• Participate in hands on training as you help construct a 16' x 20' timber frame garden shed.
• Basic woodworking knowledge is beneficial but no experience is necessary.
• The frame will be constructed out of 8"x 8" pine timbers.  This is the most common size used in modern timber frame construction.
• The beams will come directly from the sawmill. Students will then layout, cut, and assemble sections of the frame.
• The 16 x 20 frame built at the Wood Source will be sold with all profits going to charity.

• Working from a set of drawings.
• Traditional mortise and tenon joinery.
• Layout and cutting procedures.
• Proper use of hand and power tools (including safe operation and storage).
• Practical and safe raising techniques.

About your instructor... Jason Gibson
Jason has been building timber frames for over seven years. He runs a timber framing company in rural Harrowsmith where all the frames are cut.

Jason has been running private timber framing courses for the past 4 years. He has also instructed timber framing at both St. Lawrence and Algonquin Colleges.

Jason runs a safe and fun workshop. Within the company, all of his employees are highly skilled craftspeople.

Students must bring:

• Safety boots
• Safety Glasses
• Min 16' Tape measure
• 24" Framing square
• Liability form (download here)

"The Gibson Timber Frame Course met and exceeded my most optimistic expectations. The combination of experience in hand tools, power tools, structural and design concepts, drawing analysis, and practical shaping of all the important joints using both hand and power tools was both instructional and stimulating. An energizing and enjoyable esprit de Coeur developed amongst the group, from across Canada, with all working intently and cooperatively to complete the timber frame project in the allotted time. At the end one felt confidently able to plan and construct a timber frame structure. I enjoyed the course immensely". - George

"The course was better than I hoped. I appreciated the way that Jason asked the participants to figure out layout from the drawings rather than spoon-feed the information. It made for better learning and understanding on my part. I appreciated the emphasis on safety and Jason's in-depth knowledge combined with a relaxed approach." - Noel

"Awesome week. Wouldn't change a thing. Mark and Jason compliment each other."

"The instructors are very understanding of the different levels of expertise and able to adjust their teaching method."

"Great course. Enjoyed the entire program." "Jason and Mark are a wealth of knowledge. They were patient, safety conscious and very interactive. Great course!"

"Jason gave me the knowledge and courage to go ahead and build my own timber frame." - Stephen

"Enjoyed the course and the teaching techniques." - Steve

"Great course. Everything it said it was going to be and more. The work book was an added bonus." - Josh, Woodlawn, Ontario

"This was awesome! Jason is a great teacher/leader." - name withheld

"Excellent course!!!" - Barry

"I think the teaching that we had was great. I learned the basics and got to do and perfect my methods. All-in-all I had a blast. Money well spent. - Arnold, Brockville, Ontario

"Ten of us students started with a large stack of rough cut lumber and with the patient and experienced tuition of Jason produced a completed and raised timber frame. A very enjoyable and educational weeks course. Highly recommended." - Graham, Calgary

"Thanks for a great week, Jason! Had a great time and learned a lot. " - Al

"Thanks for your wisdom and easy going patient teaching style. The week has been a wonderful learning experience for me! A whole new world has been opened up before me. What a week! Great time!" - Todd, Oakville, Ontario

"This has been superb. Good people teaching good skills that could even reach this bumbling amateur." - Eric

"It's been an absolutely fantastic week. This will go down as one of those “great life experiences” that I'll always remember. Thanks for all your advice and patience for my endless requests to check layout!" - Stewart, Nepean, Ontario

"Excellent course, Jason. You make an excellent teacher." - Mike T.

"I highly recommend the GTF timber framing course.  Jason is very knowledgeable about timber framing techniques and he works with course participants in a manner which is safe, practical, and FUN!  It was a great week of hands-on learning and skill building, and very satisfying to see how all the components came together with raising the completed timber frame on the last day of the course". Gregg N.

"I found that the course struck a good balance between the practical aspects of timber framing and the principals behind the craft. Given the scope of the course, it was great how Jason integrated the practical demonstration of sawing rough lumber on site. From a personal perspective Jason was a fabulous instructor and managed to effectively educate people from a diverse set of backgrounds." - Michael S.

"The course was excellent and the information provided on the steps necessary to build a timber frame home was invaluable. I have recently submitted my plans for an addition to a structural engineer for approval. Jason's practical experience and information was what I needed to take this step and plan building my own frames." - John B

"The course was fun and I sure learned a lot.  It brought together a great group of people with an incredible variety of skill sets.  Needless to say, with that many people all working on the various bits of the structure, you really wonder what the finished product would look like.  Jason made the process both fun and informative and true to his word, the final product went together just as he had told us it would and it looked great too!!! Truth be told, I would take the course again just for the fun and camaraderie." - Ron C.

"Jason is a natural-born teacher:  his candor with his students makes you feel immediately at ease and ready to learn, and his approach to course material, including the introduction of timber frame and timber frame-hybrid design, is driven by years of experience.  Inspiring: I haven't put down my chisels since." - Dave B.

"As an educator, part of my work involves evaluating teaching materials, strategies and course contents and I must say I was very impressed by the overall quality of the course. It had just the right balance of detailed explanations and hands on practice to provide an excellent introduction to timber framing basics, while still being challenging enough to hold the interest of more experienced participants. Jason's solid expertise delivered in a relaxed and humorous style set the tone for the great group dynamics that prevailed over that very enjoyable week." - Brian D.

"I thoroughly enjoyed the timber framing course.   He is an excellent instructor that made the whole process of raising a timber frame structure from scratch easy to understand.  He presented the course information in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, and always had time to provide some one-on-one advice.   I especially appreciated the hands-on approach in the course since it allowed us to try the different tools of the trade, and see what timber framing is all about.  The skills and confidence I gained at the course prompted me to start my own project, a 12x16 timber frame shed.  I highly recommend this course for anyone that is interested in timber framing and wants to learn more about the process." - Ben W

"Gibson Timber Frames framing course gave me the confidence to build my own timber frame home.  Jason has an easygoing approach to teaching and I would recommend the course to anyone, both professional builder and homeowner, who is interested in the craft." - Joe I