Rendezvous

Camp Letts Rendezvous
August 19-23, 2008
Camp Letts, Maryland

Camp Letts is a year-round conference and retreat center about 10 miles from Annapolis and 34 miles from Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Located on the Chesapeake Bay, the 219-acre peninsula has miles of wooded trails for hiking, horseback riding, and nature discovery. In the summer months, it is the home of the Washington area YMCA. The retreat offers heated lodges, hearty meals, and recreational activities. For more information on Camp Letts, see www.campletts.org/EducationalRetreat.htm

We are expecting hundreds of timber framers and their families to join us for a challenging and fun week of training, demonstrations and hands-on activities. One low registration fee will include most rendezvous activities, meals and lodging (there are options for either cabins or camping); there are additional fees (see below) for certification courses and those with limited enrollment.

Both the aerial lift and forklift certifications follow OSHA standards and are mostly classroom with some hands-on training with the equipment. Crane and rigging techniques are Guild curricula-based and will be more informal, hands-on activities and/or demonstrations. The certification courses, taught by Joel McCarty, will focus on safety issues. The Rigging and Raising will be led by Grigg Mullen and Al Anderson and will focus on various techniques and methods applicable to safe timber framing.

Below is a brief description (tentative) of the planned activities:

Square Rule Layout Technique

• TFG Curricula-based training led by Guild instructors
• Class Size: 14 students/instructor (expandable to accommodate all interested attendees)
• Class Times: 8:30 AM — Noon, 1:00 PM — 3:00 PM Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
• Cost: $185 TFG Member/$215 Non-member
• Curricula: Square Rule Curriculum

Scribe Rule Layout Technique

• TFG Curricula based training led by Guild instructors
• Class Size: 10 students/instructor expandable to accommodate all interested attendees
• Class Times: 8:30 AM — Noon, 1:00 PM — 3:00 PM Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
• Cost: $250 TFG Member/$280 Non-member
• Curricula: Scribe Rule Curriculum

Fall Protection

• TFG Curricula-based, state-of-the-art demonstration of harnesses and techniques
• Class Size: Open
• Class Times: Tuesday afternoon, Saturday afternoon
• Cost: Included in the Registration Fee

Children's Development Workshop

• Project-based activities designed to introduce younger people to timber framing.
• Class Size: Open
• Class Times: 9 AM — Noon Every day
• Cost: Included in the Registration Fee

Tool Tent

• Sharpening clinics (ongoing)
• Plane tune-ups
• Tool demos by sponsors and members
• Tool debates
• Barr vs. Sorby
• Axe hewn vs. adze hewn
• Power tool maintenance
• Care and feeding of chainsaws

Tool Swap

• Schedule TBA based on volunteer commitment to topics.
• Class Times: Flexible, every day all day
• Cost: Included in the Registration Fee

Danish Carpenters

• The Danish carpenters are making a timbered valley for their journeyman's test at the technical schools.
• It is a 6' x 6' structure with the valley spanning the diagonal. It is mostly made of 5" x 5" material.
• Put together, it will form a 4 square cabin with 4 valleys, just big enough for a double bed, a chest of drawers and a suitcase.
• The idea is to put the cabin in a container and have it shipped to Camp Letts.
• Spend the first few days assembling and sheathing it. Then we will start thatching.
• Because of the four valleys, it will be possible to keep 4 to 8 people busy at the same time, so everybody who are interested should be able to have go at it.
• There is a newly established apprenticeship program for thatchers in Denmark. We will share information about the Danish apprenticeship system, Danish carpentry traditions and Danish thatching practice.

Raising and Rigging: Gin Poles, Shear Legs, Hoist Demos, Rigging Theory, Crane and Rigging Techniques

• TFG Curricula based
• Class Size: Open
• Class Times: Varied events daily
• Cost: Included in the Registration Fee

Visual Timber Grading

• TFG Curricula inspired
• Class Size: 25
• Class Time: Tuesday morning
• Cost: Included in the Registration Fee

Red Cross First Aid Certification

• A Guild-supplied instructor will teach a certification course based on American Red Cross CPR/FA/AED class, tailored to TF needs
• Includes notebook and certificate of completion
• Class Size: 10
• Class Times: 8:30 AM — 4:00 PM Tuesday or Saturday (same class offered twice; your choice)
• Cost: $75 TFG Member/$85 Non-member
• Curricula: First Aid Curriculum

Safe Work Practices

• TFG Curricula-based training led by Will Beemer
• Class Size: Open
• Class Times: 1:00 PM — 5:00 PM Thursday, Friday
• Cost: Included in the Registration Fee
• Curricula: Safe Work Practices Curriculum

Project Management

• TFG Curricula-based training led by Project Committee.
• Class Size: 12
• Class Times: 3:00 PM — 4:30 PM Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
• Cost: $150 TFG Member/$180 Non-member
• Curricula: Project Management Curriculum, Part 7A

Scaffolding Training

• Certificate bearing course taught by TFG
• Class Size: Open
• Class Time: All day Wednesday
• Cost: $100 TFG Member/$115 Non-member
• Curricula: Access Equipment Curriculum

Forklift Training

• Certificate bearing course taught by TFG
• Class Size: Limited
• Class Time: All day Friday
• Cost: $125 TFG Member/$140 Non-member
• Curricula: Forklift Curriculum

Aerial Lift Training

• Certificate bearing course taught by TFG
• Class Size: limited
• Class Time: All day Thursday
• Cost: $125 TFG Member/$140 Non-member
• Curricula: Aerial Lift Curriculum

Carving

• TFG Curricula-based training
• Class Size: Open
• Class Time: All day Saturday
• Cost: Included in the registration fee
• Curricula: Carving Curriculum

Joint Busting

• Dr. Ben Brungraber will resurrect/reinvent the joint busting machine of Guild lore and we will be busting joints in the evenings. Persons confident of their timber framing skills will bring a "T" joint built to the specs shown below, and said joint will be tested to failure. The pounds per square inch pressure required to bust the joint will be recorded and compared to all others. The framer whose joint scores highest will be deemed the winner and receive a prize of $50 of Guild Store merchandise (second prize $20 worth).
• Specs: Wooden joints to be constructed of two 6 x 6 timbers, 4 feet long, meeting at 90 degrees (perpendicular)

Axe Toss

• Team and Individual Competitions
• Bring your own axe
• There will be an entry fee; proceeds will go to the Guild.
• Stay tuned for details