Come into the woods...           ...experience woodworking

Click on the Workshop Title to access the Description:    Woodworking Foundations with Tom McLaughlin    Carving a Ball and Claw Foot with Clive Hamilton    Joinery Essentials with Tom McLaughlin    Woodturning Part 1: Spindle Turning Basics with Jon Siegel    Woodturning Part 2: Bowl Turning Basics with Dick Batchelder    Veneering Simplified with Terry Moore    Woodfinishing Overview with Tom McLaughlin    Furniture Design Meets a Three-legged Stool with David Lamb    Traditional Dovetailing with Terry Moore    Curved Laminating and a Bow Front Table with Tom McLaughlin    French Polishing with R. Mark Adams    Making a Classic Shaker Rocking Chair with Peter Hindle    Mastering Handplanes with Garrett Hack    Traditional Techniques and a Queen Anne Footstool    Chairmaking Fundamentals with Tom McLaughlin
Woodworking Foundations During this comprehensive 6-day class, you will gain the essential knowledge base for doing great work. The week is full of the methods, approaches, and techniques you need to build a solid, foundational start in fine woodworking. As an added bonus, these core skills will be acquired as you make a classic Shaker style end table that is yours to take home at the end of the class. Those with previous experience, as well as beginners, have raved about this course, noting how much this week added to their woodworking understanding, enjoyment and skills. Topics include: - Safe and effective machine use - Design considerations - Selecting and buying wood - Mortise and tenon joinery - Effective table saw jigs - Sharpening, using Handplanes and chisels - Layout and handcut dovetails - Dovetailing a drawer to fit an opening - Sharpening and using a cabinet scraper - Applying a beautiful finish - Table Dimensions: 21"W x 18"D x 27"H Instructor:    Tom McLaughlin Dates:           May 15-20 (M-S) or July 17-22 (M-S) Tuition:          $775, plus $165 materials fee Class limit:     9      Check status:   May  July
Carving a Ball and Claw Foot Nothing enlivens and adds interest to a piece of furniture quite like the art of carving. Throughout history, there is probably no more recognizable carved design than the ball and claw foot. In this 3-day beginner to intermediate level class, Clive will show you, step by step, how easy it can be to carve this classic design from a block of mahogany. Like a knife through butter, you will surely be inspired watching Clive as he demonstrates the ease and speed of a master wood carver. His infectious enthusiasm evidences he would love nothing more than to see you excel as a wood carver. Additionally, you will learn how to carve a shell on the knee of a cabriole leg, and as time permits, leaf carving techniques as well. You will of course have your work samples to take home with you when you are finished. Regarding tools for this session: If you have your own chisels, please bring them with you. If not, chisel sets will be available for you to use, or you may purchase a set upon your arrival with prior arrangement. Topics include: - Creating great patterns - Bandsawing, spokeshaving, and shaping the cabriole leg - Sharpening your carving chisels to a razor edge - Choosing the best carving chisel for each situation - Understanding wood grain and its effects - Learning and practicing great carving technique Instructor:    Clive Hamilton Dates:           Aug. 2-4 (W-F) Tuition:          $395, plus $45 materials fee Class limit:     9      Check status:  August
Joinery Essentials Fine Woodworking, simply stated, is the ability to put wood together well, and this "putting together" of wood, the study of joinery, is the difference maker. How well you do with this topic determines the level of distinction and integrity your work will reach. This class will cover all aspects of joinery, answering the fundamental questions. With over forty years combined experience designing and making custom fine furniture, Tom and Terry will guide you through the tried and true approaches, methods, and techniques to making great joinery. Some of the joints covered will be: through, half-blind, sliding and lap dovetails; standard, through, angled, pegged, and wedged mortise and tenons; bridal joints, scarf joints, decorative and specialty joints. By the end of the class, you will have a box full of joinery samples, essential skills, and great memories to take home with you. This will be a very popular class, so sign up early. Topics include: - Fundamental joinery terms - Choosing the optimum joinery for the job - Laying out and marking out, tools and techniques - Effectively using a marking gauge - Sharpening and tuning joinery tools - Cutting and fitting precisely - Selecting and using adhesives Instructors:    Tom McLaughlin and Terry Moore Dates:           June 5-9 (M-F) or Aug. 28-Sept. 1 (M-F) Tuition:          $675, plus $60 materials fee Class limit:     9      Check status:   June  August
Woodturning Part 1: Spindle Turning Basics You can read all the woodturning books you can find, but there is no substitute to seeing how it's done with your own eyes. In his articulate and passionate style, Jon will share the techniques of a master turner. This 3-day course, designed for beginners and intermediates, will focus on developing the core skills required for spindle turning (turning between centers). These techniques are essential to making furniture parts, and countless useful and decorative items. Class time will be organized around demonstrations, skills building exercises, and completion of projects such as a carvers mallet and kitchen tools, that you can proudly take home and use. Topics include: - The lathe: history, parts, adjustments, and safety - Sharpening turning chisels efficiently - Mounting the workpiece on the lathe - Proper use of the various chisels - Practice exercises with gouge and skew chisels - Design of turnings - Duplication methods Combine this with Woodturning Part 2 and save $50! Regarding tools for this session: If you have your own chisels, please bring them with you. If not, chisel sets will be available for you to use, or you may purchase a set upon your arrival with prior arrangement. Instructor:    Jon Siegel Dates:           June 12-14 (M-W) or Sept. 25-27 (M-W) Tuition:          $395, plus $45 materials fee Class limit:     9      Check status:   June  Sept.
Woodturning Part 2: Bowl Turning Basics Few aspects of woodworking are so satisfying and immediately rewarding as the art of bowl turning. Like the potter at the potter's wheel, Dick will demonstrate the similar pleasures to be found in this craft. In this 3-day course, you will then enjoy lots of time developing your skills at your own turning station. In addition to demonstrations, Dick will thoroughly explain the various techniques essential to great bowl turning. Before you know it, you will be well on your way to turning beautiful bowls yourself. Projects include turning a green wood salad bowl blank, natural edge bowls, platters, lidded vessels, and goblets, as time permits Topics include: - Material selection, green vs. dried stock - Bowl design - Sharpening bowl turning chisels - Grain orientation - Working directly from the log - Finishing options Combine this with Woodturning Part 1 and save $50! Regarding tools for this session: If you have your own chisels, please bring them with you. If not, chisel sets will be available for you to use, or you may purchase a set upon your arrival with prior arrangement. Instructor:    Dick Batchelder Dates:           June 15-17 (R-S) or Sept. 28-30 (R-S) Tuition:          $395, plus $65 materials fee Class limit:     9      Check status:   June  Sept.
Veneering Simplified After five full days with veneering expert Terry Moore, a whole new world of artistry and craftsmanship will be opened to you. Some of the most incredible furniture made throughout history was made using veneers. Unknown to most, the finest figured lumber, burls and crotches, bypass the lumberyards and are sent straight to veneer mills. These beautiful materials are only available to those who know how to use them. In this class, Terry will guide you through time-tested techniques to using veneers effectively. You will enjoy lots of hands-on practice as you decoratively veneer three small table tops, in book matched, sunburst, and chessboard patterns. As an added bonus, they are yours to take home at the end of the class. Topics include: - Purchasing, handling, and flattening veneer - Essential veneering tools - Cutting, matching, and taping techniques - Designing and laying out classic patterns - Choosing the best adhesive - Using a vacuum press - Correcting mistakes and unexpected problems - Border, edge band, and inlay techniques Instructors:    Terry Moore Dates:           June 19-23 (M-F) or Oct. 30-Nov. 3* (M-F) Tuition:          $675, plus $75 materials fee Class limit:     9      Check status:   June  October
Woodfinishing Overview For too long, wood finishing has needlessly remained a mystery to too many. In this one-day, concentrated class, Tom will break it all down into understandable components. You will end up with an thorough overview and knowledge base to more confidently and consistently achieve great finishes. The day will be chock full of explanations, demonstrations, question and answer sessions, and hands-on opportunities. As an added bonus, Tom will share his favorite finishing processes and techniques, which he has applied successfully on fine furniture over his years as a custom furniture maker. Topics include: - Surface preparation - Understanding and applying wood stains and dyes - Oil finishes, use and application - Understanding and applying shellac and lacquer - Approaches to achieve special effects: filler, glazes,   tints, and toners - Techniques to rubbing out a finish Instructor:    Tom McLaughlin Dates:           July 1 (S) or September 16 (S) Tuition:          $135, plus $60 materials fee Class limit:     10      Check status:   July  September
Furniture Design Meets a Three-legged Stool Step into David Lamb's shop and one of the first things you notice by the workbench is a ruggedly handsome, yet exquisite, three legged shop stool. Best known for his impeccable interpretations of traditional designs, David appreciates the simple elegance of this Windsor inspired stool because it offers a window into the larger world of furniture design. In this beginner to intermediate class, David will guide you through the process of making your own classic shop stool with a walnut seat and white oak legs and stretchers. Along the way, he will reveal important principles of great furniture design through slide presentations and examples from personal experience. And as a special treat, this class will include a brief field trip and personal tour of David's shop just one mile away. Topics include: - Furniture design considerations - Rough spindle turning on a lathe - Using a spokeshave to best effect - Assembly jigs and techniques - Sculpting the walnut seat - Using classic hand tools and handheld power tools - Finishing options Instructor:    David Lamb Dates:           July 6-8 (R-S) Tuition:          $395, plus $85 materials fee Class limit:     9      Check status:   July
Traditional Dovetailing Dovetail joinery adds a distinctive mark of integrity and quality to a piece of furniture. Handcut dovetails are the sign of true craftsmanship. Known for his exquisite dovetailing and extraordinary drawer making skills, Terry will guide you through the process and techniques required to cut beautiful dovetails. All kinds of dovetailing will be covered in this three-day class intensive. By the end, you will have a bag full of samples for future reference and inspiration. This course is among our most popular so sign up early. Topics include: - Selecting the right dovetail type for each situation - Sizing, laying out, and marking out dovetails - Cutting and fitting "through" and "half-blind" dovetails - Cutting and fitting "lap" and "sliding" and decorative dovetails - Dovetailing a case or "carcass" - Tuning and using a handplane, dovetail saw, and chisels - Dovetailing a drawer and sizing to perfectly fit an opening Instructors:    Terry Moore Dates:             July 26-28 (W-F) Tuition:            $395, plus $50 materials fee Class limit:       9      Check status:   July
Curved Laminating and a Bow Front Table It is amazing how much visual interest and value is increased when curves are added to a furniture design. The Shaker style bow front table that is the focus of this course, exemplifies a curve's pleasing effect. But if you've ever tried, you know that making a curve is easier said than done. During the four full days of this class, Tom will remove the mystery behind curved work, and set you on your way to begin confidently adding beautiful curved features to your own furniture designs. And by the time the class ends, you will have made your own table to take with you, to admire and enjoy at home. Topics include: - Design considerations - Tapering legs using machine and hand tools - Mortise and tenon joinery - Splined and glue blocked joinery - Different approaches to making curves - Designing and making curved forms - Lamination techniques - Vacuum pressing - Finishing solutions - Table Dimensions: 17 ½"D x 38 ½W x 28"H Instructor:    Tom McLaughlin Dates:           Aug. 8-11 (T-F) Tuition:          $525, plus $145 materials fee Class limit:     9      Check status:   August
French Polishing French Polish, a traditional shellac based "spirit varnish", is arguably the finest finish ever devised. However, the process of achieving this incredible finish has remained elusive to even the most accomplished craftsman. In this two-day immersion into this art, French Polishing expert and conservator R. Mark Adams will, in a step by step manner, dispel the mysteries behind this exceptional finishing technique. The class will include plenty of hands-on opportunities for you to practice on your own sample boards and develop your French Polishing techniques while at your personal bench space. You won't believe the finish you can achieve with only hand methods, and by class end, you will have spectacular samples to take home for both inspiration and use as a reference resource in the future. Topics include: - Brief overview of traditional French Polishing - Surface preparation - Essential French Polishing supplies - The French Polishing process: Fadding, Filling,    Bodying, Stiffing, and Spiriting off - Special French Polishing situations - Correcting French Polishing defects Instructor:    R. Mark Adams Dates:           Aug. 25-26 (F-S) Tuition:          $275, plus $75 materials fee Class limit:     9      Check status:   August
Making a Classic Shaker Rocking Chair Patterned in the style of the Shaker #6, this classic rocker is sure to be a family favorite for generations, whether rocking a newborn or relaxing in front of the fireplace. In this 4-day beginner to intermediate level class, participants will make the solid cherry frame for this Shaker rocker using both hand and power tools, including Peter's ingenious rotary handplanes which allow the rounded chair parts to be made without the use of a lathe. The chairs will be glued up and sanded as time permits. The finish and Shaker tape will be applied at home (each student will receive measured drawings and detailed steps). Topics include: - Design considerations - Steam bending techniques - Creating and using clever jigs on the drill press - Rounding square stock using rotary planes - Sawing and fitting the "bridle" joints over the rockers - Assembly processes - Finishing techniques - How to weave the Shaker taped seat and back Instructor:    Peter Hindle Dates:           Sept. 20-23 (W-S) Tuition:          $545, plus $75* materials fee Class limit:     9      Check status:   September *Note: includes solid cherry required but not Shaker tape or finish. The 65 yards of Shaker tape needed may be purchased from McLaughlin Woods upon arrival with prior arrangement and color selection for $TBA, as well as the finish for an additional $10.
Mastering Handplanes in the Workshop No hand tools are more important or efficient than planes. The incredible variety available - antique or new - allow you to shave surfaces so polished they shine, cut precise joints, or shape decorative moldings. But to use planes successfully, you must first understand what the many types are designed to do, and then learn to tune them to work effectively. With Garrett's expert guidance, you won't believe how much this two-day class will elevate the quality and enjoyment of your craftsmanship. And you will get lots of opportunities to practice these principles and techniques throughout your time, at your personal bench space. Topics include: - Tuning and adjusting the common Stanley/Bailey cast    iron bench plane - Tuning and adjusting block planes, spokeshaves, and scrapers - Sharpening and replacement iron options - Planing techniques including: flattening and smoothing    a surface; shooting two board edges prior to gluing;    cutting simple moldings, bevels, and chamfers; smoothing    a curved surface with a spokeshave - Buying new and hunting used planes - The most important planes to own Instructor:    Garrett Hack Dates:           Oct. 6-7 (F-S) Tuition:          $265, plus $35 materials fee Class limit:     12      Check status:   October
Traditional Techniques and a Queen Anne Footstool There is perhaps no better way to begin to learn fine craftsmanship than to reproduce classically styled furniture. And the golden age of furniture, the eighteenth century, is the best place to start. In the 5 full days of this class, Tom will take you through the same processes and techniques he learned during his apprenticeship years with master craftsman and traditional furniture specialist, P.A. Moore. These classic methods will be learned, and best understood, as you are guided through the making of your own beautiful Queen Anne footstool. There will be plenty of enjoyable handwork throughout this course that will only add to your satisfaction and confidence upon its completion. (Note: if you have the ability to carve them, you may substitute ball and claw legs for the Queen Anne leg. However, due to the longer time required to carve the ball and claw, if you choose this option, you may have to assemble your footstool at home) Topics include: - Design presentation with emphasis on 18th century - Creating full-size drawings - Making a cabriole leg pattern - Mortise and tenon joinery - Woodturning demonstration for the pad foot - Sawing and shaping the cabriole leg - Sharpening and using a cabinet scrapers and hand planes - Spokeshave, rasping, and scraping techniques - Making a custom fit, upholstered frame - Finishing approaches - Footstool Dimensions: 20"W x 17"D x 16½"H Instructor:    Tom McLaughlin Dates:           Oct. 9-13 (M-F) Tuition:          $675, plus $135 materials fee Class limit:     9      Check status:   October
Chairmaking Fundamentals Chairs have a very unique place in the world of furniture making. They are the only furniture type that is both admired and, in a sense, "worn" like clothing by a person. With all those compound angles and curved parts, it is no wonder the prospect of making a chair is intimidating to most woodworkers, but it need not be that way. In the five full days of this course, Tom will break the approach and process of chairmaking into understandable pieces, while focusing on the study of classic, mortise and tenoned, traditional chair design. As a bonus, you will apply your new knowledge and skills by making your own Chippendale style side chair. As time permits, the chair will be assembled in class and completed at home. This will likely be the most rewarding project you will have undertaken and conquered. Topics include: - Design considerations, for comfort and style - Drawing techniques - Making good patterns you can use - Mortise and tenon joinery - Simplifying compound joinery - Clever table saw jigs - Hand tool skills to add detail and value - Upholstery options - Finishing approaches Instructor:    Tom McLaughlin Dates:           Oct. 23-27 (M-F) Tuition:          $675, plus $120 materials fee Class limit:     9      Check status:   October