David Bowman on the Shaving Horse

Dave Bowman and Daniel Hent (from Holland) on the two-man crosscut saw.

David learned this trade without any professional training or workshops, but benefited greatly from his association with Jack A. Sobon throughout the 1990’s.  David's cabin was the project in his first book. Bowman said, " Whenever I couldn't figure something out, I would give Jack a call and he would straighten me out." David worked for Jack on and off throughout the 1990’s, and learned a great deal on all aspects of timber framing.  While David took on his own projects during the 1990’s, he became fully self-employed in the year 2000. He currently works with a partner, Neil C. Godden of Goshen, MA.

David has owned a portable sawmill for the last 14 years, and cuts most of the wood for the frames he produces.  This gives David a level of control over the quality of the timber, which is now something he couldn't do without.

David practices sustainable forestry on his own 80 acre wood lot, and is a founding member of The Massachusetts Woodlands Cooperative. David's property and sawn materials are green certified to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards.

David Bowman teaches at the Heartwood School in Washington Massachusetts, where he's been an instructor for the past few years. He's a member of The Timber Framers Guild, and has participated in Guild events and conferences as a paid presenter. David also hosts a graduate level class from the University of UMASS, Amherst every spring. The class comes to see how David integrates all of the aspects of forestry, saw milling and timber framing.