Jim_Rogers
ArboristSite Lurker
I was looking for a section on this site where you introduce yourself, and I couldn't find one.
So, I figured this section would be the best for my as I'm a sawyer.
I don't have a formal resume on hand, but I can tell you about myself.
After high school I worked for ten years in my father's furniture factory. I worked with eastern white pine lumber, primarily. This is my background in using wood and lumber. My family closed the business after my father died.
I started a firewood business, and cut wood and sold it, during the summers. And in the winter time; I went to work for an oil heat company driving a truck delivering home heating oil. They asked me to work for them full time; which I did for several years.
I then began a trucking and landscaping business; which I worked during the summers. And I bought a logging truck and started hauling logs to a sawmill during the winter months. At the sawmill, I learned saw milling from an old timer. He taught me how to saw logs to make lumber and timbers.
In 1994 I bought a portable sawmill, and stopped the landscaping business.
While operating the sawmill people would ask me to saw timbers for them for their barn projects.
Then one customer asked me how big a "summer beam" should be. Well, I didn't know what a summer beam was let alone how big it should be.
I called a local timber framer that I knew and asked him how I could learn about timber framing. Since then he has been an advisor to me, as well as a good friend. He suggested that I get a couple of books on timber framing and to read up on the subject.
One book was put out by the fellow in Maine that owns and operates a timber framing school. And in 2000, I went to his school and took a timber framing course. Later that year I joined the Timber Framers Guild and got involved in a barn project in Massachusetts. There I operated a sawmill cutting timber for this barn. I worked with the guild instructors learning how to cut joints. And I attended the raising where we put the barn together in one day.
Shortly after that I took a week long course with Jack Sobon and Dave Carlon learning square rule timber framing using traditional hand tools (no power tools). And Jack Sobon and Dave Carlon have been friends and advisors ever since.
I have attended every eastern conference of the timber framer’s guild since 2002. I am a member of the engineering council of the guild.
I was a presenter at the last Eastern conference in Oct of 2007.
And I have had an article published in the guild's magazine "Timber Framing.”
I have attended Heartwood School, in western MA, taking a one week course in joinery decisions and timber frame engineering.
I have attended many engineering workshops held by the guild as pre conference workshops.
I have attended many guild workshops of various subjects.
I have attended as many guild raisings as possible since 2002.
I have read many books on timber frame design and construction.
In December 2002, I began teaching basic timber framing here at my sawmill yard and workshop. Since then we have completed three full frames. Two of these frames have been sold and enclosed at the customer's location. One frame is here for sale, at this time. We just finished an addition for another frame that was shipped to Texas. So far since these instructional workshops began, here at the sawmill yard, 42 students have attended.
Also, I have taught a one week course in Texas to beginner timber framing students, of all ages.
I have taught a one week course in Mississippi to beginner timber framing students.
As mentioned above I am a member of the Timber Framers Guild, and a member of the Timber Framers Guild Engineering Council, a sub group of the guild.
I am the moderator of the timber framing section of the Forestry Forum.
I am currently and have been for several years teaching and consulting at the Winthrop High School's after school program, at Winthrop, MA. We have cut the joints for a structure to be used as a museum. The theme is a Viking long house, as the school mascot is the Viking. This frame will be raised soon.
The cad program that I use to draw timber frames is Dietrichs 3D-CAD/CAM for Wood Building. I have been using this software since 2002. I have been with the North American distributor as a demonstrator, salesman, and instructor. And I am the User Group organizer for the North American distributor software company. I teach how to use the software to draw timber frame structures.
Jim Rogers Sawmill began operation on February 2, 1994.
Jim Rogers Timber Designs began on December 1, 2004 as a part time business at the same location.
Since the Timber Design business began, I have drawn many frames for clients. Six (that I know of) have been erected, two in Texas and three in Massachusetts. One in WV, and two are in progress.
I have just made arrangements with a fellow in VT who wants to host timber framing workshops for beginners of all ages.
Please contact me if you are interested in attending this workshop.
Thanks for taking the time to read this long post about me.
I hope to be here for a long time helping others with questions about saw-milling.
Jim Rogers
So, I figured this section would be the best for my as I'm a sawyer.
I don't have a formal resume on hand, but I can tell you about myself.
After high school I worked for ten years in my father's furniture factory. I worked with eastern white pine lumber, primarily. This is my background in using wood and lumber. My family closed the business after my father died.
I started a firewood business, and cut wood and sold it, during the summers. And in the winter time; I went to work for an oil heat company driving a truck delivering home heating oil. They asked me to work for them full time; which I did for several years.
I then began a trucking and landscaping business; which I worked during the summers. And I bought a logging truck and started hauling logs to a sawmill during the winter months. At the sawmill, I learned saw milling from an old timer. He taught me how to saw logs to make lumber and timbers.
In 1994 I bought a portable sawmill, and stopped the landscaping business.
While operating the sawmill people would ask me to saw timbers for them for their barn projects.
Then one customer asked me how big a "summer beam" should be. Well, I didn't know what a summer beam was let alone how big it should be.
I called a local timber framer that I knew and asked him how I could learn about timber framing. Since then he has been an advisor to me, as well as a good friend. He suggested that I get a couple of books on timber framing and to read up on the subject.
One book was put out by the fellow in Maine that owns and operates a timber framing school. And in 2000, I went to his school and took a timber framing course. Later that year I joined the Timber Framers Guild and got involved in a barn project in Massachusetts. There I operated a sawmill cutting timber for this barn. I worked with the guild instructors learning how to cut joints. And I attended the raising where we put the barn together in one day.
Shortly after that I took a week long course with Jack Sobon and Dave Carlon learning square rule timber framing using traditional hand tools (no power tools). And Jack Sobon and Dave Carlon have been friends and advisors ever since.
I have attended every eastern conference of the timber framer’s guild since 2002. I am a member of the engineering council of the guild.
I was a presenter at the last Eastern conference in Oct of 2007.
And I have had an article published in the guild's magazine "Timber Framing.”
I have attended Heartwood School, in western MA, taking a one week course in joinery decisions and timber frame engineering.
I have attended many engineering workshops held by the guild as pre conference workshops.
I have attended many guild workshops of various subjects.
I have attended as many guild raisings as possible since 2002.
I have read many books on timber frame design and construction.
In December 2002, I began teaching basic timber framing here at my sawmill yard and workshop. Since then we have completed three full frames. Two of these frames have been sold and enclosed at the customer's location. One frame is here for sale, at this time. We just finished an addition for another frame that was shipped to Texas. So far since these instructional workshops began, here at the sawmill yard, 42 students have attended.
Also, I have taught a one week course in Texas to beginner timber framing students, of all ages.
I have taught a one week course in Mississippi to beginner timber framing students.
As mentioned above I am a member of the Timber Framers Guild, and a member of the Timber Framers Guild Engineering Council, a sub group of the guild.
I am the moderator of the timber framing section of the Forestry Forum.
I am currently and have been for several years teaching and consulting at the Winthrop High School's after school program, at Winthrop, MA. We have cut the joints for a structure to be used as a museum. The theme is a Viking long house, as the school mascot is the Viking. This frame will be raised soon.
The cad program that I use to draw timber frames is Dietrichs 3D-CAD/CAM for Wood Building. I have been using this software since 2002. I have been with the North American distributor as a demonstrator, salesman, and instructor. And I am the User Group organizer for the North American distributor software company. I teach how to use the software to draw timber frame structures.
Jim Rogers Sawmill began operation on February 2, 1994.
Jim Rogers Timber Designs began on December 1, 2004 as a part time business at the same location.
Since the Timber Design business began, I have drawn many frames for clients. Six (that I know of) have been erected, two in Texas and three in Massachusetts. One in WV, and two are in progress.
I have just made arrangements with a fellow in VT who wants to host timber framing workshops for beginners of all ages.
Please contact me if you are interested in attending this workshop.
Thanks for taking the time to read this long post about me.
I hope to be here for a long time helping others with questions about saw-milling.
Jim Rogers
