April 28-May 3, 2025, Log Building with Hand and Power Tools

Annual workshop for English speaking audience to learn Estonian traditional log building using both hand and power tools. Photo: Mikk Otsar.

May 27-31, 2024, Traditional French Scribing Workshop

This program is sure to provide an excellent opportunity to sharpen and expand your carpentry and timber framing abilities in both theory and practice within an international group of carpentry enthusiasts.

May 17-21, 2024, Log Building with Hand and Power Tools

Five-days traditional log building workshop using both hand and power tools. 

May 8-13, 2023, Log Building with Hand and Power Tools

Six-days workshop about traditional log building using both hand and power tools. 

July 18-23, 2022, Traditional American Timber Framing

Over the course of six days we will delve into the traditional art of American timber framing. 

April 30 – May 5, 2022, Log Building with Hand and Power Tools

Six-days workshop about traditional log building using both hand and power tools.

August 15 – 20, 2020, Traditional Estonian Log Building with Hand Tools

Learn about traditional Estonian carpentry in theory and practice, from Estonian skilled builder-scholars. 

February 17 – 22, 2020, Traditional American timber-framing course

One-Week Timber Framing Intensive. We will use these techniques to draw and cut a small timber frame using a combination of hand and power tools. Topics covered will include frame design considerations, joinery design, layout on twisted and deformed timber, and working with green (unseasoned) wood. 

August 5 – 10, 2019, Traditional Estonian Log Building with Hand Tools

Learn about traditional Estonian carpentry in theory and practice, from Estonian skilled builder-scholars. 

April 30 – May 5, 2018, Traditional Estonian Log Building with Hand Tools

Learn about traditional Estonian carpentry in theory and practice, from Estonian skilled builder-scholars. Build and raise a traditional smoke sauna with dove tail joints using only hand tools. Comfortable accommodations in the restored, historic complex at Mooste Manor. Participants are not expected to have any log building experience.

April 24-29, 2017, Traditional Estonian Log Building with Hand Tools

Learn about traditional Estonian carpentry in theory and practice, from Estonian skilled builder-scholars. Build and raise a traditional smoke sauna with dove tail joints using only hand tools. Comfortable accommodations in the restored, historic complex at Mooste Manor. Participants are not expected to have any log building experience.

May 2-7, 2016, Conservation works of Puutli St Nicolai Orthodox Church

An international crew of volunteers contributed into the conservation works of a tiny wooden Orthodox Church in South-East Estonia, close to the Russian border in May 2016. In the fall of 2015 the log walls were reinforced by the forestry students of Estonian University of Life Sciences under their practice lessons and in the spring of 2016 we restored the tower and changed the roof cover to wooden shingle roof.

April 25-30, 2016, Traditional Estonian Log Building with Hand Tools

We invite you to learn how the log structures were built in old days only by hand tools. Workshop participants will learn traditional Estonian log-building by cutting and raising a traditional smoke sauna with dove tail joints using only hand tools. Participants are not expected to have any log building experience.

April 13-17, 2015, Traditional French Scribing workhop

We’re inviting you to a six-day Traditional French scribing workshop in Estonia in April 2015. This program is sure to provide an excellent opportunity to sharpen and expand your carpentry and timber framing abilities in both theory and practice within a mixed group of professional Estonian log builders and international carpenters. The course was tutored by French carpenter Mourad Manesse.

March 23-28, 2015, Traditional Estonian log-builging workshop
We’re happy to announce a six-day, all-inclusive log-building workshop in Estonia in March 2015. This is a valuable chance to learn about Estonian carpentry both in theory and practice, from some of the country’s pre-eminent builders and scholars.

April 7-11, 2014, Traditional American timber-framing course 
In cooperation with Estonian woodhouse Association there was a traditional timber-framing course tutored by Will Wallace-Gusakov in April 2014. The result of the course – a grill-house – was made (with the help of many generous sponsors) as a gift for Maarja Village – a home for young adults with learning disabilities.

August 2012, Jaruska Bridge

In 2012 we built Estonia’s first covered wooden bridge in Lemmaku, north-east Estonia. This was also our first international workshop where we had volunteering carpenters from UK, USA, France and Estonia. Wooden parts were built and raised with about 20 volunteers, the shingle roof was built with the help of 50 students and another 20 people were helping with various other tasks (cooking, sauna heating ect).