Shelter Institute

The course was amazing. Much more information than i expected. The hands on section gave me the confidence that is needed to effective with the hand tools. Would do it again just to pick up more hints. Instructors made me feel like family.

The sawhorse course was just perfect, in every way. I finally learned the proper way to use a pull saw. For years, I thought you used the reflection in the saw to get perpendicular cuts...but never succeeded. Now I know why. I also learned the proper orientation of the chisel to use. For years, I've used it upside down. I recommend the class to anyone and hope to see you in Maine someday!

Incredible course. Got this as an early Christmas present. Took this course after reading a timber framing book and learned even more. Would recommend this as a starter course for anyone interested in getting into timber framing. Thanks!

Great course. I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning the basics of the craft. I liked the clear explanations and demonstrations as well as the repetition of important concepts and skills in subsequent videos.

Yes I would 100% recommend this to a friend. That we got hands-on and straight to the shop also multiple staff were coming around asking if we had any questions or needed help with anything.

"Recently completed the in-person Purely Post and Beam Course. The perfect blend of classroom and hands on instruction gave me the knowledge and confidence to tackle timber framing and other wood working pursuits. The staff and faculty were knowledgeable and friendly. The Hennin family were so welcoming over the course of the week. A really positive and inspiring experience—highly recommended!"

"A great location, super-knowledgeable and friendly instructors and staff, and a really nice hands-on supplement to the classroom instruction (Design Build). I learned a great deal and came away with wonderful resources. Also appreciated the school’s philosophy: Think. Build. Live. Well worth the investment!"

"I liked the Saw Horse course. I learned a lot about marking the layout and how to cut and refine the joinery. Very cool! The guys were pretty entertaining too."

"I admire the work of the Shelter Institute and this was my second course. I truly enjoyed the first course, but Purely Post & Beam was even more empowering because of the focus on hands on learning and participating in an authentic process. As always, the instructors were personable, patient and good coaches. You can tell that they enjoy their work and care about passing on their own passion and expertise."

"The course was very fun and engaging. The Shelter staff answered my questions and posed quite a few more. Would recommend. 5/5. Thanks Shelter!"

"I found the online course entertaining and educational. I would definitely recommend the course to anyone that does not have the time or ability to attend the in person course, but wants to be equipped with the knowledge of basic timber frame design and tools."

"This class was everything I dreamed and more! The knowledge and experience of the founding family, the personal attention and the eagerness of the staff to help in any way they could was just outstanding. I could not possibly recommend this class enough and consider it to be more of an experience than a class. 12 out of 10 stars for Shelter Institute!"

"The best online course Ive done! Loved the down to earth human approach. I look forward to building a timber frame soon. I will recommend this course!"

"This class was packed with useful knowledge while still being clear and concise. It uses a very practically sized example structure and covers the entire process. Well worth the money and time. Very well done for an online version of such a hands-on subject."