Camp Letts Rendezvous
August 19-24, 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.
The plans for the Camp Letts Rendezvous are coming together and we are expecting hundreds of timber framers and their families to come together for a challenging and fun week of training, demonstrations and hands-on activities. Currently we are determining the rates and looking for sponsors.
One low registration fee will include most rendezvous activities, meals and lodging (there are options for either cabins or camping); additional fees (see below) will need to be charged for certification courses and those with limited enrollment. Registration should be available early March. 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 (T, W, Th, F)
- Cost: Included in the registration fee
- 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 (T,W,Th,F)
- Cost: To be determined
- Curricula: Scribe Rule Curriculum
Fall Protection
- TFG Curricula-based, state-of-the-art demonstration of harnesses and techniques
- Class Size: Open
- Class Times: 8:30 AM — Noon, 1:00 PM — 3:00 PM (T,W,Th,F)
- Cost: Included in the registration fee
- Curricula: Fall Protection Curriculum
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
Area dedicated to tool-oriented activities including
- 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
Mikkel Johansen, who runs an apprenticeship program in Denmark, is seeking a grant to bring his crew plus a thatcher and apprentice to Camp Letts for the week. Some highlights of their visit:
- 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.
Rigging Theory
- TFG Curricula based
- Class Size: 25
- Class Times: 1:00 PM — 3:00 PM Tuesday only
- Cost: Included in the registration fee
- Curricula: Raising & Rigging Curriculum
Visual Timber Grading
- TFG Curricula inspired
- Class Size: 25
- Class Times: 1PM - 5:00PM Friday Only
- Cost: Included in the registration fee (tentative)
- Curricula: Timber Grading Curriculum
Red Cross 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: 20
- Class Times: To be based on demand
- Cost: $65 (tentative)
- 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. 7A, 7B (Contracts) and 7C (Estimating)
- Class Size: 12
- Class Times: 3:00 PM — 5:00 PM Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
- Cost: To be determined
- Curricula: Project Management Curriculum
Crane and Rigging Techniques
- TFG Curricula-based two-part class
- Class Size: open
- Class Times: 1:00 PM — 5:00 PM Tuesday and Wednesday
- Cost: Included in the registration fee
- Curricula: Raising & Rigging Curriculum
Gin poles, Shear legs, Hoist demos, Frame erection
- TFG Curricula-based three-part class
- Class Size: Open
- Class Times: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Thursday and all day Friday
- Cost: Included in the registration fee
- Curricula: Raising & Rigging Curriculum
Scaffolding Training
- Certificate bearing course taught by TFG
- Class Size: Open
- Class Times: All day Wednesday
- Cost: $175 (tentative)
- Curricula: Access Equipment Curriculum
Forklift Training
- Certificate bearing course taught by TFG
- Class Size: Limited
- Class Times: 8:30 AM — Noon Thursday
- Cost: $125 (tentative)
- Curricula: Forklift Curriculum
Aerial Lift Training
- Certificate bearing course taught by TFG
- Class Size: limited
- Class Times: Noon — 5:00 PM Thursday
- Cost: $125 (tentative)
- Curricula: Aerial Lift Curriculum
Carving
- TFG Curricula-based training
- Class Size: Open
- Class Times: 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 a spec that has not yet been revealed, 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.
- There will be an entry fee; proceeds will go to the Guild.
- Stay tuned for details
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
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