Shelter Blog

New Sharpening Workshop for Women

noreply@blogger.com (Shelter Institute Staff) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:50:00 +0000

I told you about how my Mom always said, "A woman may not have the strength to bash a beam into place, but she’ll find a way to get it there one way or another." Having the right tools and a creative mentality are key to making that happen.

Having SHARP tools is just as critical.

Shelter recently offered a Basic Tools Workshop just for women. It was a great success and we received a lot of positive feedback and comments on Facebook about how well received it was! (Don't worry—if you missed it—we'll offer it again this summer!)

Although I'm a woman and I've been in this field since before I could walk, I've forgotten how hard it is to get comfortable in the tool world when you are a woman. It shouldn't be. So we are going to make it easier by offering a series of workshops just for women.

Those of you who joined us for the Basic Tools Workshop requested the Sharpening Workshop and here it is! We will spend five hours teaching you how to sharpen everything from kitchen knives to chainsaws, axes and drill bits and how to understand the technique so that you feel comfortable sharpening nearly anything. You're welcome to bring an item that you find difficult to sharpen or one that you want to be able to sharpen on your own. We'll give you the skills to do it.

The workshop will be Saturday, March 17
(Happy St. Patrick's Day)
9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Tuition is $95/person
Register online at shelterinstitute.com

Update on New Weekend Workshop Series

noreply@blogger.com (K. M. Johnson) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:29:00 +0000

Shelter Institute has organized a new series of weekend workshops at the Shelter Institute Campus, starting this weekend.

This Saturday!
February 4, from 9:00-1:00: Blueberry Beeton is offering a four-hour workshop in Basic Tool Selection for Women. Patsy Hennin, co-founder of Shelter Institute, often said, “A woman may not have the strength to bash a beam into place, but she’ll find a way to get it there. Having the right tools and a creative mentality are the keys to making that happen.” Blueberry will discuss what hand tools and power tools to look for and how to evaluate them based on use, budget, and fit for a woman’s frame. She’ll list the tools everyone should have on-hand regardless of where one falls in the spectrum of house building, renovating, maintaining, or woodworking.
Tuition is $45 per person. Register online today to reserve your spot.

Read more »

New Class: Basic Tools Workshop for Women

noreply@blogger.com (Shelter Staff) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:49:00 +0000

By Blueberry Beeton, Shelter Staff—You know that piece of trim that needs to be replaced, or the door that sticks in the kitchen, or the light fixture you want to replace? You can do it yourself and many other much bigger projects with the right tools!

My Mom always said, "A woman may not have the strength to bash a beam into place, but she’ll find a way to get it there one way or another." Having the right tools and a creative mentality are key to making that happen. A few years ago I gave a tool talk to an audience of women at a library in Damariscotta—the enthusiasm and standing ovation made me want to offer a similar class at Shelter. A couple of months ago I read an article in one of my FAVORITE magazines about tool selection and it was such a disappointment. It didn’t feature any of the really cool tools available. I like to buy great tools like I buy great shoes, dresses or cooking tools. So this new class is my version of that article in real life. This workshop will be a comfortable space to learn about tools, get your feet on the ground, and an opportunity to bring your questions and have a discussion!
Read more »

Shelter at the New England Woodworking and DIY Show

noreply@blogger.com (K. M. Johnson) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:43:00 +0000

Shelter will be one of the exhibitors at the New England Woodworking and D.I.Y. Show in West Springfield, MA, January 13-15. (Directions.)

Tickets are $12 for adults and can be purchased online. Children under 15, active duty police, fire, and military with ID get in free.

The list of exhibitors includes Fine Woodworking, Lee Valley, Veritas tools, Kreg, Delta, Bosch, Bessey Tools (more clamps!), and many more. There will be lots of free stuff, tools on display, and discount buying opportunities.

The show also offers an impressive list of educational seminars, including a seminar on tools offered by Shelter's very own Blueberry Beeton! Another seminar on making a hand plane and building cabinets is offered by Bob Settich, author of Built-Ins (in Taunton's Build Like a Pro series). He will talk about cabinetmaking details, plane techniques, and more. Maybe he'll get me motivated to start the built-in bookshelf/window seat I've promised my wife for years.

We're very happy to be part of such an impressive lineup. If you can make your way there, please stop by and see us.

Living Simply Class at Shelter

noreply@blogger.com (K. M. Johnson) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:50:00 +0000

We've written about Ben Tipton previously on the Shelter Build blog. Four years ago, the Tipton family and Shelter built a home in Woolwich, Maine. The Tipton's goal was to down size and live as energy efficiently as possible. You can read more about the Tipton's home and their personal journey on their blog: Simple Living.

Ben is returning to his blog, and he is also offering a class at Shelter on February 18th titled, "Living More Simply." The simple goal Ben would like to impart is...

Mindfulness.

How can we achieve mindfulness? How can we reduce the noise and stress in our lives? To begin, Ben asks us to BREATHE..... One simple act that can help us push the pause button on our busy lives. Slow down and walk at 1/3 your normal speed and get to see more along this path we call life.

In Ben's six-hour workshop he'll help you think about slowing down and enjoying every moment more fully. Come learn a new skill, explore ways you can simplify your life, connect with others and learn techniques for managing stress through simple living. We will carve a wooden spoon, make elderberry syrup, share stories, walk in the woods, and slow down while discussing ways to simplify your life while still being engaged in our modern world.

Ben Tipton has been trying to simplify his life and has been investigating the impact of simple living on our health. With over 16 years experience as a physician assistant he has seen the direct impact a stress-filled life can have and has sought ways to help heal by slowing down. His education has been supported by standing on the shoulders of really smart people, through which he has acquired many skills of yesterday and today. He currently grows his own food with the help of his wife, two kids, a dog, 8 chickens and a rabbit on the rocky clay filled soils along the coast of Maine. While he does not consider himself an expert, he employs the mindset of "try something and see what works."

Register for the Living More Simply class online at Shelter.

Tuition is $45 per person. The class will be held on the Shelter Campus, February 18, 2012 from 9:00am to 1:00pm. Lunch will be provided and each student will receive a traditional Murphy's Carving Knife and a blank of wood for carving.

Beekeeping 101 at Shelter

noreply@blogger.com (K. M. Johnson) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:43:00 +0000

Shelter has invited guest speaker, Christy Hemenway from Gold Star Honeybees, to offer a two-day "Intensive" beekeeping workshop on Top Bar Beekeeping February 11-12 at the Shelter campus. The class is designed specifically for those who want to get started keeping bees in top bar hives in the 2012 beekeeping season.

This in-depth class—with emphasis on the why of things—combines important how-to information, history, hive management techniques, and natural disease and pest control methods. You can get started with confidence!

The Weekend Intensive workshop is two full days of "Bee Buzz" and includes the topics below:

How Did We Get Here From There?
A history of beekeeping through the last couple of hundred years, which has brought us to today’s industrial methods. What effect is this having on honey bees?

Terrible Things That Can Happen To Your Wonderful Bees
Forewarned is forearmed! Know how to recognize pest and disease problems in the hive.

Hands-on Instruction and Demonstration
Instruction/demonstration of related activities: hive inspection techniques, comb handling, mite monitoring, wax rendering, hive management methods, splitting, honey harvest, winterizing.

You'll Be a Gold Star Graduate!
You and your fellow students will be part of a growing support system in the future as greener beekeeping methods spread. By attending a Gold Star Weekend Intensive, you are automatically invited to be a part of the Gold Star Graduates Google Group.

A Certificate of Beginning... Beekeeping is a journey, and we hope that today’s beekeepers continue their journey into a healthier, green future. Students receive a signed certificate marking the beginning of their journey.

Tuition includes breakfast and lunch both days—wonderful local and/or organic foods.

Because ORGANIC is a BEE'S BEST FRIEND!

Register online today.

Tuition: $200/person or $175 early bird tuition if you register by January 31

Schedule overview:
Feb. 11-12, 2012
8:30: Check-in and gather over coffee, tea and light breakfast
9:00-12:00 Class
12:00-1:00 Lunch Break
1:00-4:00 Afternoon Session

January Purely Post & Beam Registeration Deadline Fast Approaching

noreply@blogger.com (Shelter Institute Staff) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:24:00 +0000

You know you want to learn how to timber frame! Whether you build a dog house, barn or dream home this one-week long class will be a great way to help you prepare. It is also a fabulous way to unwind after the hectic holidays . . . not to mention getting you off the couch! Join us for five days of Purely Post and Beam January 22-27, 2012 Learn egnineering and beam sizing calculations, architecture and the craft of laying out and cutting the joints. Sign up today -- the deadline for registering is this coming up!

Register for the Purely Post & beam Class January 22-27, 2012

This Saturday! Shelter's Tool-a-Palooza Holiday Sale

noreply@blogger.com (K. M. Johnson) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:59:00 +0000

This Saturday!

December 10, 2011 9:00-3:00

Join Us for Our Annual

Open House and Sale

Still trying to decide if you're coming to Shelter this weekend for our Tool-A-Palooza? Here's a preview of some of what you'll see:

Watch the Shelter Design Build crew assemble a timber frame entry.
Local carver Ed Beech will give a wood carving demonstration.
Ken Hatridge of Tree Trunk Design will offer a wood turning demonstration. Read more about Ken on our blog.
Free Tormek sharpening demonstrations. (Try it and buy it on sale!)
Sun-Mar, our composting toilet vendor, will be on hand to discuss composting and their great composting products. Read more about Sun-Mar on our blog.
A representative from Vermont Castings can answer your questions about our full line of high-quality woodstoves. Read more about woodstoves and woodstove gift ideas on the Shelter Build blog.
Christy Hemenway of Gold Star Honeybees will be showing her bee hives and discussing an upcoming bee-keeping classes.
Ben Tipton of Simple Living will be discussing his upcoming workshop on downsizing and simplifying your lifestyle and more.
Design author Carol Bass will here to sign books and offer free 15-minute design consultations (first come first served).

Here's more of what you'll find at Shelter's Tool-A-Palooza:

20% off in-stock items
Sidewalk Sale with deep discounts on overstock items as much as 60% off
Free refreshments
Door prizes
Demonstrations and show room with displays

As always we'll offer free beverages, treats, and door prizes! Admission is free.

If you cannot make it to the sale, it is available at Shelter Tools online—Saturday only.

If you saw it in the store and can't find it online, we will accept phone orders during the sale hours on Saturday, 9-3 Eastern.

Sidewalk items available in person only. The discount does not apply to timber frames or class tuition.

Tool-a-Palooza Holiday Sale December 10th

noreply@blogger.com (K. M. Johnson) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:24:00 +0000

Saturday December 10, 2011

9:00-3:00

Join Us for Our Annual

Open House and Sale

20% off in-stock items
Sidewalk Sale with deep discounts on overstock items
Free refreshments
Door prizes
Demonstrations and show room with displays

Again this year, we are excited to announce that our classroom will be filled with some of our favorite suppliers, builders, and woodworkers demonstrating exciting tools, products, and techniques. We'll have the Shelter Design Build crew assembling a Timber Frame Entry, local carver Ed Beech will give a carving demonstration, and Ken Hatridge of Tree Trunk Design will offer a wood turning demonstration. Our Tormek Sharpening System will be set up, and we’ll provide free sharpening demonstrations. We’ll also have chainsaw sharpening and hand-hewing demonstrations. Some vendors will be on hand, including Sunmar Composting Toilets and Vermont Castings Wood Stoves.

Design author Carol Bass will here to sign books and offer free 15-minute design consultations (first come first served). Christy Hemenway of Gold Star Honeybees will be showing her bee hives and discussing up-coming bee-keeping classes. Ben Tipton of Simple Living will be discussing his upcoming workshop on downsizing and simplifying your lifestyle and more.

Stop by for a cup of hot coffee or cocoa, sit by the woodstove and peruse our photo collection of houses that we’ve built over the years, or take a hike along the beaver pond!

As always we'll offer free beverages, treats, and door prizes! Admission is free. The tool store will offer up to 20% off of in-stock items only, and we'll have a sidewalk sale on the deck with overstock items marked down as much as 60% off.

If you cannot make it to the sale, it is available at Shelter Tools online—Saturday only.

If you saw it in the store and can't find it online, we will accept phone orders during the sale hours on Saturday, 9-3 Eastern.

Sidewalk items available in person only. The discount does not apply to timber frames or class tuition.

Wonderful and Interesting Toys from France

noreply@blogger.com (Shelter Institute Staff) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:50:00 +0000

By Rebecca, Shelter Tools Staff

Founded in France in 1972, Moulin Roty began as an experiment in communal living. Thirty friends decided to live and work together to renovate an old, run-down farm. Within 3 years they had converted the barns into workshops and produced their first two toys: a simple wooden car and a soft cloth doll. Growing from these humble roots, Moulin Roty is now an international company offering over 500 different toys. In 1980, they acquired SCOP (Société Cooperative et Participative) status, which means that their 40 employees are also their majority stockholders. Not only do Moulin Roty employees own more than 51% of the company, each stockholder—no matter how much their individual stake—only gets one vote at stakeholder meetings.

The beautiful, timeless toys that Moulin Roty makes can be hard to find on this side of the Atlantic. Because all of their products are designed and made in France, everything has to be imported to the USA. But it is certainly worth the trouble. Moulin Roty’s most popular toys are just like the first two they made in 1975—whimsical cloth dolls and sturdy wooden toys of all sizes. Yet the French toy company has expanded beyond just these two categories and currently makes everything from clothing, rugs and quilts to music boxes, tiddlywinks, and full-size cribs. Indeed, Moulin Roty makes something for children of all ages.

Read more »

Shelter at the Common Ground Fair

noreply@blogger.com (K. M. Johnson) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Come and visit Shelter at the famous Common Ground Country Fair in beautiful Unity, Maine (map) September 23, 24, and 25.

The Common Ground Fair is sponsored by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA). Like most county fairs, it will feature lectures, demonstrations, and all kinds of entertainment. How is it different? Of course, it features wonderful organic producers (like our friends at Hatchet Cove Farm). And to quote the MOFGA website:

If you’ve ever been to the Fair, you know — and if you haven’t been, anyone who has will tell you — it’s an event like no other, that brings together so many people from so many walks of life, all in the spirit of celebrating the rural and agricultural traditions of Maine.

Shelter will be displaying great woodworking and backwoods tools including Japanese saws, Flexcut carving tools, woodturning tools, the Tormek Sharpening system, froes, saws, and an assortment of woodworking and building books. We'll also have a great selection of composting toilets, backyard composting units, and composting tools.

Shelter will be in the "Farm and Homestead" section of the fairgrounds (map). You won't be able to miss our booth at the show, which will feature a gorgeous 8' by 8' timberframe in douglas fir. It demonstrates through tenons, trusses, wedges, and birdsmouth joints.

More information about the fair can be found on the MOFGA website. There's a lot of admission details, so be sure to plan ahead and check out the website.

Dealing with Fallen Trees and Branches

noreply@blogger.com (K. M. Johnson) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 11:30:00 +0000

Silky Sugoi 360 Saw

Many of us in the eastern United States are cleaning up after Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene swept through the area.

Shelter was without power until Thursday, but many others are dealing with far greater damage. Our neighbors in Vermont were hit hard by the storm. We hope things are soon returned to normal.

After a big storm, we see a lot of customers coming in to Shelter looking for good saws for cutting fallen trees and limbs. We carry a great selection of saws to get the job done.

In particular, our selection of Japanese hand saws are perfect for cutting large and small limbs. The Silky Sugoi 360 Saw is one of our favorites. It offers an aggressive cross-cut tooth pattern (5.5 teeth per inch). The precision-ground, razor-sharp teeth with four cutting angles provide extremely fast, clean, and smooth cutting action. Features include a hard chrome-plated, taper-ground curved blade with a non-set tooth design and a starter knife at the tip of the blade. The curved blade provides greater cutting speed with less effort. The large and comfortable sure-grip handle gives strength and flexibility to the full length of the saw. It also comes with a scabbard that can be attached to a belt or leg, and (as with most of our Japanese hand saws) the blade is easily replaceable. Shop for more saws on our website or read more about Japanese hand saws on Shelter Blog.

Read more »

Maine Writer Blogs about Post and Beam Course

noreply@blogger.com (K. M. Johnson) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 15:10:00 +0000

Maine writer J. Marsha Michler wrote an extensive post on taking the winter 2011 Purely Post and Beam class with Gil Harris on their blog, "The Existential Gardener." It's a great overview of what it feels like to take the week-long class. There are new tools to learn, old skills that need dusting off, and it's lots of fun.

In particular, I like the photos of the bloggers at work on cutting beams, sharpening chisels, and the class assembling the frame. Here's an example of Gil finishing a tenon from their blog.

"The Existential Gardener" blog chronicles "the experiences and recipes" and "other related stuff" of their all-season organic garden. A recent post offers a recipe for green bean casserole that looks delicious. Please visit and subscribe to their blog.

If you're inspired by Gil and Marsha and want to enroll in the next Purely Post and Beam class, we're currently accepting applications for our January 22-27, May 6-11, and September 24-28 courses.

Shelter at the Brunswick Outdoor Arts Festival This Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (K. M. Johnson) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:06:00 +0000

Looking for something to do this weekend? Come and visit Shelter at the Brunswick Outdoor Arts Festival. We're raising a timberframe on the mall (i.e. the grassy area on Maine Street in the middle of downtown), and we'll also have lots of tools, books, and Shelter staff on hand. Downtown Brunswick is also a great place to spend your Saturday.

In addition to Shelter, there will be music, dancing, artists, and good food. More from the TimesRecord:

The Brunswick Downtown Association (BDA) will present its fifth annual Brunswick Outdoor Arts Festival on the sidewalks of Maine Street and on the Brunswick Mall from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

More than 100 artists and artisans are expected to take part in the juried art festival, which will feature painting, sculpture, mixed media, graphics, drawing, photography and fine crafts.

Awards will be presented to the Best in Show, People’s Choice and Best in Category.

The festival also will offer theater performances, dance teams, mimes, weavers, and live music on a stage area in front of Bank of America on Maine Street.

JimmyJo and the Jumbol'Ayuhs will perform from 10 a.m. to noon. Swing a Cat is scheduled to perform from noon to 2 p.m., and Bits and Pieces will take the stage from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Roving musicians will perform along Maine Street and on the Brunswick Mall. David Bullard will host a Maine Summer Songfest concert at the Brunswick Mall gazebo from noon to 3 p.m., with the Latin band Soundwavz, Shanna Underwood and Lauryn Hottinger.

Activities for children include face-painting, balloon art, interactive music with Sharon Pyne, juggling and hula hooping.

The Shelter Institute plans to raise a barn frame and provide an opportunity for visitor participation.

For more information, contact the Brunswick Downtown Association at (207) 729-4439 or visit www.brunswickdowntown.org.

Rebate Available for Flexcut Carving Tools

noreply@blogger.com (K. M. Johnson) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 10:50:00 +0000

Flexcut, our supplier of fine carving tools, is offering two levels of rebates on all of their tools. The first rebate offers $5 cash back when you buy $50 in Flexcut products. Download the $5 rebate form here (PDF). The second rebate offers $10 cash back when you buy $100 in Flexcut products. Download the $10 rebate form here (PDF).

We carry an extensive collection of Flexcut tools at the Shelter Store. Their palm tools are excellent, and we carry the tools in sets or individually.

On our website, you can purchase the Skew Gouge Palm Set. The set comes with a shallow curve, deeper curve, left-skew, and right-skew gouge. Carving will never be the same with these four palm gouges. Reach into the inner right curves and the inner left curves to create symmetrical patterns and designs.

These gouges are sharp—so sharp that FlexCut includes a box of Bandaids with each set as a gentle reminder to be careful!

The rebate is valid until July 2012. If you've made a recent purchase of a Flexcut tool, it will probably apply.

The Flexcut website also has some handy diagrams that show how to sharpen these tools. As mentioned above, they come really sharp from the factory, but once you use a really sharp tool (and notice the difference), you'll want to keep that edge maintained.

If you're new to carving, we sell a great two-part workbook on decoy carving, Decorative Decoy Carver's Portfolio (Series One and Series Two).

Shelter is DownEast Magazine's Choice for Best Working Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (K. M. Johnson) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 10:50:00 +0000

Shelter is featured in the July "Best of Maine" edition of DownEast Magazine. We're the Editor's Choice for Best Working Vacation. Here's what the editors had to say:

For some vacationers, lying on the beach just isn’t their definition of relaxation. The one- and two-week courses offered by the Shelter Institute represent a great way to enjoy the Pine Tree State and gain some valuable skills at the same time. The one-week Purely Post and Beam class, to be held August 7-12, teaches up to twenty-two students how to build a 24’x24’ post-and-beam cabin. (There were still a few spots open when we checked, but don’t wait to book your spot!) The class also gets to enjoy off-hours events like a lobster bake on the banks of the Sasanoa River. This might be one vacation you can actually claim as a deduction!

We're very honored to be recognized by such a fine magazine.

If you've already made summer plans, remember that Shelter offers classes year-round. (To see our current schedule, visit our website.) Summers in Maine are fantastic, but our winters are special. (If you don't believe me, read this essay in The Atlantic by Paul Theroux on the virtues of Maine winters.)

In the summer, we do have a great lobster bake, campfires in the woods, and students spend their free time sailing or kayaking. In winter, you'll have access to snowshoeing or cross-country skiing on the quiet trails around Shelter. We have a large indoor production facility at the Shelter campus, where the January Purely Post and Beam class builds a timberframe. It's a great vacation, but it's also an extraordinary opportunity to learn valuable and life-changing skills.

Two-Week Design Build Class Highlights

noreply@blogger.com (K. M. Johnson) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:50:00 +0000

Design Build students and their
cardboard model competition entry

This summer's two-week Design Build class ended recently. Students came from near and far to learn about a house as a complete system. Some will venture off to design and build their own home, others will engage with builders and contractors with a greater understanding of the building process, but everyone will leave with confidence—knowing more about the complex but understandable places we call home.

One of the highlights of this summer's class was an opportunity for some hands-on experience framing a 12 x 16 building in the woods near Shelter. (See photos of the students building the frame on our Facebook page. While you're there, "like" us to follow what's new at Shelter.)
Read more »

Low VOC Waterborne Urethane Finish

noreply@blogger.com (Shelter Institute Staff) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 10:50:00 +0000

H. Behlen Waterborne
Urethane Finish

By Rebecca, Shelter Tools Staff
Shelter is lucky to have many thoughtful and engaged customers. They know what they like and what they don’t like. Best of all, they are great at sending us their reviews, so we can pass their thoughts on to others. One such customer from the Virgin Islands recently called us, gushing about the Behlen’s Waterborne Urethane Finish we carry. She couldn’t say enough good things about the stuff—that it was ”really easy to use,” low on VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), environmentally-friendly, dried quickly, and created a harder, more durable finish than other finishes she had used.

Read more »

Rebates, Water, and Composting Toilets

noreply@blogger.com (K. M. Johnson) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 10:50:00 +0000

Sun-Mar Compact
Composting Toilet

I read recently in the LA Times and on Mashable that Bill Gates is providing $41.5 million to universities in an effort to reinvent or revolutionize the toilet in the third-world. It's a noble and necessary effort. According to Mashable:

40% of the world’s population does not have access to flush toilets. One billion people defecate in the open. Each year, 1.5 million children die each year from diarrhea, many of which are preventable with improved sanitation.

The foundation is prioritizing convenience and affordability in the solutions it considers. The toilets must be easy to install and cost no more than $0.05 a day to maintain.

The second paragraph caught my attention. I know of a toilet that is convenient, affordable, easy to install, and costs nearly nothing to maintain. In fact, we sell them at Shelter. They're composting toilets, and they're used in thousands of homes, cabins, and boats.

Read more »

Friends of Shelter Tools - Tree Trunk Design

noreply@blogger.com (K. M. Johnson) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:50:00 +0000

Exquisite turned bowl by
Ken Hatridge of Tree Trunk Design

The collection of new and gleaming tools in our store is impressive. Holding a brand-new Lie-Nielsen block plane in your hand, you see it both as a tool with great potential and as a thing of man-made beauty. But a tool is meant to be used, and some of the tools purchased at Shelter are in the hands of skilled master woodworkers who produce a variety of heirloom-quality work.

Ken Hatridge, a former timberwright at Shelter, is the talented proprietor of Tree Trunk Design, maker of fine wood-turned products. (The photos included here are examples of his work.) I contacted Ken to ask him about his process and wood turning.

Read more »

Island Project Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Shelter Institute Staff) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 10:50:00 +0000

Ethan and Pat prepare for landing

At Shelter, we specialize in providing building services to island clients. We love working with these pioneering spirits who are up against some of the most difficult conditions (in terms of building a home, maintaining it and living there). The islands offer a different pace, solitude and a difference in philosophy. We honor those fearless enough to face the elements to fulfill their house dreams.

There's a lot of planning and preparation involved before you cut your first piece of timber. And, as you might imagine, getting building materials to an island is no simple task. Once you land on the island, there is often no lumber yard, usually no electricity and sometimes not even a road. If you are short even a handful of nails, it can sometimes stop the whole project in it's tracks. Careful planning is our most valuable tool when site access is more challenging than the actual build.

The Shelter crew recently built a 24x36 hemlock frame with a 20-ft wide dustpan dormer on Gay Island, which is off the tip of Cushing between the Back River and the St. George River.

The site was very difficult to access, but with the right equipment we managed to build the frame in ten days despite torrential downpours, the crew camping in tents, and the challenges that the island site presented.

View photos of the crew on location via our online photo album.

A Few Spots Left for Two-Week Design Build Class: July 11-22

noreply@blogger.com (K. M. Johnson) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 10:50:00 +0000

Need something to do during your July vacation in Maine? There are a few openings left for our July 11-22 Design Build class. Call us today or register online.

Our August Purely Post & Beam class is full and closed to new registrations, but you can register online now for our one-week Purely Post & Beam winter session (January 22-27).

Why should you take a Design Build course? Building or renovating a home involves so many decisions. Our Design Build course gives you the foundation for making those complex decisions. More than 20,000 women and men have taken this continually evolving course. The class is carefully crafted to teach building concepts from site planning through foundations, alternative energy, value, framing, wiring, plumbing, insulation, weatherization, roofing, and more to foster the ability to make wise judgments about the myriad alternatives facing prospective home owners today. Timber frame? Straw bale? Truss? Air Concrete? Foam? Stone? Steel? Photovoltaics? Stick frame? Which one, where and why? What works, what makes it work better, where does the truth lie?
Read more »

Father's Day is right around the corner . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Shelter Institute Staff) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 15:49:00 +0000

Are you shopping for neckties this weekend for dad? Don't settle for a boring Father's Day gift. Get dad a tool to help him get the job done right. We've got a great selection of tools and products for every dad from woodworkers, builders, boaters, cooks, to dreamers.

The funny thing that happens as we get older is that the people in our life seem to multiply exponentially. Now, as I think about Father's day, I also think of my husband (the father of my two beautiful girls), and my brothers, and my cousins, and my uncles, and some of my great friends who are dads. My Dad is incredibly special to me, but all of those dad's out there who aren't mine are pretty amazing too. Sometimes I end up picking up a bunch of little things just for those other great dads. So if I don't get you on my list this year, type in DAD on your next order by June 20 and we'll take 15% off your online purchase. (We'll apply the discount when we process your order.)

Here are a few of our favorite new items. Prices start at $8.95! If you don't see the perfect gift here, then please email or call us for ideas. We hand pick and use all of the products we sell, so we are bound to have something that will make your Dad's Day GREAT!

Environmentally Friendly Milk Paint

noreply@blogger.com (Shelter Institute Staff) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 10:50:00 +0000

By Rebecca, Shelter Tools Staff

We get lots of interesting requests here in the Shelter Tools store for products, but one of the most common items asked for is milk paint. After discovering the Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company at a trade show, the store can now enthusiastically answer, “Yes!” when someone comes in asking for the product. But what the heck is this stuff?

Milk paint—distinguished by its lack of sheen and flat, coarse look—has been around for a very, very long time. It was very commonly used in Colonial America and is called for in many reproduction projects. However, it actually covers the oldest known painted surfaces in the world, including some of the artifacts found in King Tut’s tomb. It is so durable and colorfast that your great, great grandchildren and their kids will be able to enjoy it too. The paint’s two main ingredients—milk and lime—were readily available during the era (many communities had local lime pits). A protein in the milk, casein, reacts with the hydrated lime to create a solution that adheres well to porous surfaces and then hardens. As an added bonus, the alkaline lime works with the acids in the milk to create a chemically neutral mixture.

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Find Your Perfect Maine Home

noreply@blogger.com (K. M. Johnson) — Sat, 28 May 2011 14:31:00 +0000

For many years, Midcoast Realty has been a partner in buying and selling properties for clients in the Midcoast region of Maine. We're still going strong, but we're now called Shelter Realty.

Shelter Realty specializes in helping buyer clients identify their needs and find just the right property. We'll help you find the right piece of land suitable for building or a fine and livable home.

Timber Frame beauty in Georgetown, ME

Call or email Shelter Realty with your parameters, and we will be pleased to consult with you about your options.

Potential clients or students who want to list their precious home or land will find a dedicated advocate for their investment.

For a complete list of Shelter Realty listings, visit our current listings page. Shelter represents sellers throughout the Midcoast Maine region.
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