Minnesota Barn Model (2018)

Please let me introduce you to the Bruentrup Barn in Maplewood, Minnesota.

She serves as a museum for the city of Maplewood in the basement and an event center on the main level.

One could also say that it is the unofficial home of the Friends of Minnesota Barns, an organization I have joined up with to create a scale model that can serve as a teaching tool for timber framing.

Together with Bill Bruentrup, FOMB’s president, I set out to build a scale reproduction of this barn to be used as a demonstration and teaching tool.

The joinery is to scale and functions like the full size barn.

This is an example of a scarf joint in the plates.

Plates are scarfed together in two locations to add up to 60′ in the original and 12′ in the model.Joinery can get cut a little differently when working at a smaller scale: Lengths are scaled 1:5 and cross sections of timbers are 1:4.

Model bents are assembled just like the full scale ones.1/4″ø dowels are at scale for the 2″ø originals.
 Pegged mortise and tenon.

Bill and Calvin cut one half of the frame in Maplewood and I cut the other half in my shop in Duluth.

We are quite happy when all goes together as planned with the first assembly.The first presentation happend at the Regional gathering of the Timber Framers Guild  held at North House Folk School in April of 2018.While the original is built of local softwoods the model is made of red oak, the thought being that it will be assembled and disassembled many times.

The model barn has its own trailer and can travel to events. please get in touch with me or FOMB if you think that the model can be part of an event or class!