Wood Finishing talk at the Timber Framer's Guild Western Conference

Coming up soon - March 28th - Autumn and Aaron Bauman will be giving a 90 minute talk and demonstration on wood finishes and wood finishing at the upcoming Timber Framer's Guild Western Conference in Sunriver, Oregon. Below is the summary that will be published in the conference proceedings. We'd love to see you there!

Wood Finishing: Traditional to Modern Finishes and Techniques

You’ve just spent months in the shop cutting on a frame, or if you’re cutting your own house frame, maybe years. The structure is finally up, the roof is going on, winter is coming soon and you need to get a finish on those timbers fast. What kind of finish do you use? How do you put it on? What are the longer term issues based on this hasty choice you just made? There are many options out there for what to finish your frame with. Some of our topics will include:

• A discussion on how many different finishes work. What are the differences between polyurethane, water-based finishes, natural oils, varnishes, etc.
• Frame prep before finishing
• What is end sealer? Do I need it? What does it do?
• We will also address your ‘Green’ finish options, what that means for your framing job, homeowner and applicator safety, and application considerations
• What are the best options for the overall look and health of your timber frame?
• Long-term care and maintenance
• Using stains and exterior pigments

We will also present a basic overview of traditional wood finishing techniques that can be used on a variety of wood projects in addition to timber framing, from furniture, windows and trim, to floors. We will split our time going from slide presentation to hands-on finishing demonstrations to keep it lively. Bring your questions, experiences (or lack thereof), finishing disasters or dramas and we’ll be sure to do our best to answer your questions or help guide your next project!

Bio: Autumn and Aaron Bauman are manufacturers of Land Ark Natural Wood Finishes and run Land Ark Northwest out of Blodgett, Oregon. They have their hands on all types of woodworking projects and in various finishes, not just their own. They purchased a rural, abandoned lumber mill site last January and in their spare time, have begun a clean up and restoration in preparation of starting the Oregon Folk School. Starring of course, architecture with lots of timber framing. Stay tuned…