10-Day Traditional Timber Framing & Full Scribe Log Building Course in Latvia
The course will feature:
・Introduction to timber frame design
・Plumb bob or “French” scribing technique
・Traditional Square Rule and Japanese center line layout system. Learning the layout principles for hewn, reclaimed, twisted, crooked and rough sawn timber
・Traditional timber framing joinery - mortise and tenon, dovetail, birdsmouth, rafter layout, European and Japanese scarf joints, draw-boring peg holes, interlocked mortise & tenon, king’s post structure, shouldered mortise & tenon, brace mortise & tenon, tongue and fork rafter joint
・Test fitting connections and correcting joinery after each part, assembling and raising the frame
・Introduction in different historical log notch joinery from Norway, Sweden, Finland and Baltics
・Full scribe log building technique building a real log cabin
・Sliding dovetail notch joinery with wind lock key
・Hewing - turning logs into square timbers using different axes
・Understanding and using different traditional carpenters hand tools (17th-20th century) from different cultures - French, German, English, American, Japanese, Scandinavian (chisels, axes, planes, rip and cross cut saws, draw knives, augers - their history, sharpening and techniques using them.
・Forgotten forestry – making super wood - injuring and scarring growing trees. Knowledge about preserving growing wood making the wood last hundreds of years. Importance of moon phases for felling the trees and correct time of year for harvesting timber for log buildings and timber frames
Students will be divided into two groups, each spending half of the course on one skill before switching to the other. This ensures a deep and hands-on learning experience in both traditional timber framing and full scribe log building.
All woodwork will be done exclusively with traditional hand tools - axes, chisels, hand saws, augers, beam drills, drawknives, planes, and more - crafted by Northmen Guild or restored historical tools. The course will take place in a huge timber-framed barn (12m x 35m or 40ft x 115ft) on the grounds of the old and beautiful Ratnieki manor. Under one roof, students will work alongside Northmen Guild's Master Carpenters. Participants will stay in the nearby manor house, just a one-minute walk from the barn, enjoying local food and immersing in the serene nature of rural Latvia. Beyond learning carpentry, this experience will serve as a peaceful retreat with nice field trips, live music evening on the barn's stage and late night talks at the fireplace.
Tutors
Jacob Dimiters (1985)
Master carpenter and Timber Framing tutor in Northmen carpentry classes. Founder of Northmen guild and designer of Northmen woodworking tools. Has done a deep research in historical hand tools and medieval carpentry techniques. During the last 3 years Jacob has been teaching traditional timber framing to more than 200 international students. He started his journey as a cinematographer at 18 and after 8 years working in movie making went back to his childhood dream to become a carpenter and create things with his hands, building around himself a society where people are intoxicated with the joy of making and creating. In 2017 he formed Northmen Guild - a platform for independet craftsmen to share their work with the world.
Jacob has been learning his carpentry skills from French carpenters, acquiring the knowledge of how to layout and cut precise joinery using rough hewn or crooked timbers based on ancient French and Japanese center line layout systems. Since then Jacob shares those almost forgotten techniques to his students. An independent movie maker. Father of 2 daughters.
Edward Dunne (1983)
Edward Dunne was born in Ireland in 1983 where he was introduced to woodworking from an early age. In his fathers workshop he grew up making toys, wood turning and developing his skills before learning woodworking in school from furniture making to wood carving. He then went to college to study furniture design and manufacturing where they specialised in hand tool use and the construction of one-off, high end custom furniture, as well as furniture history, design technology and philosophy, upholstery and finishing. From there he worked for himself in Ireland for a number of years, creating a variety of custom made fireplaces, solid wood doors, intricate hard wood flooring and furniture projects. He has taught woodworking and design in various schools in Ireland with students aged from 5 to 18 years.
After that he went on to work and train as an electrician in his father’s high voltage contracting business in Ireland for a number of years before moving to Latvia where he has been designing and building timber frame structures, furniture and studying log building. Edward is a father of 3 children and has a Latvian wife.
Ansis Siktars (1983)
Master carpenter, timber framer, log builder with 20 years of experience. Ansis is one of the most experienced carpenters and traditional log house builders in our region. His love and patience to the craft, his skills, accuracy and attention to detail, are exceptional. He is also dedicated to using his hands and hand tools as an extension of his mind and soul. Knowing the nature and the knowledge our ancestors knew is a real treasure nowadays and Anss has captured them in his skills. Ansis says: “Carpentery transforms nature into the culture. Transforming logs into the beams, and beams into the houses, and the houses into homes. It has been so in the past old days and so it should have to be also today”. He is also a dedicated teacher and loves to share his skills and knowledge.
Educational Excursions
A visit to nearby Woodcraft Museum, meeting Green woodworker artisan and Northmen guilds craftsman – Rihards Vidzickis
A Sunday in an Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia
Taking part in a traditional smoke sauna in a historical Sauna Museum
Special dinner at famous Latvian chef's Eriks Dreibants private property (originally old forest ranger's house) in the middle of the Gauja National Park. Since 2024 his restaurant has a Michelin Green Star. Eriks will personally cook wild food meal on open fire for all the students and teachers.
Cost: 2950, Euros - includes everything in-country: tuition, accommodation, all meals, organized field-trips. Participants are responsible for their own international transport, travel insurance, and extra-curricular costs. Half (50% deposit) of the cost is paid when applying for the course (via PayPal or Credit/Debit card) and the remaining 50% - one month before the start of the course or card/cash at arrival.
Conditions for canceling your participation in the course: if you cancel the participation 3 months before the starting date, we give back 75% of the deposit, if you cancel it 2 months before the start of the course, we return 50%, if you cancel later, we do not return the money.
Age limitation: 16+
Woodworking experience: Participants are not expected to have any log building or timber framing experience, but any woodworking experience is appreciated.
Training site: The course will be held in Gauja River National Park at the beautiful old manor of Ratnieki.
Full lodging and 3 local organic food meals (per day) is provided from the day of arrival till the departure. In the evening of arrival will be provided dinner at 7pm.
Language: The course will be held in English.
Teach the young! Honor the elders!
More information & questions - courses@northmen.com