Churchill, Ellen Gibson, Adrian Jones, Gabel Holder, directors at large. Joel McCarty, executive director • Susan Norlander, assistant • Susan Witter, Scantlings editor • Marnie Jones, Scantlings assistant editor • Ken Rower, publications director.

Western Conference in a very special place FOR OUR 2012 Western Conference April 26–29, the TFG will be returning to Asilomar, one of the most beautiful spots on the Monterey Peninsula. Asilomar, which means “refuge by the sea,” is in the scenic town of Pacific Grove, California. The original buildings, first in use as a YWCA conference village, were designed by Julia Morgan, a well-known San Francisco architect, who also worked on William Randolph Hearst’s San Simeon castle. Her goal for these simple-but-sumptuous Arts & Crafts–style buildings was to establish artistic harmony and balance between nature and built structures. The first YWCA leadership conference was held there in 1913, and Asilomar served the YWCA for more than 20 years. After being offered for sale numerous times in the late ’30s and ’40s, it finally became a part of California State Parks in 1956. The Julia Morgan–designed buildings were designated a National Historic Landmark at that time. The conference grounds are right along the beach, in a large, grassy glade peppered with Monterey pine trees. Asilomar carries its own special form of serenity yet still blends seamlessly with our exuberant camaraderie. Beyond even the great walks through the grounds and along the beach, there are too many nearby attractions to list here, but see www.visitasilomar.com and start getting excited.

Scantlings, the member newsletter of the Timber Framers Guild, is published in every month except March, May, August, and December. Next deadline: January 1. News contributions and correspondence: Susan Witter, editor, 2406 Williams St, Bellingham, WA 98225. susan@mysoundideas.us, 360/647-0310. Printed on recycled paper. 2

Scantlings 167 January 2012

French apprentices coming to U.S.

Asilomar has long been a Guild favorite: we’ve already held three conferences there. Since our last Asilomar conference in 2007, a new private sector management team has taken over. The lodgings have been updated, a new chef who focuses on local produce and harvests is in charge of the kitchen, and other services have been added to make your stay at Asilomar even better. There are a few ways to travel to Asilomar. The Monterey Peninsula Airport (MRY) is just eight miles away, San Jose International (SJC) is 80 miles to the north, and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is 110 miles north. The airports in San Jose and San Francisco are served by the Monterey Airbus, a shuttle service that brings travelers directly to Asilomar. We will provide more details on the TFG website and in the next Scantlings. We hope you’ll come to Asilomar in April. It’s a jewel—a wonderful place to bring the family for a vacation. We’re really working to make the conferences reasonably priced, interesting, educational, and fun. Hope to see you in California. —Brenda Baker, conference coordinator

THIS July, 18 carpentry apprentices from Rouen, France, will visit New England for three weeks to learn about timber framing, tour historic buildings, and learn about life in the USA. The trip is being organized through the Compagnons du Devoir (the French guild that includes timber framers) and coordinated on this side by Guild members Will Beemer and Dennis Marcom. Compagnon Boris Noël, who has worked at Bensonwood Homes in New Hampshire and presented at a number of Guild conferences, is handling arrangements in France and is planning on being one of the two chaperones for the trip. The apprentices will be in their second year of schooling (they’re called “rabbits” at that stage) and will have just chosen charpentier (carpenter–timber framer) as their career. At 16 to 18 years old, they will be light in skills but long on enthusiasm. They plan to arrive in the U.S. July 10 and spend a week working at Bensonwood and touring near the Guild headquarters in Alstead before heading down to the Berkshires in western Massachusetts July 17. They will be based at the Heartwood School where they will take classes, tour many historic sites (including Hancock Shaker Village), and visit timber framing shops in the area. We still don’t have any firm plans for their last week (July 23–30), but we would like to have them based in northern Vermont, New Hampshire, or some other area with a concentration of timber framing projects and shops. They will have their own transportation, but the big challenge is to find affordable lodging and meals for them at the height of the tourist season. Dorms at schools on summer break, or hostels or bunkhouses at ski areas, are some suitable options. If we find a place for them to be based, Guild executive director Joel McCarty has agreed to help organize an event around them, such as a rendezvous or project. If any of you have ideas for affordable room and board for 18 to 20 youths in late July, please let me know at will@tfguild.org or 413/623-6677 and we’ll contact the venue. Also, if you have any projects lined up for that time that could use a bunch of eager helpers, we’d like to find as many opportunities as possible to make their first trip to the U.S. a memorable one. —Will Beemer

photos courtesy Aramark Parks and Destinations

January 2012 Scantlings 167

Timber Framers Guild 2012 Board of Directors and Staff DIRECTORS (Terms)

Directors-at-large

STAFF

LISA SASSER (2010–12) President Quid Tum Historic Structures Consulting 106 Horace Greeley Rd, Amherst NH 03031 w 603/554-1562 c 603/930-4508 h 603/672-6057 lisa@quid-tum.com

COLLIN BEGGS (2010–12) Timber Frames by Collin Beggs, Inc PO Box 402, Sandpoint ID 83864 w 208/265-4982 h 208/263-2412 collin.beggs@gmail.com

JOEL C. MCCARTY Executive Director PO Box 295, 9 Mechanic St Alstead, NH 03602 w 559/834-8453 f 888/453-0879 h 603/283-8275 joel@tfguild.org

CLARK BREMER (2011–13) Vice-president Northern Lights Timber Framing 1620 Central Ave NE #179 Minneapolis, MN 55413 c 612/791-2736 w 612/216-2205 clarkb@northernlightstimberframing.com JOHN S. MILLER (2012–14) Treasurer The Cascade Joinery 503 Lyla Lane, Bellingham WA 98225 c 360/393-6483 w 360/527-0119 john@cascadejoinery.com JOHN W. MUMAW (2011–13) Clerk Lost Bent Woodworking & Design 1442 Reed Hill Rd, Riner, VA 24149 c 540/230-2356 h 540/763-2073 john@lostbent.com

RANDY CHURCHILL (2010–12) 5007 Willis Way, Courtenay, BC V9J 1L7 Canada c 250/886-9978 randychurchill@mac.com ELLEN GIBSON (2012-14) Stella Woodworking 55 Stella Rd, Roslindale, MA 02131 c 617/291-5871 ellengibson13@comcast.net GABEL HOLDER (2011–13) Holder Brothers Timberframes 2005 Whitney Rd, Monroe, GA 30655 w 770/597-5840 h 678/525-9958 gabel@holderbros.com ADRIAN JONES (2012–14) Frameworks Timber 208 Racquette Dr, Unit B Fort Collins, CO 80524 c 970/690-4994 w 970/568-4900 f 970/568-4901 adrian@frameworkstimber.com

SUSAN NORLANDER Administration PO Box 295, 9 Mechanic St Alstead NH 03602-0295 w 559/834-8453 susan@tfguild.org KEN ROWER Director of Publications Editor, Timber Framing Box 275, Pine St, Newbury VT 05051 802/866-5684 f 802/866-5684 journal@tfguild.org SUSAN WITTER Editor, Scantlings, etc. Sound Ideas 2406 Williams St, Bellingham, WA 98225 360/647-0310 susan@mysoundideas.us MARNIE JONES Assistant Editor, Scantlings, etc. Bent Barrow 326 Meredith Ln, Acme WA 98220 360/595-0208 bentbarrow@gmail.com

Scantlings 167 January 2012

APPRENTICE LOG Three Guild apprentices and a half-dozen journeyworkers took advantage of the pre-conference training opportunities at Leesburg to check off more requirements in their logbooks. The many offerings spread those seeking curriculum credit across workshops on project management, timber grading, scribing, and engineering, but enough folks outside of the apprenticeship program signed up to meet the minimum enrollment required by the budget. Curriculum development continues as we aim to complete Year 1 Related Training subjects by the end of 2011. This includes Safe Work Practices (already completed in a 2009 Guild publication); Historic Timber Framing (being developed by Jim Derby and Jack Sobon); Timber Grading ( a result of Bruce Lindsay’s recent, excellent conference workshops); Trade Math (by yours truly and Bruno Sutter) and Traditional Raising and Rigging (based on materials developed by Grigg Mullen and Al Anderson). We’re designing curriculum materials to be suitable for other venues besides conferences, including in-shop use by journeyworkers and their apprentices, online learning, and longer-duration workshops and projects. Assessment (testing) of the curriculum modules requires

less time than the actual training, and could then be done at conferences, online, and by shop visits by the assessor. The first such assessment is tentatively planned for February, when Curtis Milton will meet the current crop of apprentices at Trillium Dell Timberworks in Illinois for a multi-day evaluation of their progress. In biweekly conference calls, the Apprenticeship Training Committee (ATC) has been discussing ways to expand the program and its appeal. This could include a major project as a training platform, involving all of the apprentices and as many journeyworkers as possible. There are currently seven apprentices and over 30 journeyworkers across the U.S. and Canada. The longterm financial viability of the program requires more participants, difficult to achieve in this economic climate when our Department of Labor certification mandates full employment for both apprentices and journeyworkers. Nonetheless, all Guild members can help support the program by attending events that deliver curriculum content (such as pre-conference workshops), help to develop or write curriculum, and keep others informed of the Guild Apprenticeship in timber framing. For more information, email apprenticeship@tfguild.org. —Will Beemer

TTRAG members meet on Nantucket November 11–13 NANTUCKET, THE famous whaling port 30 miles off the coast of Massachusetts, where today as you step through the town you find not ship chandlers and fishmongers but boutique jewelers and clothiers, nevertheless boasts a substantial inventory of 18th- and 19thcentury houses, commercial buildings, and churches. Thus the town provided a rewarding venue for the Guild’s Traditional Timberframers Research and Advisory Group (TTRAG) at its 2011 members meeting, at See TTRAG, page 18 Josiah Coffin house (1724), Nantucket, Mass. Ken Rower

Past Guild involvement documented IF YOU remember the Yuba Watershed Institute, the ’Inimim Forest, and our involvement as a Guild in this project, a new book, The Nature of This Place, by Bruce Boyd and Liese Greensfelder (ISBN 0933994494), offers both history and a very current update. If you can find the book, buy it. The TFG should know about this. I thought I’d just read a little bit and put it aside. I finished it at 2 am the next morning. I couldn't put it down, and it really did give me hope. A review appeared in Fremontia (http://www.cnps.org/cnps/publications/), the journal of the California Native Plant Society, but at press time the review was not yet online. —Len Brackett January 2012 Scantlings 167

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Above, tour participants study handouts relating to the Clermont Farm’s stored tub wheel, components of which can be seen in the foreground. At right, the gears at Burwell-Morgan. Facing page, Burwell-Morgan’s headrace. Far right, Rick Holder, Bill Keir (obscured), Bob Steig, and Tom Lechner listen as owner Jon Joyce explains the adjustment of millstones.

before being moved to Clermont Farm and is “the first and only water wheel of its type ever excavated in Virginia,” according to Steig. The forebay, flume, and part of the wheel are intact, and the mud sills that paralleled the headrace have also been salvaged. Above-water components of the mill have long since been lost to fire and rot, so the remaining pieces have been coated in polyethelene glycol to halt the decay. The wheel sits in Clermont’s 1917 timber-framed barn awaiting restoration and a permanent place on the farm. After lunch, we proceeded to Locke’s Mill, Berryville, Va., owned by Carol and Jon Joyce. Restoration efforts are under way for this privately-owned structure, which Jon found in such dismal condition as to make it hardly recognizable. The three-story timber-framed building that houses the mill has required some repair, while the mill’s supporting Hurst frame and the mill gears themselves have had to be almost completely replaced. An astounding amount of effort has gone into building the mill’s new white oak gears and red maple teeth, and the Joyce family is optimistic that the mill will operate again soon. French quartz millstones, likely original, have been found onsite and adjusted with the help of two new oak stone cranes.

The Joyces plan to use the original stones for gluten-free, organic grain milling. A final stop at the beautifully-restored Burwell-Morgan Mill in Milltown, Va. rounded out our day. The mill operated continuously from 1785 to 1953, when it fell into disrepair. The Clark County Historical Association acquired the mill in 1964 and runs it today as a museum, art gallery, and operating grain mill. Among its more unusual features is an interior water wheel, measuring 20 ft. in diameter. —Marnie Jones

Austin Parsons: Capturing carbon’s benefits

I have been curious about carbon credits and how markets dealing with them might operate. I learned that carbon markets operate in both Europe and North America, on the premise that pollution (in particular carbon pollution) needs to be accounted for objectively and accurately as a cost of production in order for it to be reduced and ultimately eliminated. Further, a connection can be made giving credit to activities that reduce carbon emissions or sequester carbon. So we have the two elements required to establish a market— buyers: businesses and organizations seeking to account

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Scantlings 167 January 2012

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for their polluting activities; and sellers: businesses and organizations seeking to monetize their emissions reductions or carbon sequestering activities. As a principal requirement, any given reduction in emissions or sequestration can be credited only once: since there is a finite amount of carbon being cycled, there is a finite number of credits available. Austin briefly discussed the difference between incentive-based open markets and a more punitive regulatory requirement model, but he focused on the former. Austin shared a bit about his experience with a Nova Scotia woodlot association and their attempt to enter into the Chicago Carbon Exchange as a seller of credits. Here’s what happened: the activities that the woodlot association undertook did indeed sequester carbon, but they were the same activities that they had been engaged in for pretty much their entire history; they represented the status quo,

or “business as usual” situation for the association. Thus, the woodlot association was not given any credits to sell on the exchange. Two things struck me about this: one was the rigor of the market administrators in assuring that the credits available on their market are legitimate and the other was that if their market succeeded, it was guaranteed to reduce carbon in the atmosphere by crediting only activities that actually change the status quo towards lower emissions or higher sequestration. Does the Guild have a responsibility to its members to become a leader in carbon emission reduction? We all agreed that the Guild is more than an educational association—that its members are committed to craftsmanship, restoration, and preservation, and to furthering quality woodworking and construction. That includes responsible forestry and conservation. Quite a number of the activities and projects given credits to sell on the

January 2012 Scantlings 167

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Chicago Carbon Exchange are farm- and forestry-related. The Guild could potentially become involved in carbon markets, most likely as an advocate and mentor for the registration of its members as carbon credit sellers. It’s certainly worth discussing, and Austin did a good job getting the discussion going. —Tim Krahn

Mike Beganyi, Vicco Von Voss, Al Anderson, Clark Bremer: my conference highlights

One standout presentation was Mike Beganyi’s excellent

demonstration on using Google SketchUp for compound joinery design. He demonstrated modeling a valley system by starting with a roof kernel and applying virtual timbers directly to it, modeling joinery details, and deriving the necessary information required by the shop. With each SketchUp presentation I attend I come away more impressed with the program’s versatility. The program really does allow access to features and capabilities typically found only in more complicated and expensive packages.

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Scantlings 167 January 2012

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Facing page, at left, erecting a gin-pole at the raising & rigging pre-con. Facing page, at right, Ellen Gibson, Rob GeogheganMorphet, Grigg Mullen III, and Grigg Mullen (adjusting tackle).

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Vicco Von Voss’s discussion on joining live-edged timbers was another standout presentation. Vicco is a very capable speaker and his inventiveness and artistry with both heavy timbers and furniture were evident. His use of full-size templates and storyboards recalled the lofting associated with boatbuilding. Competing for attention on Saturday was the technology pavilion where Al Anderson demonstrated his Leica Builder’s Total Station which he uses for accurately recording as-built conditions prior to restoration work. A total station

Vicco von Voss, standing over the bent, teaches a method of joining naturaledged timbers.

is a theodolite with a built-in computer for calculating distance, northing, easting, and elevation. The Builder 100M that Al showed is a relatively low-cost station that lets him point the sight at a feature on a building (for instance) and record the location relative to an established baseline. Next door, Clark Bremer was demonstrating his Space Navigator by 3d Connexion, a 3D navigation device for CAD and modeling software that is compatible with SketchUp, AutoCAD, Revit, and others. The Space Navigator is not a mouse replacement but a separate device

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for rotating, zooming, and panning a 3D computer model. Typically it would be used by the left hand (for right handed individuals) while the mouse is used by the right hand. Totally cool. —John Mumaw

John Libby: Veteran Voices

At the Leesburg installment of the Guild’s “Veteran Voices” series, John Libby—root, branch, and flower a Mainer—reminisced in an illustrated talk about his 40 years of building. Knowing light framing, he came southwest from Presque Isle to Freeport in 1970 and stayed, married (Kimberly Merrill), built a business, raised a family, and prospered. Beginning with barn repairs, he grew acquainted with timber framing and rose along with the timber framing revival itself. Every business owner must take on the moral and financial responsibility of employees. John, doing business as Houses and Barns by John Libby, found a legitimate way to keep a productive company to a core of seven people, including himself and Kimberly. While the remaining five personnel include one framer of long experience who “can frame a building faster than a CNC machine,” additional subcontracted crew come on to projects as necessary. Framing subcontractors (who these days amount to six) must be LLCs with their own liability and worker’s comp insurance and tax ID under a company name, and their own tools—in other words,

bona fide construction companies. They accept and execute the work on agreed terms. HBJL concentrates on turnkey projects, taking the job from design to paint. In a typical year, they will do two to four such buildings, often mixed in with a number of restoration jobs or frame-only or finish-only commissions, for a total of eight to ten contracts. Early days for John in Freeport village in a trailer without plumbing meant regular trips up the wide wooden steps of the old L. L. Bean’s, but not to buy anything. The sales staff grew accustomed to seeing John about 6:30 am (Bean’s Freeport store never closes) and would wave him on—“Nobody in there now, John, it’s all yours.” Today Libby has a dedicated 60x120-ft. workshop, with plumbing, and no need to use the dining room table to do the books. Advice? “Listen to your accountant.” “Don’t give up. You will find your way through hard times.” —Ken Rower

Member meeting

The member meeting in Leesburg, hosted by board members Collin Beggs, Randy Churchill, Adrian Jones, Lisa Sasser, Clark Bremer, John Mumaw, and Gabel Holder as well as incoming board member Ellen Gibson, began with a brief summary of the Guild’s financial health. Our outlook is better this year than last. Membership numbers are coming back up and the Poland project, among other

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things, helped put us closer to the black for 2011. Members discussed joint conferences with other organizations as an option for increasing attendance and lowering costs. Collin Beggs said that joint conferences must be handled delicately, lest one group bear the majority of the financial and administrative burden, but that we do plan a joint conference with the International Log Builders Association (ILBA) in the near future. A previous partnership with the New England Sustainable Energy Association was characterized as “painful,” though some expressed hope that a joint conference with another group such as the Preservation Trades Network or the National Barn Alliance might be more fruitful. U.K. Carpenters Fellowship president Bill Keir mentioned the possibility of reciprocal membership discounts between our two organizations and added that the ILBA is interested in a similar program. Pam Hinton, Timber Frame Business Council executive director, touched on the difference between the Guild, which is comprised of member individuals, and the Business Council, which is comprised of member companies. She explained how the TFBC benefits member businesses by marketing them to the public. Later, outgoing Timber Frame Engineering Council chair David Hourdequin explained that the TFEC exists to promote research and development, to fund studies which “better clarify, define, and explain how timber frames behave,” and to develop a code of standard practice.

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Additional news from Guild directors included a status report on the new TFG book Timber Frame Fundamentals, which should be available from the Guild store by the end of January, and some project updates. The synagogue and bridge projects went well in 2011 and Chris Koehn expects a smooth raising of the Evergreen School Pavilion in Cobble Hill, B.C., this August. Vicco von Voss pitched an unusual project, a timber-framed structure to be erected at Burning Man, the annual art event in the Nevada desert, then donated to a nearby community or, in a more pyromaniacal move, burned at the close of the event. This concept is not developed fully enough yet to make it onto the Guild’s project list, but interested members are welcome to express their thoughts. Rocco Bellebuono, apprentice committee co-chair, reasserted the importance of the apprenticeship program as a “comprehensive and formal education experience.” He noted that we have just five apprentices registered with the U.S. Department of Labor, and that we need more enrollment from apprentices and journeyworkers alike. On the subject of retaining talent, Emmett Greanleaf proposed a category of reduced-fee membership for our

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aging members. He argued that the invaluable knowledge and experience of our retired members is worth retaining. Lisa Sasser later suggested that we might label qualified individuals as “members emeritus.” A discussion of conference venues revealed that participants were generally happy with the National Conference Center (where we were) as an affordable conference location. While its subterranean tunnels took some getting used to, the center offered friendly staff, a varied

Auction items donated Nick Adams—One ad in an issue of Timber Home Living; re-donated from TFBC trade show drawing Kathy Anderson—Black cordura purse with motorcycle logo, made by Kathy Ben Askren—Five copies of Build Calc, created by Ben Will Beemer—Three French carpenter’s pencils; 2 framing square posters, double sided Michele Beemer—Willow basket; socks, both made by Michele Mike Beganyi Design & Consulting— Sketch-Up onsite training David Blackwell—Gransfors Brucks throwing axe Clark Bremer—One lb. Caribou coffee Ben Brungraber/Fire Tower Engineered Timber—Cherry laminated sunglasses Jim Callahan/ Highland Timber Frame— Lie Nielsen block rabbet plane; HTF hat Carpenters Fellowship UK—Five 1-year memberships, digital subscription; paid entry to Frame 2012 for 2 people Chappell Universal Square & Rule Co.—Pair of Chappell Universal Squares (2 sets) Annie & Al Cobb, Sipschool—$350 tuition certificate for any 2012 SIPschool class John Coffman—Antique adz Gerald David—Cribbage board made by Gerry

menu, and a price point that was hard to beat. Collin Beggs asked if it might make sense to choose just one or two regular venues for each coast, thereby reducing the drain on Guild resources that venue-finding imposes. We’ve scheduled our next two western conferences, respectively, for Asilomar in Monterey, California, and the Coeur d’Alene Resort in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, but our next eastern conference venue has not yet been selected. Member suggestions are welcome. —Marnie Jones

Delson Lumber—Two turning blocks, Colobolo wood (Nicaraguan) Dietrich’s North America—Dietrich’s protractor Dan Fadden—One dozen fresh organic eggs Fire Tower Engineered Timber—Jameson triple distilled18 y.o. whiskeyFraserWood Industries—The Balvenie single malt scotch Paul Freeman—Two 1-liter bottles New Hampshire maple syrup Simon Frez-Albrecht—Ten maple spoons, carved by Simon Tim Gianopulos/Ancestral Wood Products—Songs and Seeds, A Journal with John Muir, 2 copies Ray Gibbs—Winter gloves Ellen Gibson—Carved toolbox with tools, created by Ellen Emmett Greenleaf—Inch Mate calculator; The American Barn Book; Knots & Rope Book Sharon Greenleaf—Sharon’s spectacular fruitcake GRK Fasteners—Large assortment of fasteners Chris Gunn—Ten lbs. elk, harvested Oct. ‘11 in Cody, Wyoming Denny Hambruch/Mafell North America— KSP 85 FC circular saw with F160 guide rail Home Buyer Publications Virginia red and white wine duos from Pearmund Cellars, Grey Ghost and Barboursville Marnie Jones—Personalized poem (twice) Bill Keir/Oakwrights—One-week stay for 2 at Oakwrights, Hereford, U.K. Bob Kozakiewicz—Antique whip saw

Lancaster County Timber Frames—Two Lancaster Brewing Company variety 12-packs; Amish green scooter LandArk Northwest—One $50 gift certificate with T-shirt; 1 $350 gift certificate with T-shirt Charles Leik—Timber framer’s stitch; 6 bottles Ides of March Michigan maple syrup made by Charles Ed Levin—Tom Hubka’s Book, Resplendent Synagogue, signed by many Poland project participants Bruce Lindsay/Evergreen Specialties—Eight copies Lumber Grading Rules for 2-in. Lumber; 10 copies Official West Coast Lumber Inspection Book Curtis Milton—Hunter orange wool hat Pete Moncada—Four sets of chisel sheaths J.P. Morris—TFG logo belt buckle and belt, made by Grigg Mullen III in 2001 New Energy Works Timber Framers—Dog feeding station made of reclaimed oak John Nininger/Wooden House Co.—Twelvein. stainless rule Susan Norlander & Joel McCarty—$50 gift certificate to Summer Beam Books Scott Northcott, with wood from Modern Cabinets and Construction—Five peg racks: 3 butternut with black walnut pegs, 1 American sycamore, 1 recycled American chestnut Brian & Ginger Phillips—Book, Country Woodcraft (out of print); Petzl helmet with face shield & ear defenders; 4 round 6-ft. slings Chris Pickering—One 3.5-in. slick; 1 broad axe; 1 D.R. Barton 2-in. firmer; lots of gouges

Toll Free 877-988-8574

Legacy Timber Frames

Your Vision 12

Our Timbers Scantlings 167 January 2012

» TIMBER SUPPLIER Bruce Lindsay » LIFETIME MEMBER OF the TIMBER FRAMERS GUILD

On the Guild auction Goodness gracious! We raised a grand total of $27,610 at the Leesburg auction. We were especially grateful for the work of three Guild children—Ari and Liam Collins and Aurelia Finch—who happily took on the selling of raffle tickets. They raised $1625! Ari (nine years old) quickly learned the basics from Marnie Jones and me, and then she became the chief engineer of raffle sales, training her brother (six) and Aurelia (seven). If you have never been to a Guild conference, here’s how the auction works. First, the raffle: you buy armlengths of double-strip raffle tickets; a full wingspan (fingertip to fingertip, two arms across) is $20; half a wingspan (one arm) is $10. You choose the person whose arms you wish to use for a measure. The strips are then split down the middle, the buyer keeping one strip for reference and dropping tickets from the other strip into the paper bags in front of each raffle item. The drawing runs during or after the live auction, and you must be present to win. So, Ari, Liam and Aurelia, each carrying a colored roll of tickets and wearing a nail apron for collections, approached everyone they saw, sold lots of tickets, and counted the money they brought back to the desk.

Barr & Ginger Quarton—Barr Tools hewing adz Ken Rower—Ladies’ boot jack, curly maple, made by Ken Lisa Sasser & Betsy Hahn—Kevin’s Estate Kona coffee & sack Lisa Sasser—Dugout to Deco, by Elizabeth Skidmore Sasser (Lisa’s mother); tools belt buckle; radiused soles & irons for a hand plane. Bob Smith & Grigg Mullen—Four boxes Bob & Baldy’s hot jazz hot chocolates with Scotch Bonnet peppers; 4 bottles Smoke & Fire Medley of peppers; many bottles Bob & Baldy’s Hot Sauce Laurie Smith—Geometric design study with Laurie Smith

Cindy Mullen, a bookkeeper by training and an organizer by inclination, helped them with recordkeeping. In Leesburg we had 20 raffle items and 75 live auction items. Some people gave more than one item, and some who didn’t attend still sent donations. Some items were handcrafted, some were rum-soaked, some were very old, some were brand new, some were silly, some were very serious, you could walk into one, and you could carefully hold others in the palm of your hand. Once again the Holder family—Rick, Gabel, Whit, and Ansley—organized and ran the show (Whit and Ansley took turns carrying baby Harper Lee, born this past March), with auctioneer Rick steaming along without a break to carry the live auction to a final total of $25,985. Board members helped as spotters. Ginger Phillips worked as a runner. And this time we had a man sitting at the auction recording table! Ken Rower joined Marnie Jones, Susan Norlander, and Cindy Mullen to help keep the records. Ari, Aurelia, and Liam pulled the winning raffle tickets from the bags and awarded the prizes. It was a perfect finish. Our thanks to everyone who made this another very enjoyable event. Generous donations and bids warmed our hearts. The money and spirits raised are a tremendous help to your Guild. —Susan Norlander

South Mountain Company—Monckton’s National Stair Builder Summer Beam Books—Farmers of Forty Centuries; Geography of Homes; Good Green Homes; Earthbag Building Book; Celebrating the American Home; Colonial Style Al Thomas—MASH (Mobile Auxiliary Shop House) pavilion Timber Framers Guild—Two timber carts TFG Board of Directors—Pelican waterproof case Timber Home Living—Full-year banner ad on TimberHomeLiving. com; 4-page home feature in Dream Home Showcase Magazine

Timber Tools, Gary Richter—Buffalo Tool Forge made: Montana hewing knife; 1-in. framing chisel, double tempered Timberwolf Tools—Wood Owl drill bits; Mafell drill station; Mafell super jig saw; Makita curved bed planer; Makita "Wheelie Brush" Trillium Dell Timberworks—Triquetra-symbol table with glass top, crafted by Bruno Steane; 4 ¼-lb. packages cheese from Illinois cheeseries Vicco von Voss—Book, Vicco von Voss; honey from very friendly bees; book of photos Al Wallace—Seven books from the Wallace collection, appreciatively used Dick Warner—Oak leaf barrette, carved by Dick

January 2012 Scantlings 167

ECO-LOGIC Musings on permanence from the heartland Wind turbines here in the Midwest are popping up in tillable fields at a rate unmatched by the speed at which corn grows—July hybrid ethanol-making corn. Watching these turbines go up lately has had me questioning what permanence and non-permanence mean for us as carpenters. Wind power was last harnessed in earnest around here beginning in the 1880s and ending in the 1950s. The completion then of the very ambitious and destructive federally-funded rural electrifying program put the last nail in the coffin for large-scale alternative energy use, also decommissioning the last of the thousands of hydroelectric plants and mechanical water wheels on the tens of thousands of miles of riverways in Illinois. A few relics of the bygone era of local, renewable energy remain as magnificent Victorian or Art Deco buildings housing turbines and AC/DC converters reminiscent of a 30s-era black and white Flash Gordon episode, or as the Chicago Aermotor windmills that still dot the landscape, creakily turning with half the blades missing and tails full of bullet holes. The other day I went out on several site visits throughout this modern version of a herd of prairie behemoths: wind turbines, the new American bison. My

first stop was Bishop Hill (www.bishophill.com), a little Swedish community founded in the 1840s by immigrants to the prairie via the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes. (Many settlers to Illinois bypassed the East Coast completely.) These Swedes founded one of hundreds of littleknown 19th-century Midwestern utopian communities. This one held together for about 20 years before disbanding, leaving behind a small collection of multistory brick community buildings and timber frame homes and barns. I was there to exchange signed contracts with the director of the state park and manager of the historic steeple building, and to check out some progressive, accelerated water damage on the walls. Work for us on this building (c.1854) begins in the spring and will involve tuck-pointing, exterior plaster, steeple restoration, exterior trim work, and window restoration. This is the building’s first real repair since major roof work in the 1860s. There has been maintenance along the way but no real overhaul on the intentionally impermanent portions of the building. These important failsafes include soft mortar and plasters, trim and window sills, and door thresholds. The

Scantlings 167 January 2012

In Illinois, a 1902 barn sits against a backdrop of newlyconstructed windmills.

Rick Collins

structure has a replacement cost of around $8 million, yet over 150 years later the cost to bring it back to its original condition is under $700,000. Not bad, considering very little has been done along the way and a lot of our work will be to tear out the poorly installed modern Portland mortars that damaged the building far beyond what doing nothing would have caused. It’s possible that these repairs by uneducated technicians have resulted in over $200,000 in damage to the building. Later I travelled to Abingdon, Illinois, to visit a client who has a magnificent 1880s farmhouse with Italianate

detailing. A few years ago we replaced corbels beneath the soffit and repaired other trim details, but now her built-in gutters are failing. Very little besides regular upkeep and replacement has been done on this house since it was built. It’s a typical clapboard-sided, uninsulated lath-and-plaster house with fantastic grain-painted trim work and doors and well-made window sashes. Replacement cost today would be in excess of $1.5 million; it would be lucky to sell for $150,000 with a few acres and a garage. Not a lot of people want to live in the country these days. Work is scarce and distances to urban areas with office or factory jobs are great.

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877-682-4602

www.whitemanlumber.com

January 2012 Scantlings 167

Along the way to Abingdon I passed one of the many 1840s-era two-story timber framed Greek revival hall and parlor houses (5/12 roof) that once filled the countryside by the hundreds of thousands. These houses were exceptionally well built with bents often 8 ft. on center, and they would measure 24-ft. by 32- or 48-ft., or thereabouts. Many of these structures have over 16,000 bd.ft. of well-hewn white oak just in frame components (joists, timbers, studs). Studding is typically 16 in. on center with 4 x 4 stock, joists are 2 x 8, and posts, connectors, and tie beams are around 8 x 9. By contrast, a modern timber frame skeleton we build may have only 10,000 bd.ft. or less in the structure and costs us $140,000 to fabricate and install. Complete, this old Greek revival would cost me $900,000 to $1.1 million to build. It sits alone out on the prairie with a few scrub bushes around it and some big clumps of bluestem poking up in the yard like a cowlick on a kid’s head, possibly abandoned. Ironically, I imagine the owners (if they have not bailed out of industrial farming) have probably moved into one of the many versions of temporary pre-fab or stick-built homes now the norm on rural farmsteads. These modern “homes”, typically architecturally uninspired, often make use of the most unlikely, impermanent of building materials: oriented strand board (OSB), vinyl, plastic, foam, fiberglass, adhesives, Portland cement, complicated mechanical systems, and gypsum.

North American builder interested in building houses quickly and cheaply while still integrating timber frames, and the second was by a university professor interested in the same minus the timber frame. In both cases I was struck by the amount of input both of these homes required in effort and materials, and yet neither spoke to me of permanence. In both cases the intention was to provide quality housing that conferred dignity on the owners, used an available resource, was quickly installed, and was affordable. These are laudable goals for sure, but perhaps shortsighted in execution. Shouldn’t we meet those same goals with multigenerational buildings? Both designs were built with materials of short lifespan and both required high energy inputs to create. We do have a choice about what we build. I am a fan of speed and efficiency, but just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should. My suggestion to both presenters would be to think carefully about what they are doing and about whether, as in the case of the soon-to-be-obsolete wind turbines now troubling our horizons, they are actually creating a potential burden of removal and waste for the next person down the line. Building technology in the last 130 years has made promises it cannot deliver. Buildings that last for hundreds of years are built well with materials that exist around us (like clay, wood, and stone) by trained hands, not mere technicians.

I am reminded of what to strive for as a carpenter: architecturally pleasing buildings, the use of durable local materials, and trained craft. If not for these elements, the buildings I now watch grimly, steadfastly hanging on would have blown away, collapsed under snow, failed from water damage, or suffered neglect to the point of no return. . . . Buildings that last for hundreds of years are built well with materials that exist around us (like clay, wood, and stone) by trained hands, not mere technicians. On a jobsite near Chicago the other day, I jokingly remarked to a carpenter that sticks (modern 2-by lumber) were fine for bracing a timber frame but I wouldn’t actually consider building with them. He appeared confused or perhaps angry and insulted. I suppose I am a man of extremes: if I can’t build a timber frame, my only other option is a tent or something along those lines. Like the off-the-shelf milk in the grocery store, modern construction is a mere shadow of what our ancestors enjoyed. (In high school I milked cows in an old timber frame barn. My appreciation for both barns and fresh milk is immense.) This year I attended Frame (the U.K. Carpenters Fellowship meeting) and was once again astounded by the quality of both the presentations and the participants. Around 250 people, many of them timber frame carpenters, came to St. Fagan’s (a fantastic building museum) in Cardiff, Wales. Two presentations got me thinking further about impermanent structures. One was by a 16

As I journey through my landscape and my time, I watch the sun set and rise on structures built for some degree of permanence. I am reminded of what to strive for as a carpenter: architecturally pleasing buildings, the use of durable local materials, and trained craft. If not for these elements, the buildings I now watch grimly, steadfastly hanging on would have blown away, collapsed under snow, failed from water damage, or suffered neglect to the point of no return. When these buildings finally go down, it’s at the hands of the operator of a high hoe excavator and in the name of agricultural progress, an idea that is as impermanent as the modern home claiming a place as human dwelling. No amount of glue, vinyl, plastic, fiberglass, Portland cement, complicated mechanical systems, gypsum, foam, or OSB would have brought them into the next century. In fact, those things would have certainly caused their early, inevitable demise. —Rick Collins

Scantlings 167 January 2012

from the business council desk Who would miss us if we were gone? IN 1995, the TFBC formed an organization separate from the Guild out of company owners’ need to not only market timber framing to the public but also to support them in business education. (The TFG could not address marketing because of its 501(c)3 status.) Many timber frame companies grew from the owner’s passion for timber framing; they were not in love with the paperwork, employee issues, business contracts, marketing techniques, insurance, or government regulations. First and foremost, they were successful builders. As a result, they had to form a company and hire a crew. Fast forward 17 years. Owners who are still in business have learned by experience and education how to be successful businesspeople. Seventeen years ago, the web was a new marketplace and the public was eager to submit their information as “leads” to the timber frame community. Today, social media and websites are more sophisticated, and so are the users who visit them. Consumers are wary about giving out their private information. Instead, they do their own research by going to company websites and searching association websites (such as the Guild or the Business Council) for direction. Consider these factors: (1) today’s timber frame owner is more sophisticated (from a business perspective), (2) the public is more cautious about giving information out on the computer (or anywhere else), and (3) in today’s economy, people seem to join our group less because of benefit to the industry as a whole and more in hopes of taking home a direct benefit to their own business. These factors, among others, have led the TFBC board of directors to ask: How can the Business Council remain relevant, and who would miss us if we were gone? Those in our industry are threatened less by competition from other timber framers and more by competition from other building alternatives. Building consumers have a wide range of choices. The TFBC directors want to shift

www.timberframe.org

the focus of the Business Council toward a more direct, consumer focused “go-to” association that would inform architects, engineers, and consumers about timber framing, becoming a one-stop resource as well to find the best timber frame company to work with them. Educating timber frame owners on how to run their business is probably not a primary focus in the future. The shift in mission, therefore, is to help people (architects, builders, consumers) to recognize the benefits of timber framing, making it easier for them to buy from you. In return, if you’re not a TFBC member, you’ll certainly have more reason to consider it. The TFBC Speaker Bureau Training (to certify TFBC/ AIA instructors for CEU credits) is slated for rapid growth. The training has been put into CD form, and the price has been reduced from past “live” training sessions, to get as many members certified as possible so that we can expand our offerings to architects and engineers. The board has pledged to design at least one new program each year, to keep our offerings fresh and relevant. (For more information on the Speaker Bureau Training, or the actual courses available, please ask me.) The AIA programs will be repackaged into consumer webinars, contractor webinars, and the like in the very near future. The board will begin the new year answering hard questions in order to push out the message that timber framing continues to be a viable building method. It is their goal to serve the timber frame community by bringing more business to its members. It is healthy—and exciting—to question the existence of the TFBC. The board of directors will be calling on the timber frame community to ask for your support, and that does not always mean financial. TFBC will be your marketing partner as we refine our focus to be recognized as the timber frame resource to the building industry community. What say you? —Pam Hinton, executive director

January 2012 Scantlings 167

TTRAG, from page 5 which a small group of historical and repair specialists gather with spouses and guests for a weekend of illustrated talks and local building tours. Michael and Julie Burrey of MLB Restorations (Plymouth) organized the tour and arranged for 18 of the 23 people in attendance to stay at the Josiah Coffin house, a substantial middle-class house that (neglecting additions) stands pretty much as it was built in 1724—two chambers up and two down, the central brick stack serving fireplaces in each room—and with an original lean-to

at the back, including its own steep stair, providing additional space. Saturday’s authentic dinner of chowder, bread, and Indian pudding was provided in costume by food historian Paula Marcoux, who baked the bread and cooked the dishes in the dining room fireplace. TTRAG’s next event is a conference open to the general public to be held March 30–April 2 at Dingman’s Ferry, Pa., in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (see events schedule, facing page). The speakers program and tour arrangements are well advanced. —Ken Rower

On the TTRAG members’ meeting building tour in Nantucket. From left, Pen Austin, Jack Sobon, Randy Nash, John McNamara, David Ottinger, Jan Lewandoski, Bob Hedges, Kim Balfour, Pret Woodburn.

Bill Collins

Notices

Notices are for one-time events and offers, and they run free to Guild members for two issues per year. The cost to non-Guild members is $58 per notice per issue. A notice, whether free or paid, runs for a maximum of two issues. Notices are intended for onetime events and offers; appropriateness for inclusion is decided by the editor.

for sale

help wanted

Mafell circular saw.

Itinerant timber framers.

220 volt 13-in. Mafell circular saw used to cut one frame. $1895 or best offer. FOB Ohio. carlsommers@att.net, 419/422-5324.

Kettle River Timberworks is looking for itinerant timber framers to work with our crew installing timber frames and SIP panels for our busy 2012 season. Part-time, project-based contract work. Timber framing or excellent carpentry experience is a requirement, SIP experience an asset. Enjoyment of working outdoors (in all weather) and a good sense of humour are musts. Projects last typically 2 to 4 weeks, mainly on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast and Gulf Islands. Island projects require boat travel and camping out. Compensation is generous and proportional to skill level and productivity. Travel time, travel expenses, and living out expenses provided. Dave Petrina, dave@kettlerivertimber.com, 604/202-7817.

Makita tenon cutter. 4-blade machine cuts cheeks and shoulders of tenon in one pull of the handle. Fully adjustable for offset or centered tenons. Can take up to an 8-x timber. Great for small truss parts. Can pay for itself in one job. Full extra set of blades, all safety guards, and 3-phase motor. Excellent condition. $4000/US plus freight from northwest Washington state. Email Pete Slisz for photos: pete@twodogtimberworks.com.

Timber posts and beams. Solid old growth barn timbers (oak, etc.) for sale in Mount Pleasant, Mich. Enough for one large or two small homes. Nancy, nitemtp@ localnet.com, 989/773-1714.

Scantlings 167 January 2012

events Paul Russell

These listings are for Guild workshops and meetings, were submitted by Guild members, or announce other relevant events.

Guild events TTRAG Symposium 2012 Mar 30–Apr 1, 2012 Delaware Water Gap Natl. Recreation Area, Dingmans Ferry, Penna. Western Conference 2012 Apr 24–29, 2012 Asilomar State Park, Monterey, Calif. (see page 2) Evergreen Independent School/TFG Evergreen School sports pavilion Aug 10–19, 2012 Cobble Hill, B.C. Chris Koehn, chris@koehn.com. SouthEast Regional Meeting Sep, Franklin, N.C. (tentative)

other events

EcoNest School of Natural Building In Ashland, Ore.— Timber framing May 7–11, Aug 27–31 Clay-fiber walls May 14–17, Sep 3–6 Natural plasters May 18–19, Sep 7–8 Roof construction May 21–24, Sep 10–13 Japanese carpentry/timber framing Jun 11–17, Oct 1–7 On Salt Spring Island, B.C.— Timber framing Jul 16–20 Clay-fiber walls Jul 23–26 Natural plasters Jul 27–28 Roof construction Jul 30–Aug 2 Robert Laporte, robert@econest.com, 541/488-9508. Heartwood School SketchUp for Timber Framers Apr 26–28 Home Design for Owners & Builders Apr 30–May 4 Traditional Country Woodcraft: the Shavehorse May 21–25 Concrete Countertops Jun 1–2 Build a Wooden Hand Plane Jun 9–10

Build Your Own Workbench for Woodworking Jun 4–8 Timber Frame Design & Joinery Decisions Jun 11–15 Timber Framing Jun 18–22, Aug 24–28 Converting Trees to Timber and Game of Logging Jun 25–29 Historic Timber Framing / Jack Sobon Jul 6–7 Carpentry for Women Jul 9–13 Comprehensive Homebuilding Jul 30–Aug 10 Finish Carpentry Aug 13–17 Scribing Aug 27–31 Natural Building in the Northeast Sep 7–8 Compound Roof Framing Sep 10–14 Washington, Mass. Michele Beemer, www.heartwoodschool.com, request@heartwoodschool.com, 413/623-6677. Island School of Building Arts Post and beam Apr 2–27 2012 Timber frame bents Apr 30–May 25 Building with logs May 28–Jun 22 Rumford fireplace and decorative stonework Jun 25–Jul 20 Gabriola Island, B.C. www.isba.ca, 250/247-8922. Northern Lights Timber Framing Introduction to Timber Framing Jan 29–Feb 4 Minneapolis, Minn. Clark Bremer, clarkb@northernlightstimberframing.com, 612/216-2205. Rocky Mountain Workshops Square . . scribe . . . CRUCK! / Neil Godden and Josh Jackson Aug 12–26 Square rule timber framing basics / Skip Dewhirst and Chris Drake Sep 9–15 Colorado State University Mountain Campus, Pingree Park Peter Haney, www.rockymountainworkshops.com, 970/482-1366.

job wanted

miscellany

Journeyman timber framer seeking work.

Do you use Vectorworks?

Have tools and skills, will travel. Design, timber framing, general contracting, etc. Ideally looking for a 1–6-month-long project. Any offers considered. See my work on my website, www.timberframesbycollinbeggs.com. Collin Beggs, 208/290-8120.

Some of us who work on Mac computers to do drafting have used Vectorworks for many years, and recently Guild member Mike Erkkinen has shared with me some of the shortcuts and tricks he’s developed to adapt the software for timber framing. We are considering holding a two-day workshop/symposium at the Heartwood School in western Mass. to explore and share these methods, but are unsure what the interest level would be. If you use Vectorworks on PC or Mac (and some experience will be required to avoid having to start from scratch) and would like such a class, please contact me. Will Beemer, will@tfguild.org, 413/623-6677.

January 2012 Scantlings 167

PRESORTED FIRST-CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID LITHTEX NORTHWEST MAILED FROM 98226 P.O. Box 295 9 Mechanic Street Alstead, NH 03602-0295 Address Service Requested

Welcome, new members! THANKS AND a hearty welcome to these folks who have joined the Timber Framers Guild in October and November. We hope to see you at one of 2012â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guild events. Ty Allen, Farmington, N.Y. Ernie Asprelli, Woodbridge, Conn. Bessheen Baker, Mt. Pleasant, Mich. Gery Blackburn, Makanda, Ill. Doug Blackwell, Port Alberni, B.C. Sue Browning, Purcellville, Va. Jerry Brunink, Holland, Mich. Charles Byrd, Middleburg, Va. James Carpenter, North Haven, Maine Joseph Chetwynd, Pembroke, Mass. David Emmi, Farmington, N.Y. Glenn Forest, Saraland, Ala. Eric Fraser, Farmington, N.Y. Donald Ganley, Peterborough, N.H. Aaron Gaudern, Wilson, Wyo. Glen Gile, Alfred, Maine Bryon Haney, Whitney, Texas Douglas Hansen, Boulder, Colo. Holly Hanson, Clifton, N.J. Clark Howland, Terrace Park, Ohio

Jacob Bach Jensen, Aarhus, Central Jutland, Denmark Rachel Kopka and David Veale, Three Rivers, Mich. Tim Krahn, Codrington, Ont. Korrin Lohmann, Minneapolis, Minn. Daniel Long, Lockerbie Dumfriesshire, Scotland Matt Lovemark, Aptos, Calif. Lyle McGeachy, Romeo, Mich. Brian Mosch, Farmington, N.Y. James Murphy, Charleston, S.C. Gordon Pellegrini, Sparkill, N.Y. Greg Robinson, Raleigh, N.C. Scott Rouleau, Farmington, Conn. Brandon Ruttle, Waterloo, Ont. Stephen Shaw, South Waterloo, N.Y. Bruno Steane, Knoxville, Ill. Renard Thompson, Colebrook, Conn. Mark Williston, Peterborough, N.H. Charles Young, Philadelphia, Penna. Jennifer Young, Farmington, N.Y.

A view of Clark County, Va., not far from the site of the 2011 Eastern Conference. Marnie Jones