Timber Framing: Building Without Nails
Timber Framing Workshop: Building without nails
Spring 2023 Workshop
This workshop is full with a waiting list.
A 6-day introduction to timber framing at the Canelo Project. Come and join us for a traditional timber frame construction for our new and beautiful frame for a strawbale home in New Mexico.
You will learn the art of laying out a timber frame structure, cutting mortise and tenons both by hand and power tools, plus lumber selection and milling. You will gain a good understanding of tools and how to maintain them. We will also show you many examples of natural building and finishes here on the property.
This structure is for a home in New Mexico, but we will test “raise” and assemble the timber frame on the final day of the workshop.
No experience required: This course is accessible from beginners with little experience to builders who want to learn the craft of timber framing. We want all to leave Canelo with the confidence to build your own small timber frame structure at home.
* This course begins with orientation and dinner Saturday evening 6pm, March 25, and ends Saturday at 12:30pm April 1, with a morning class.
Daily Workshop Schedule
- Arrival previous, March 25, dinner included 7pm, introductions 8pm
- Introduction to timber framing
- How to layout timbers
- Joinery introduction
- Intro to tools
- Sharpening tools
- Intro to cutting tenons
- Finish layout & cutting tenons
- Intro to cutting mortises
- Cutting mortises & tenons
- Continue posts
- Milling lumber demo
- Making a knee brace intro
- Make knee braces and continue posts
- Blacksmithing demo
- Continue knee braces & posts
- Canelo Tour
- Frame raising day!
- 8.30 – 12pm – Wrap up raising / final questions and reflections / clean up



