Guys,
I am mightily impressed by the activity on this topic. Sorry I Haven't seen it until today (thanks for e-mailing me the threads, Ian). Joel usually monitors the ATE, not me, but he has been laid up recently and will be back in the saddle soon.
I will forward the threads on the the TFG Board, because this is really their decision to put staff time and effort into this, not Joel's or mine.
However, I should say that as much as we want to help as an organization, this effort is not part of our stated mission. We are not United Way or Habitat for Humanity. Our mission is to educate timber framers, not provide housing. If you can figure out a way to convince the membership and the IRS that using membership dues to finance any part of this effort helps fulfill our mission, then we could do something. It would be much more appropriate for one of you to coordinate this at a grassroots level, with the Guild providing promotional support through Scantlings and the website.
Here's an analogy: say we have a charter member of the TFG pass away and his family is left destitute and without anything for the kids education. Should we put Guild time and effort into raising funds for the family? 'Fraid we can't, but we can support any of you who want to do so. We can put money in that person's name into the scholarship fund (which helps educate timber framers), but not give money directly to the family.
We could build frames here as part of a workshop/training program; that would work. We could train Indonesians to build timber frames; that's OK. But I don't think we can mobilize timber framers to provide housing, according to our charter.
Ultimately, this is the Board's decision.

"If you can figure out a way to convince the membership and the IRS that using membership dues to finance any part of this effort helps fulfill our mission, then we could do something."

I think the convincing is easy in that the model we are considering is workshop/rendezvous oriented. Then the result of that effort goes to a deserving clinet. Seems the same as most event models I've participated in to date. One difference is that there is no client providing "adequate funding", but most costs would be donated (timber and labor).

As I see it, our primary difficulty is identifying a recipient and a partner. I think finding an appropriate partner would lead to all other answers. There have been several suggestions for partners in previous posts. What is the best avenue for pursuing and/or courting a potential partner. Would the board itself need to approve any potential partner or does that fall to the general membership? When is the next board conference call, and could John Buday and Will Truax present our case to them then?

The need for assistance will be long term and while we want to rush to help, we also need to make sure that any product of our efforts is well considered and appropriate.

Having all the fun there is at the Creek,
Bob

For drawings and photos of traditional housebuilding in Indonesia--albeit on Sumbawa Island, nearer the eastern end of the island chain--see Timber Framers News 16, "House Building in Donggo."

Termites are certainly a traditional problem, countered by building well off the ground on footed posts, and keeping the ground clear and swept under the building.

A number of you in this thread write eloquently or cogently or both, and I urge you to send me (journal@tfguild.org) accounts of your timber framing discoveries and opinions.

Regards to all,

Ken

It's ironic that while I was considering a very similar concept for Haiti: constructing timber frame "house kits" with donated materials and labor and shipping them on a small barge (100 tons) pulled by diesel workboats, it never occurred to me the same could be done for tsunami victims.

Obviously the barge as transportation in my plan would have to be a container ship, but as Will T put it, how many containers full of 2x4's do you think the U.S. will be sending over the next months/years? Some of those could be containers of timber frames.

Since there hasn't been any post containing "hard numbers" for shipping costs, I'd suggest shipping should be consider a "high-risk" issue and some dedicated effort assigned to study the feasibility and/or mitigating the risk as it could really sink the plan.

Would it be reasonable to have several shops in an area working from the same plans each build a bent, or rafters, or sills, etc? Send a shipping container (driven by trucking volunteers?) to collect the pieces and haul it to a rail/port facility and have the "trial fit" be when the container is unpacked at the destination? Given that I'm all book knowledge I defer that question to those of you experienced enough to know.

As far as volunteering goes, I know a real nice guy with a bandmill (and I've got an Alaskan + Stihl 066), and there are still tons of nice white oaks down from Hurricane Isabel in my area of Virginia. I'd be willing to attend a South East guild event for building. What I lack in framing experience I make up for in web programming/database work and would be willing to help with organization and logistics needs.

This is probably the worst natural disasters in my lifetime and I'm ready to roll up my sleeves help those who can't help themselves.

The concept of providing structures for S Asian relief (houses or schools) still needs to identify a design with good seismic properties.
Has anyone found a source for shake proof structures made entirely of wood ?

Emmet,

I have gone back and tried to get a more recent update on the status, unfortunately, reliable info is difficult to obtain. It seems that from a political and public relations standpoint there has been an improvement in the forestry practices of this region, however, as Will indicated much of the trade continues illegal, undocumented and unchecked. Mitsubishi Corp. one of the largest Japanese timber importers seems to have embraced more stringent "corporate" policy in timber harvest/acquisition but this does little to remedy some of the wasteful practices and the insatiable appetite Japan has for timber products. Disposable chopsticks are one of the largest markets as is plywood for forming concrete. It seems in Japan plywood forms are used once and then disposed of rather than re-used as they are here in the states. There is some new info in the fact that China has now more than doubled it's import of lumber, sourced primarily from Indonesia. Long story short, the problem remains even though faces of those involved may be changing.

Some years ago when I was in the building biz in SE Asia (among other things) 30' 12x12 mahogany timbers arrived in my materiel yard @ 30 cents a BF. They made great sills mounted on fieldstone and/or concrete just off the sand. Earthquakes and typhoons didn't phase em.
It would be nice to know that reforesting is indeed happening.

Hi to all,

The discussion seems to have quieted down a bit and I wanted flesh out what I know about where this idea sands. Will truax is waiting to get CAD files back from the draftsman. When we have those in hand, we can approach a group of organixations with an eye toward partnering. We also need to pitch the concept to the BOD and ensure some guild oversight and assistance.
It is my belief that orchestrating the multiple rendezvous will be the easiest part. In my travels, I have encountered amazing interest in the idea. As someone who gets easily frustrated, I do see the effort moving forward.

Still having all the fun,
Bob

Hi John,
Great ideas all ! Thought I should mention that Woodmizer has a program to donate used sawmills to Christian Missions and other Charitable orginizations. They have donated or discounted almost 500 mills worldwide so far.We should find out if there are any mills in the area allready, we could then send small groups of instructors and volunteers to those mill sites.Training locals how to construct their own simple structures using local material.Teaching timberframing is what we are best at.

Teaching and volunteering time and energy toward the tsunami region may well be the best help we could give to those people. However, there are some of us who are not able to travel(although at this time of the year I wish I could). I have family and farm animals who more or less depend on me to be here. This is why an idea like Will's appeals to me. I could actually take a bit of time when I'm able and cut some joins on spare timber to give to someone less fortunate. It wouldn't take too many shops to put together a frame...