Pictures from the yard and workshop this week

It has been a manic week at home and at work - and I thought you might like to see a few pics taken of various projects on the go.

This is the final truss for our two bedroom barn frame that we are erecting at the Homebuilding & Renovating show at the NEC at the end of March. We will have a cruck framed barn and also a porch and a garden studio.
Sometimes I wonder if these shows are really worth the stress and effort (I can basically wipe March off the calendar as the whole month is occupied with show stuff - not to mention February and January) but it is lovely to meet people and demonstrate what we do - and if we weren't there people might forget about us?! I just wish there was a way to make it less labour intensive for all of us.........a 'virtual' show has been suggested.
Anyway-  moan over -  the show building is being made by Joe, Chris and Joe in our smaller workshop (which is very sunny) and all those wooden things you can see in the background are the ply templates for braces and awkward beams. I love the atmosphere of the workshops - with all the traditional tools, the rustic industrial trolley and trestles, the old fashioned workbenches and vices, the smell and the sawdust.........reminds me of my childhood!

And this monster frame is just a small part of a lovely project we are building in the South. Each house is 'framed up' in the yard to check and tag - and luckily the clients timed a meeting to coincide with seeing their frame laid out in all its glory. The whole house occupied the yard and the workshops for three days just for tagging. HUGE!

It's a complicated frame with lots of unusual joints and a great deal of love and passion has gone into it. The carpenters were really pleased to see the owners as it makes everything so much more personal - and it is great for them to hear how pleased the clients are too. I think the clients were relieved to see where the money has gone, but also to finally get an idea of what their home will look like. It is a very exciting time and will get more exhilarating once the frame starts to rise on their plot. Doug - the workshop manager - did say he thinks it might take a bit of head scratching on site though - it is very intricate!

This is just one side of the roof - which took the entire length of the 'long workshop' It was a bit like an optical illusion.

One of my favourite elements of our oak frames, and quite distinctive to Border Oak ( a true sign of quality  - I would say that wouldn't I?) are the rounded, champfered jetty/purlin feet. And this pic also shows the boxed heart perfection of our 'Restoration Grade' , FSC and PEFC approved oak - a wood sniffers dream!

Have a great weekend