Georgia based timber framers make "historic" television debut

Posted on April 11, 2008 by Ansley Holder

WHERE do two timber framers from Georgia make their television debut discussing a hand tool commonly used to build historic reproduction timber frames and repair historic timber frames? You guessed it--on the History Channel. ("Historic timber frames" was a pretty good hint--I made it really easy for ya'll!) An upcoming episode of the wildly popular television program Modern Marvels will feature Holder Bros. Timber Frames co-owners Whit and Gabel Holder demonstrating the axes and hand-hewing techniques they use in their timber framing work.

WHO attracted the attention of the Modern Marvels producers? Gabel Holder wrote a timber frame blog about one of his favorite tools, the axe, and the producers found Gabel's blog post on the Holder Bros. Timber Frames web site while doing research for the upcoming episode.

WHAT will the timber framers demonstrate or talk about on the Modern Marvels program? Whit and Gabel will demonstrate converting a round log into a hand-hewn beam for a timber frame using only axes. They will show their collection of axes and describe the various different uses for each one.

WHY is the axe important to hand hewing and building timber frames? The axe has been crucial to humans for building shelter for thousands of years. Before sawmills, square timbers to build with were hand-hewn from round logs using a felling axe and a broad axe. The axe and its proper use allow Holder Bros. to create accurate reproductions of historic timber frames and repair historic timber frames. Using the proper techniques and tools to create hand-hewn timbers makes a night and day difference from the faux hand-hewn effect accomplished with electric machines. If you want something to look hand-hewn, it should really be hewn by hand.

WHEN will the episode air? The episode featuring timber framers Whit and Gabel Holder is scheduled to air on the History Channel on May 7th.

Tagged: timber frame, timber framing, historic timber framing, modern marvels, hand hewn timber frame, traditional timber framing, hand hewn timbers, timber frame georgia, timber frame restoration  |  0 comments

The 2008 Traditional Timber Frame Research and Advisory Group Symposium

Posted on April 10, 2008 by Gabel Holder

The Timber Framers Guild recently held a symposium of its Traditional Timber Frame Research and Advisory Group at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The event was held March 14-16 and was packed full of interesting and informative presentations and demonstrations regarding traditional and historic timber framing.

Two of us left the timber framing shop here in Monroe, Georgia around lunch on Thursday and rode over to Columbia, South Carolina where our crew was working on a historic restoration project. We picked up a couple of the guys and headed north, arriving in Shepherdstown the night before the event started.

We spent Friday visiting five timber framed bank barns in Jefferson County, which has around two hundred remaining historic timber framed bank barns. Many of the barns were framed of beautiful hand hewn oak timbers. One of the barns we visited had a large number of hand hewn walnut timbers! There were many interesting timber framing details to look at and puzzle over.

That night we heard a presentation on traditional masonry materials and techniques, specifically relating to stonework and lime mortars. We also heard engineer Dave Fischetti speak about the process of engineering repairs to historic timber frame buildings. He has provided the engineering for a large number of restoration and repair projects, such as Market Hall in Charleston, South Carolina, Phi Gamma Hall in Oxford, Georgia, and numerous covered bridges and historic churches. We've been fortunate to work with Dave in the past and look forward to working together again later this year.

It was great to see all of our friends in the Timber Framers Guild. What an incredible group of people! I would encourage anyone interested in timber framing to join the guild and go to an event - you won’t regret it!

Saturday we enjoyed several fascinating presentations on topics including the systematic study of historic timber framed buildings, creating accurate survey drawings of historic timber frames, the repair and restoration of church steeples and spire timber framing. All very interesting stuff!

That evening we watched a slide show featuring the work of the conference attendees. Holder Brothers Timber Frames were proud to present two of our projects. It is always inspiring to see the work that others are doing in the field of historic and traditional timber framing.

Sunday morning we attended a great presentation on shoring, rigging, and lifting timber frame buildings for repair and restoration work. After that, we loaded back up and headed South in time for work Monday morning. What a weekend!

If you are interested in historic or traditional timber framing, you should look into joining the Timber Framers Guild (www.tfguild.org) and its Traditional Timber Frame Research and Advisory Group.

Tagged: hand hewn, historic timber frame, historic restoration, ttrag, timber framers guild, timber frame barn, timber frame, traditional timber frame  |  0 comments

One Year Later--Charles Towne Landing timber frame

Posted on January 11, 2008 by Ansley Holder

Whit and I recently took a trip to Charleston for a few days around Christmas. While we were there, we visited the Charles Towne Landing State Park where Holder Bros. built a timber frame a year ago for the historic architecture exhibit at the park. It was a gorgeous, warm day for December and we walked from the Visitor's Center to the exhibit. (When you go, be sure to spend some time in the Visitor's Center. It has interesting, interactive exhibits about the settlement that was on the site of this state park. It's really great for kids.)

We completed this historic replica timber frame in December 2006 and visited the state park while in Charleston in March 2007 demonstrating timber framing at the Masters of the Building Arts Festival. So this was our second visit to see the timber frame in 2007. The exhibit is complete now; the timber frame has been furnished with furniture and housewares that would have been used there in the late 1600s. This timber frame was meant to show park visitors what sort of structure workers in the colony lived in while at the original settlement of Charles Towne. The building was built using the traditional methods and materials of timber framing that the colonists would have used to build a dwelling.

The timber frame sits off of the walking path, on a little point of land that juts into the river. When you are standing at the back of the timber frame building looking at the trees, marsh, and water and you can't hear any cars or other modern "city" noises, you can easily imagine that this is indeed what it looked like over 300 years ago.

While Whit was inside taking pictures, I was watching people stare in awe at the timber frame and what sort of building that people were able to construct during that time period. It is very rewarding to know that we played a part in educating people about timber framing. We created something for people to see and experience, to show them what life was like during that crucial period in American history. That appreciation of what came before us is what drives our passion for building historic timber frames and working on restoration and preservation of timber frame structures.

Tagged: timber frame restoration, hand hewn timber frame, hand hewn timbers, timber frame preservation, historic timber frame, timber frame south carolina, timber framing  |  0 comments

Tools of the Trade--Axes

Posted on January 07, 2008 by Gabel Holder

Axes are the subject of this installment of tools of the trade -- where I choose one tool or family of tools that we use in our timber framing work and talk a little about it. I am excited to write about this in particular, as I have a real soft spot for axes (as you can see).

Axes come in all shapes and sizes, from small 1 1/2 pound hatchets to large broadaxes with a 14" edge. While we don't use every one of the axes pictured, we do use many of them regularly in our work of building and restoring traditional timber frames. While we also use a few modern tools (I'll talk about them in a later blog), the foundation of our craftsmanship is our skill with the tools that were traditionally used to make timber frames. These traditional tools still work just as well today as they did when Master Hugh Herland built Westminster Hall, provided the carpenter has the training and skill to efficiently and accurately put them to use.

As for axes, we reach for some of these when we're cutting timber frames to rough out joinery such as housings, reductions, or tenons. You can remove a lot of wood in a hurry with a sharp axe if you know what you're doing. Hand axes and hatchets are often used for various trimming tasks, such as pointing pegs. We use some of the larger axes when we're working on a job that calls for hand hewn timbers. For that process, a felling axe is used to score the logs (removing the bulk of the waste wood) and then a broad axe is used to "take it to the line", smoothing the timber and creating the distinctive pattern of a (correctly) hand-hewn timber. That texture cannot be duplicated by modern techniques - if you want it to look right, you have to do it the right way.

In the photo, clockwise from top left, is an American Jersey pattern felling axe, goosewing broad axe from Austria, 12" American broad axe, Gransfors Bruks broad axe, Gransfors carving axe, Gransfors mortise axe, American broad hatchet, small American broad hatchet, competition throwing axe, bearded axe based on ancient Scandinavian pattern, Gransfors forest axe, American Hudson Bay axe, American half wedge felling axe.

These are some of our favorite tools to use here at Holder Brothers Timber Frames. Stay tuned for more Tools of the Timber Framing Trade ....

Tagged: timber frame preservation, timber frame restoration, timber frame, historic timber frame, hand hewn timber frame, heavy timber construction, hand hewn trusses, historic timber framing, timber frame georgia  |  0 comments

Building more than Timber Frames

Posted on January 02, 2008 by Ansley Holder

In addition to building timber frames, we are also building relationships with each one of our clients.

We have been extremely fortunate to work for many wonderful people over the years, including private individuals and commercial businesses, and we have enjoyed getting to know them professionally and personally. The relationships we develop with our clients are extremely important to us.

We were recently invited to attend a community event held in one of our recent timber frame projects. The timber frame is an 1860's barn that was relocated to Morgan County, Georgia. We repaired and replaced many of the original timbers, and also added on to the original barn.

The event was a fund raiser for a local hospital and was hosted by our clients in their newly completed "antique" timber frame. It was a very enjoyable evening and we were thrilled to see our clients' satisfaction and pride each time a guest complimented their beautiful timer framed building!

Tagged: timber frame georgia, timber frame, post and beam georgia, heavy timber construction, timber frame construction, timber framing  |  0 comments

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