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Build a Side Table with Kelly Mehler
March 2-6
Cost $800 - Includes all materials - FULL
Skill Level - Open to all
In this foundational class you will build a small side table. The side table has proven to be a popular project for both new and experienced woodworking enthusiasts. The side table class focuses on foundational skills including basic joinery, drawers, gluing, machine and hand tools use, all valuable skills used in nearly all woodworking projects. The piece that you create is adaptable to a variety of uses and can fit into many kinds of home or office decors.
The highlights of this class are:
- Matching wood for a pleasing unified appearance
- Efficient machine tool milling
- Safe use of power and hand tools
- Mortise and tenon joinery
- Hand cutting dovetails
- Tuning, sharpening hand tools
- Making and fitting a drawer
- Gluing and assembly
Handouts and daily demos will give you step-by-step instruction and tips for successfully completing your side table.
As in all our small classes, you will work at your own pace and will receive lots of individual attention.
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18th Century Tools & Techniques with Adam Cherubini New! - FULL
Cost $460 - includes materials
March 20-22
Skill Level - Open to all
This class will look at specific 18th century inventories and period tool lists. Adam believes modern woodworkers will benefit from a better understanding and appreciation of the quantity and sorts of hand tools required to work 100% by hand. Other instructors tend to focus on the tools that are available today. That's fine and even practical and smart, but from Adam's perspective, it's limiting. We're woodworkers. We build stuff. Our skill set shouldn't be limited by what we can buy. There are talented toolmakers out there who can build the tools we need but they don't because there is currently no market for these kinds of tools.
Students will learn:
· What tools 18th century cabinetmakers had in their workshops
· What those tools were designed to do
· What makes them good or bad for a particular task
· What alternatives to those tools are available
· Basically how they are used
In this class you will not be making a particular project, but everyone will cut a set of dovetails, make a mortise and tenon joint, a sliding dovetail, T&G, all the basic 18th century joints. Not having a project will allow the class to focus on the challenging parts while skipping the drudgery that you're already good at.
The goals for this class are to help students develop the skills necessary to build furniture 100% by hand, work in Colonial Williamsburg's Anthony Hay Cabinet shop, or take on more ambitious hand-tool-only projects. We think this new 18th century Tools and Techniques class will be fun and helpful. It will be like a mini apprenticeship! For more information straight from the instructor, check out his blog from December 6th, 2008 on Popular Woodworking.
About the instructor:
Adam Cherubini is a professional cabinetmaker who works entirely by hand. He has been twice recognized by Early American Life Magazine as one of the best traditional artisans in the country. In addition to building furniture, Adam also makes replica hand tools in the 18th c. style and serves as a contributing editor for Popular Woodworking Magazine. Read more about Adam and his work at his website: www.adamcherubini.com or his blog www.artsandmysteries.com. Craig Stevens recently interviewed Adam. You can listen to that interview as a pod-cast here: http://blip.tv/file/1149497
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European Relief Carving with Nora Hall
Cost $460- includes all materials
March 27-29
Skill Level - All levels- FULL
Old-style ornaments such as leaves, scrolls, shells, flowers, grapes, etc. will be utilized as a means of explaining classic European carving styles. The main area covered will be relief carving. Carving in-the-round, chip carving, and letter carving will also be included.
Initially, each student will become familiar with the seven basic tools by carving a simple design. Nora will work individually to perhaps suggest a second project and a third and so on. If time permits, high relief carving will be introduced.
Throughout the course, much one-on-one guidance will be given to ensure that correct technique is followed. Demonstrations and discussions will occur frequently, perhaps to stress a particular concept or to address students' questions.
This workshop is open to experienced and to novice carvers, with the outcome being that, at the end, each participant will have learned to achieve both quality and higher levels of productivity and proficiency through the techniques learned.
Students are welcome to bring their own tools; or, tools can be supplied by the instructor.
We invite you to join us for this very special opportunity to work with Nora.
About the instructor:
It was Nora Hall’s life dream to become a wood sculptress when she was growing up in Amsterdam, Holland during the difficult years of World War II. Nora’s father, master woodcarver Johannes Leereveld, encouraged his daughter to attend the art academy in Amsterdam, which she did for one year. This brief study laid the foundation for an apprenticeship with her dad that continued for many years.
In the 1950’s, Nora left her native country and raised her family in the United States. In the 1970’s Nora began teaching classical-style carving methods to U.S. students of all ages.
Over the years, Nora has had the pleasure of having her work commissioned by the BMH Synagogue in Denver, US West, Hugh Hefner, Gibson Guitar, and numerous private collectors. She has also had her work and life featured in such magazines as Fine Woodworking, Woodshop News, Colorado Homes and Lifestyles, and Woodworker’s Journal.
Nora is still teaching and carving today, moved by her love of the craft she wants to share it with as many people as possible. We are thrilled to have her teach at the school! Visit her website at www.norahall.com
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Greenwood Chair Making with Brian Boggs
March 30 - April 9
Monday-Saturday & Monday-Thursday
Cost $1585 - includes all materials
Skill Level - Intermediate
Greenwood chairmaking offers a very enjoyable entry into steam bending techniques, turning, and hand tool mastery. In this class, Brian will teach students how to design for comfort and create the support tooling to build fine chairs with precision.
Chairmaking is often thought of as one of the more challenging arenas of furniture making. While the demands of the craft are undeniable, this class can do a lot to teach you how to approach chairmaking using a process that is broken down into very manageable steps. From steam bending, hand shaping and turning, to seat weaving and finishing, there is a whole lot of fun to be had in this two-week class. With the amount of time available in this class we will be able to build a splayed leg chair.
One thing that Brian likes to emphasize in all his classes is that it is what you learn in class rather than the product you take home, that has the greatest value. Therefore, as a part of this class you will create a chairmaking manual that will guide your future chair projects at home. Such a manual has been essential to managing quality control and efficiency in Brian's shop and I think you will find it a highly valuable tool for any woodworking project you hope to repeat. Even if you change the design considerably the next time, the basic framework of how you went through the process last time will help you hold on to the lessons you learned in earlier efforts. Keeping a record of how you work will greatly help you develop your processes and skills as a woodworker.
You will go home with an assembled chair, the outline of a process manual, and very likely a few new friends as well. So come join us in creating this enduring and comfortable chair.
About the instructor:
Brian Boggs has been making chairs in Berea, Ky for 22 years. His work has been featured in numerous museums and galleries nationwide as well as over a dozen books. He has written several technical articles for Fine Woodworking and Woodwork Magazine and has been teaching workshops around the country since 1988. While many of his chairs adorn the homes of the well-to-do, a large portion of his work is purchased by other woodworkers. Sam Maloof, Christian Becksvoort, Garrett Hack, Tom Lie-Nielsen, Kelly Mehler and many others have recognized Brian's work not only as fine work and good design, but a good value as well. Brian brings to his classes a unique mix of technical problem-solving as well a as a good sense of efficiency. Visit his website at www.brianboggschairs.com.
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Felder Machinery : Building an End Table with Kelly Mehler
Cost $175 plus $85 Materials
April 24-25
Skill Level - All
If you are the owner of a Felder/Hammer machine or you are interested in learning more about European woodworking machinery, this hands-on class is for you. You will make a simple end table with all of the pieces cut from one board! The table construction incorporates the use of several different Felder machines so that you can discover the accuracy, efficiency, and safety features of these tools.
The goal of the class is for you to observe and then experiment with the capabilities of the different machines. As such, the table is the vehicle for your learning and there is no pressure to complete the project. The pace is entirely up to you and you will be supported in your learning by careful demonstration and teaching by Kelly, a long-time user of Felder machinery, followed by your hands-on practice of each technique. Important maintenance and tune-up information will be shared through demonstration and question/answer sessions.
Here are some of the things you can expect to learn:
- Rough milling and final milling on the jointer/planer and table saw.
- Re-sawing on the band saw.
- Mortising on the combination machine mortiser and stand-alone mortiser.
- Tenon making on the shaper and by dado cutting on the table saw.
- Edge treatments on the shaper.
- Tapering on the jointer.
- Gluing, clamping, fitting joints, and assembly techniques.
- Safety considerations for each tool.
You will enjoy an action-packed two days with good learning, excellent information, and a convivial atmosphere! For more information or to register for this class go to: Felder USA or call toll free at 866-792-5288
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Plane Making: Wooden Molding Planes with Larry Williams & Don McConnell
April 27- May 1 FULL
Cost $780 - includes all materials
Skill Level - Intermediate
For many woodworkers, there are few more gratifying experiences than producing their own tools. With hand tools and traditional techniques, we'll each make a pair of #8 hollow and round planes that share the features and function of those made by the best plane makers of the past.
We'll explore the history of molding planes and their evolution. While molding planes appear simple they're highly evolved with often subtle features that make a difference in their use. Our planes will incorporate important details that enable greater utility and agility.
There are many easily learned skills involved which also transfer to other aspects of woodworking. We'll learn dependable and repeatable sharpening techniques that apply to profiled tools like those used in carving and to more common straight edged tools like bench chisels and bench planes. Each participant will also learn to easily and accurately heat treat tool steel for the planes produced in this project and for future needs.
You'll gain experience with tools you may not have used before. Floats will enable you to work deep into places you can barely see into and to do it accurately. Gimlet bits will allow you to "steer" hand-bored holes exactly where you want and need them.
We'll end by surveying some basic techniques of using hollow & round planes to produce classic molding profiles. You'll be able to experiment with creating a few traditional moldings with your new planes and to try out a few dedicated molding planes as well.
You'll leave the workshop enabled by new skills, fresh knowledge, confidence and a pair of hollow and round planes you'll be able to use to enhance your future work.
About the instructors:
In 2006, Larry Williams was honored with the "Living Treasure" award from the Arkansas Department of Cultural Heritage for his efforts in reviving the traditional craft of making wooden planes. Lie-Nielsen recently released Larry's DVD on plane making. Larry worked in architectural woodworking for 25 years and began experimenting with plane making in the late 1970's. His work and articles have been featured in a number of woodworking books and magazines. Larry is a partner in Clark & Williams, who produce traditional Western-style wooden planes.
Don McConnell made his first wooden planes in the late-1970's while building furniture in the cabinet shop of the Ohio Village. He continued his plane making activities over the following years while building custom furniture in traditional styles and undertaking one-of-a-kind architectural woodwork including carved elements of geometric handrails. His work has been featured in several magazines and exhibits. A former contributing editor for Popular Woodworking magazine, Don is also co-author of Hand-Saw Makers of Britain.
More than 300 Clark & Williams planes are currently in use in the Conservation and Historic Trades Departments at Colonial Williamsburg.
Visit their website at www.planemaker.com
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Using Wooden Molding Planes with Williams & McConnell New!
May 2-3 - FULL
Cost $350 - includes all materials
Skill Level - open to all
Learn how you can enrich your furniture projects, with complete freedom, through the use of hollows & rounds, and a few associated hand planes. Begin by gaining a familiarity with the "vocabulary" of classical moldings, their characteristics, uses, and designs. Learn to design your own classical moldings which are informed by proportions and principles found in the classical orders, also with an eye toward the tools used to create them. This will be re-enforced by hands-on experience designing, laying out, and executing several classical moldings. Along the way, we'll discuss the selection, tuning, sharpening and use of a variety of molding planes. Skills and knowledge which you can take home to your own shop.
Finally, we will explore ways in which these classical techniques and tools can be used to enhance more contemporary furniture projects to personal taste. The emphasis will be on learning to add visual and tactile interest, while manipulating the visual weight and relationships of various elements of your projects. Enabled by this skill and knowledge, the "profiles" of your projects need be limited only by your imagination.
About the instructors:
In 2006, Larry Williams was honored with the "Living Treasure" award from the Arkansas Department of Cultural Heritage for his efforts in reviving the traditional craft of making wooden planes. Lie-Nielsen recently released Larry's DVD on plane making. Larry worked in architectural woodworking for 25 years and began experimenting with plane making in the late 1970's. His work and articles have been featured in a number of woodworking books and magazines. Larry is a partner in Clark & Williams, who produce traditional Western-style wooden planes. More than 300 Clark & Williams planes are currently in use in the Conservation and Historic Trades Departments at Colonial Williamsburg.
Don McConnell made his first wooden planes in the late-1970's while building furniture in the cabinet shop of the Ohio Village. He continued his plane making activities over the following years while building custom furniture in traditional styles and undertaking one-of-a-kind architectural woodwork including carved elements of geometric handrails. His work has been featured in several magazines and exhibits. A former contributing editor for Popular Woodworking magazine, Don is also co-author of Hand-Saw Makers of Britain.
visit their website at www.planemaker.com
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Basic Finishing with Teri Masaschi
May 11-15 - FULL
Cost $780 - includes materials
Skill Level - open to all
In this 5-day class you will learn a large variety of finishing processes as practiced in the non-industrial furniture shop. By the end of the course you will know how to fill grain, apply dyes, pigments, and chemical stains, and put on hand-rubbed varnish, shellac, and oil finishes. Work on each of these techniques is done on your own sample panels (provided for you), and you may bring special pieces of your own wood to experiment on if you wish.
Through lecture and demonstrations, Teri explains everything from wood preparation to final rubbing out processes. This includes selection of proper abrasives, sanders, and fillers; layering of colorants; bleaching, glazing, and brushing; French polishing; and techniques for rubbing the final finish to perfection. You will leave with a better understanding of the range of choices for finishing your furniture projects from now on.
The week is loaded with daily handouts, hands-on practice, a lot of discoveries, and lots of fun!
About the instructor:
Teri Masaschi started as an apprentice with a Fine Arts dealer in New Hampshire at the age of 14. Since that time she has spent a lifetime restoring, conserving, building/rebuilding and finishing antiques. Teri also finishes for woodworkers who use her expertise to finish their work. Other than a period of 7 years working at Woodworker's Supply as manager and specialist for the finishing products, Teri's career has been a straight line of creating fine finishes, writing about finishing and passing on some of her 36 years of knowledge through teaching.
Teri is the author of a newly-released book, Foolproof Wood Finishing, published by Sterling Press.
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Continuous Arm Windsor Chair with Curtis Buchanan New!
May 25-30 - FULL
Cost $795
Materials fee $190
Skill Level - Intermediate
In this class you will use green wood straight from the log to build a Continuous Arm Windsor armchair using traditional hand tools. The back and spindles will be riven from oak and shaped with a drawknife and spokeshave. The graceful continuous arm will be steam bent. Seats will be carved from easter white pine using a scorp, travisher and scrapers. Legs and stretchers are pre-turned from hard maple. This six day course taught by one of America's premier chairmakers contains a wealth of information about hand tools and traditional chair making. Come prepared to work hard and learn a lot! 
About the instructor:
Curtis Buchanan makes his Windsor chairs in much the same way they were made 200 years ago. His small, one-man shop is located in the heart of Jonesborough's Historic District. Buchanan has published numerous articles on chairmaking and has taught in many craft schools both here and abroad. He is a co-founder of GreenWood, a community-based sustainable forestry initiative in Latin America. His chairs are in the permanent collection of the Tennessee State Museum and the Southern Highlands Craft Guild. They also reside in the Tennessee State Governor's Mansion and Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. Visit Curtis's website at curtisbuchananchairmaker.com
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Turning for Furniture Making with Nick Cook
June 8-12 - FULL
Cost $710
Materials $85
Skill Level - Open to all
This class is designed for woodworkers interested in adding turned parts to their furniture projects. Students can expect to learn, practice and execute the techniques for making most of the turned parts that may be found in a piece of furniture.
The projects you create will include matched table legs, bun feet, finials, drawer pulls, a table lamp, a small 3 legged stool and a larger four legged stool.
We will start with an introduction to the lathe, safety, turning tools and sharpening techniques. Students will learn to sharpen their turning tools, and will practice proper cutting techniques.
You will practice a variety of cuts and learn to make the basic shapes required for spindle turning. Some faceplate work will also be included. We will also discuss stock preparation, layout techniques and how to create duplicate parts.
Nick will discuss and demonstrate:
- Both spindle and faceplate turning techniques.
- A variety of chucking methods.
- Sanding and finishing possibilities.ouge (supplied for you at the school.)
Each student will have their own lathe for the week. Don't miss this special class with an amazing amount of skill practice and lots of enjoyment!
About the instructor:
Nick Cook is a full time production turner producing a wide variety of gift items, one of a kind bowls & vessels as well as work for furniture makers and millwork contractors. He spends much of his time teaching both individuals and groups throughout the country. He has done workshops for woodturning groups in Australia, New Zealand and England. He has also participated in the national woodturning symposiums in England, New Zealand and the US. He is a founding member of the American Association of Woodturners and has served as vice president and conference coordinator. Nick was named the 12 th honorary lifetime member of the AAW. He has written numerous articles for various woodturning publications including Woodworkers Journal and American Woodworker. He is a contributing editor for American Woodturner. Visit his website at www.nickcookwoodturner.com
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Choosing and Using Hand Tools with Andy Rae New!
June 15-19 - FULL
Cost $775 - includes materials
Skill Level - All Levels
This is an engaging 5-day hands-on class for learning hand tool use, sharpening, and tune up. Andy will walk you through the world of woodworking hand tools and their use. You will learn about everyday furniture makers tools, from marking and layout tools to chisels, saws, and planes. You will discover how to look for good tools, and where to shop for bargains and gems.
During class, we'll look at tuning up tools, both old and new to make them perform at their peak, from cleaning old tools and flattening surfaces to adjusting and lubricating key parts.
You can expect a lot of hands-on experience as Andy shows you proper chisel techniques, how to develop the necessary hand-eye skills for sawing precisely to a line, and how to make fine shavings with confidence from a properly tuned hand plane. You will make a traditional bench hook to aid in using your handtools.
Finally in order to bench-test and develop your skills, you'll also build a dovetailed box with a sliding lid. Sawing and chiseling the dovetails will be done by hand, as will fitting and planing a solid-wood bottom and top.
Highlights of the class are:
- Sharpen all your hand tools like surgical steel.
- Plane flat, square and smooth.
- Lay out with accuracy and precision.
- Saw to a line, straight and square.
- Learn how to distinguish high-quality tools.
- Creating shop-made hand tool aids and jigs such as bench hooks.
- Use hand tools to build a beautiful dovetailed box.
About the instructor:
Andy Rae has been working wood for nearly three decades, designing and building furniture as well as teaching and writing about the craft. He has written over 100 articles for woodworking magazines. Andy worked in the shops of George Nakashima and Frank Klausz during his formative years, then opened his own design/build studio, making furniture as well as architectural build-ins. His woodworking studio is isolated in Asheville, North Carolina. He currently publishes an online blog for Taunton Press at www.taunton.com/finewoodworking.
Any Rae has authored five books, including Choosing and Using Hand Tools (Lark Books, 2002) Visit Andy at philmechanicsstudios.com
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Hand-Cutting Dovetails with Kelly Mehler
June 27 - FULL
Cost $175 - includes materials
Skill Level - Open to all
Find out that this preeminent joint is well within your grasp! This most beautiful, useful, and long lasting joint will be our focus for this daylong hands-on class. You will learn methods that may be difficult to read about but which become very doable with hands-on instruction.
Here's what we'll do:
- Learn how to sharpen chisels.
- Layout through dovetails and half blind dovetails.
- Learn methods for hand sawing and chiseling dovetails.
- Cut and fit through dovetails and half blind dovetails.
- Demonstrations and 1-on-1 instruction.
By the end of the day, you will have a good foundation for successfully adding hand-cut dovetails to your woodworking repertoire.
This is a good preparatory class for the Blanket Chest class and the Chest of Drawers class.
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Hand-Cut Dovetailed Blanket Chest with
Kelly Mehler
June 29- July 4 FULL
Cost $795
Materials not included
Skill Level - All levels
It is a Blanket Chest! It is a Tool Chest! It is what you want it to be as this project represents one of the most enduring pieces of heirloom furniture. These chests are often passed down in families for many generations. The best historical examples are made with hand cut dovetails since this is, without a doubt, the best joint for preserving the integrity of the chest over time. Your own hand cut dovetailed chest will become an instant heirloom of which you are be the proud creator!
In this class you will build a beautiful Blanket Chest of a dimension that suits your needs. The chest is made of solid wood panels for the case, top, and base. If time allows, an interior structure and small interior drawer can be added.
The main emphasis of the week will be case construction using hand cut through-dovetails. You don't need prior dovetail experience for taking this class, but my Dovetail Class will give you a head start and can-do confidence. You will learn the techniques needed to build this chest successfully through one-on-one instruction and demonstrations during the week. At the same time, you will acquire skills that are broadly applicable to other pieces that you may wish to make in the future.
You can expect to learn:
- Choosing, matching and milling rough lumber.
- Safe and correct machinery practices.
- How to work with and glue up matched solid panels.
- Dovetailing and more dovetailing!
- How to hinge and attach a top.
- How to make and install a solid wood bottom and base.
- Finishing touches that make a difference.
Enjoy the small class size and lots of personal attention while making a beautiful project of enduring quality.
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Cabinet Making with Nancy Hiller
Cost $710
Materials $165
July 13- 17
Skill Level - All
This course will cover a variety of design and construction techniques applicable to built-in and freestanding cabinets for kitchen, library, living room, office, or bedroom. You will practice the techniques by making a versatile cabinet with a door, a drawer, and one finished side; the second side will be left unfinished to demonstrate installation techniques. (Some students subsequently make a matching panel in their home shop, to create a freestanding cabinet.)
The cabinet’s basic construction will be of shop grade plywood, with a face-frame, door, drawer, and side panel of solid wood. We will make the door using traditional frame-and-panel techniques (mortise and tenon joinery and loose panel construction); the side panel will be made with a rail and stile cutter set, to familiarize students with an alternative joinery system. The sample cabinet will feature state-of-the-art full-extension under-mount slides for the drawer and traditional butt hinges for the door.
The course will cover techniques of drawer and door construction; techniques for fitting inset doors and drawers; suggestions for finish techniques, and a discussion of materials available for use as counters. Students will take home a partially-completed cabinet ready for finish. (Students who are really motivated can usually complete their cabinet during this course.)
About the instructor:
Nancy has been a professional designer and cabinetmaker since 1981. She trained in England, where she earned a City & Guilds of London Certificate in traditional furniture making. She has worked for Roy Griffiths, Millside Cabinetmakers, the Imperial War Museum at Duxford Airbase, Wall-Goldfinger of Vermont, and has operated NR Hiller Design, Inc. since 1995. She is the author of The Hoosier Cabinet in Kitchen History.
Nancy’s furniture and cabinetry have been featured in Fine Woodworking, Fine Homebuilding, Old-House Interiors, and Arts & Crafts Homes. She has also had her work published inStyle: 1900, American Bungalow, and Victorian Homes magazines.
Visit her website at www.nrhillerdesign.com.
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Federal Card Table with Glen Huey New!
July 27 - August 1 - FULL
Cost $790 - Student provides materials using the provided cut list
Skill Level - Intermediate
The most popular pieces of furniture built during the Federal period were card tables. Many shapes and designs were built, but the half-round form was the design of choice.
This table is based on a fine example of Southern, Federal craftsmanship built in Baltimore circa 1795 – 1810. The original table is part of the Colonial Williamsburg Collection. In this class you’ll construct a modified table with many of the same characteristics used on the original. This piece has many practical uses in your home and is destined to become furniture treasured for generations to come.
The focus of the class will be on the bricking of the front apron; simple veneering, inlay of string, banding and patera, multiple joinery techniques and period construction details.
You can expect to learn:
- How to cut half-blind dovetails and bridle joints.
- Steps for making a knuckle joint used to swing both rear legs on your table.
- Methods for tapering legs, including my preferred method using a jointer. (Don’t think multiple cuts; cut these tapers in only two passes).
- Stringing with “old-school” techniques as well as using a router.
- How to make banding and sand-shaded inlay to be used on your project, if you choose.
- Veneering techniques with the pros and cons of each method discussed.
- Much more!
Join us for a fun-filled, informative, woodworking-packed week building the quintessential Federal period masterpiece. There is a lot to learn and many of the techniques can be adapted to your other projects.
About the instructor:
Glen Huey is an Ohio native who built his first piece of reproduction furniture - a Sheraton Bed - at age 14, with his father's help. Glen is a Senior Editor with Popular Woodworking and Woodworking magazines and has authored three furniture books including Glen D. Huey’s Illustrated Guide to Building Period Furniture. He currently builds furniture out of his shop in West Chester, Ohio as well as teaching woodworking classes and conducting seminars for woodworking groups around the country. Glen’s focus is primarily 18th & early 19th century furniture.
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Introduction to Relief Carving with Mike McCarthy
August 15-16 FULL Cost $310 includes materials
Skill Level - All levels
If you are looking for that extra "something" that makes your work stand out, consider learning to carve. Learn the basic techniques of relief carving by adding carved elements to a picture frame. Once you have finished this class, you will be able to add these elements and other decorative motifs to picture frames, mirror frames, furniture and more.
In this class you will learn:
- The basics of sharpening and honing.
- Grain recognition.
- Design and layout for relief carving.
- When to use the 3 basic profiles - V-gouge, U-gouge and Flat-gouge.
Join Mike and others for a pleasant weekend of learning and practice.
About the instructor:Mike McCarthy started carving with his grandfather at the age of 8. Mike graduated with a degree in Fine Art from Bellarmine College with an emphasis on wood carving 1989. Mike has taught sculpture, relief carving, architectural carving, chip carving and other classes for the Louisville Visual Art Association and Woodcraft. Mike also carves for other furniture makers to help their pieces stand out from the crowd.
Mike's work is in both private and public collections.
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Hand Tool Skills for the Woodshop with Mario Rodriguez
August 17-21
Cost $750
Materials Included
Skill Level - open to all
No one argues that hand tools are essential for successful woodworking. They allow the woodworker to invest their work with unusual and personal details. Hand tools take up where machines leave off. And the practice of using handtools can be very satisfying; no noise, less mess.
This workshop will explore the traditional range of handtools available today and examine how they can be used to extend a woodworker’s range. The class will spend a generous amount of time on sharpening; the most critical aspect of tool preparation. If a tool ism’t sharp, its performance can’t be properly evaluated.
Then time will be spent conditioning and fine-tuning a range of hand tools; from saws to planes, and chisels to scrapers. The class will also examine tool design and modification.
Finally, students will perform a series of exercises and small projects to test tool effectiveness and develop hand tool skills. Your old, restrictive attitudes about handtools will be changed, replaced by new ideas and exciting possibilities.
About the instructor:
Mario Rodriguez returns to Kelly Mehler’s School of Woodworking with over 30 years in woodworking as a builder/maker, teacher, and writer.
After receiving a BA in Art and Applied Design from H H Lehman College, he began a 4 year apprenticeship with the Carpenters & Cabinetmakers Union in NYC and received his NY State certification in 1978.
After graduation and working in the field, Mario established his own shop in Brooklyn, NY serving the areas leading architects, designers, and collectors. His shop handled projects that included: new construction, renovation, millwork, furniture restoration and refinishing, architectural woodwork and fixtures, and furniture reproductions. His work has been featured in: Architectural Digest, Country Living, House Beautiful, Metropolitan Home, Hudson Valley, McCalls, Fine Woodworking, and the NY Times.
Mario has taught in the Restoration Department at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC for almost 18 years, as well as the leading woodworking schools in the country.
From 1992 to 1997, Mario directed the Warwick Country Workshops from a small barn behind his Federal period farmhouse. These specialized classes were devoted to traditional hand tool topics, such as: hand cut dovetails, carving a ball-&-claw, hot glue veneering, and planemaking. Today, he still speaks at regional woodworking organizations and clubs.
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Choosing, Tuning, Sharpening, and Using your Handsaws with Mario Rodriguez New!
August 22-23
Cost $350
Includes Materials
Skill Level - All Levels
Over the years, handsaws have gotten a bad rap. They’re considered clunky, ugly, difficult to control, and to top it off, they produce horrible results. Now they are often regarded as the tool of last resort; what to use when the extension cord (for your circular saw) isn’t long enough.
In this 2 day workshop, students will closely examine the various saws commonly used in cabinet and furniture shops: rip and cross-cut handsaws, dovetail and tenon saws, and veneer and jewelers saws. Students will evaluate saw design, tooth configuration, tooth set, and handle design and construction. The workshop will also cover proper saw selection (for the task at hand), setting up to saw, and sawing technique.
Over the course of the workshop, each student will tune up, set and sharpen an inexpensive dovetail saw and a veneer saw; getting them to do things never thought possible. You will also learn how to improve the performance of any saw with traditional tools, such as a saw vise, set, and files.
Using a sharp, well-tuned saw is an experience that shouldn’t be missed.
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Woodworking Machinery and Hand Tool Fundamentals with Kelly Mehler New!
FULL
August 31- September 4
Cost $785
Includes Materials
Skill Level - all
The goal of this basics hands-on course is to help provide a solid woodworking foundation to the beginning woodworker. In this class you will learn essential hand and machine tool skills. These are the foundational skills that all woodworkers should have but often miss.
Hand tools and hand tool skills are a necessary and rewarding part of woodworking. The woodworker's basic hand tools are chisels, hand planes, scrapers and handsaws. In this class we will cover the choosing, sharpening, tuning and use of each tool. You will learn easy to use sharpening techniques and options for setting up a sharpening station in your shop. Once your hand tools are sharp you will learn and practice how to use your hand tools correctly, safely and efficiently.
The jointer, planer, tablesaw, mortiser, drill press and router are the primary power tools in the woodshop. You will learn how to use each of these machine tools safely and properly as well as how to tune and maintain them. Important information such as choosing the right blades, adjusting guides, setting knives, and eliminating snipe are just a few of the things that you will learn during the week.
Finally, you will put all of your new skills together while building a small cherry end table. This is an important class for any woodworker and it will provide a solid foundation to build on.
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Build a Spice Cabinet using 18th Century Tools with Adam Cherubini New!
September 14-19 - FULL
Cost $770
Wood partially prepared $200
Skill Level - Intermediate
This is a great opportunity to spend 6 days with Adam Cherubini! He will guide you in building a classic Philadelphia style Spice Cabinet with hand tools. Focusing on traditional carcass joinery, the goal in this class is to help you develop the skills required to make carcases by hand quickly and efficiently. Students will be expected to have some basic skills with western hand saws and planes. Moldings will be planed and also scratched out. Foot turnings will be optional and can be done during spare time. Students will finish some but probably not all of the drawers during class. Options for replica hardware are listed in the "participant information" below.
About the instructor:
Adam Cherubini is a professional cabinetmaker who works entirely by hand. He has been twice recognized by Early American Life Magazine as one of the best Traditional Artisans in the Country. In addition to building furniture, Adam also makes replica hand tools in the 18th c style and serves as a contributing Editor for Popular Woodworking magazine. Read more about Adam and his work at his website: www.adamcherubini.com or his blog www.artsandmysteries.com.
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Frank Klausz -Spend a week with the Master! New!
September 28- October 2
Cost $825 - FULL
Materials included
Skill Level - open to all
This is a special opportunity to spend a week with the "Master." Frank will cover a variety of woodworking techniques and topics including hand-cut dovetails. He will also do tool clinics. Your tools need to be in top shape and razor sharp to make joinery easy. Each student will practice dovetailing before tackling the real thing, making a jewelry box. Frank will show students how to put on hinges, a lock, line it with padded velvet, and finish it to a jewel-like luster. There will be daily talks on woodworking in general. There will be demonstration on sharpening chisels, planes, scrapers, and the maintenance of edge tools. There will also be special demonstrations on hand dovetailing and finishing. By the end of the week, students will have a beautiful jewelry box and the confidence to tackle any project.
About the instructor:
Frank Klausz is a master cabinetmaker from Hungary. He has worked with wood for more than 50 years. He owns and operates a cabinet shop in New Jersey that specializes in fine furniture reproduction and custom architectural fixtures. Frank writes for a number of woodworking magazines and lectures throughout the country for woodworking shows, stores, guilds, and universities. He is featured in five instructional DVD's by the Taunton Press. Find out more about Frank at www.FrankKlausz.com.
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Build Christopher Schwarz's Holtzapffel 1875 Cabinetmaker's Workbench with Kelly Mehler
October 19-24 - FULL
Cost $950
Plus $1050 for all materials (including the vises!) and machining
Skill Level - Intermediate
Build a bench designed for a lifetime of cabinetmaking in this six-day class with Kelly Mehler. This is Christopher Schwarz's adaptation of the original which we made last school year. The class was a huge success and there were many requests to repeat it.
In this class, you'll build a modified version of the 19th century Holtzapffel workbench, a simple and stout bench that can hand more varied tasks than most modern benches. The Holtzapffel, which was featured on the cover of the Fall 2007 issue of Woodworking Magazine, features a twin-screw face vise that can handle a 24"-wide case side and an end vise for clamping individual boards and panels up to 24" x 60".
The original design has been modified for this class so that the bench can be disassembled for easy transport back to your shop or for standard shipping. But rest assured the modified design is as simple, stout and useful as the 132-year-old original.
The class will use a combination of both hand and power tools to build the bench – power tools to handle the rough work and hand tools for the fine details and critical joints. No particular expertise in hand tools is required.
The school will handle all of the wood selection and rough milling of the bench stock so that you'll be focusing on the joinery and assembly during the six days.
Please note that this class is physically demanding. Additionally we are not able to ship the completed bench.
Additional information on the vises and size for the bench are located in the "Participant Information" link below.
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Building a Bed with Kelly Mehler
November 2-7
Cost $790 - 1 space available Materials not included.
Skill Level - Intermediate
Building a Bed has been a highly requested class each season. In this class we will build a simple bed of your choosing. (The most popular bed has been the classic Pencil Post bed pictured.) We will collaborate on a design that can be constructed in the time available at the skill level you wish to work.
During this six day class you will learn traditional bed construction strategies that include:
- Making and joining a headboard and footboard.
- Choosing and fitting traditional bed hardware.
- Choosing and making the best joinery for a sturdy frame.
- Layout and efficient tapering of posts and construction of a tester (canopy)for Pencil Post beds (if chosen.)
Photo & bed by student Jerry Burroughs-2007
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Contact Kelly Mehler P.O. Box 786, Berea, KY 40403 phone (859) 986-5540 fax (859) 986-1233
email: kelly@kellymehler.com
© 2004 designed by Flying High Design.
