Friday, June 19, 2009
Another Fiske Fund Opportunity
BUILD A TAPERED LEG TABLE
with Garrett Hack
When: October 23, 24 & 25, 2009
Where: At Thetford Academy's shop,
Where: At Thetford Academy's shop,
Thetford, Vt.
The tables we'll build — small side tables with a lot of personality — are great places to explore table design and construction, and to use many hand tools skills. The building process includes producing a full scale drawing for your table, making a pattern to shape the legs (which later becomes a story stick to aid layout of the joinery and details), cutting and fitting angled mortise and tenon joints for splayed legs, shaping the top and detailing the edges, and a whole array of decorative possibilities such as inlay, beads, and chamfers. We'll work with some machines, and a whole range of planes such as smoothing planes and shoulder planes to fit the joints, and even some small tools we'll make for the details. If there is time, we could talk about adding a drawer to your table, and what's involved in building it.
As many times as I've made this table, it's still rich with new design challenges and opportunities. It's fun, it's quick, and it will easily become a favorite table.
$340 materials not included
Please pass this information on to others who might be interested. Thanks.
Questions & Registration Information contact: abundance.farm@valley.net
For Fiske Fund Grant info contact: TTomosborne@aol.com
Monday, May 25, 2009
In Memorium
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Workshop Scholarships for Historic Timber Frame Construction & Restoration
Mount Lebanon Shaker Village, NY
August 3-13, 2009
Full-tuition scholarships (valued at $1,100 each) are available for a two-week workshop to be held at Mount Lebanon Shaker Village, a National Historic Landmark in New Lebanon, New York. The scholarships are offered by the Shaker Museum and Library in conjunction with the World Monuments Fund. The workshop will be under the direction of the North Bennet Street School, Boston.
Workshop participants will construct a new timber frame structure using traditional techniques and tools and will participate in the restoration and repair of the wooden members of the 1829 Brethren's Workshop, the oldest structure remaining at the North Family.
North Bennet Street School, founded in 1885, offers one of the nation's most respected programs in preservation carpentry. Participants will receive a certificate of completion from the school.
Scholarship applications are due by May 8. For application, selection criteria, and further information, visit: www.shakermuseumandlibrary.org
or contact
David Stocks
Shaker Museum and Library
518-794-9100 x 218
Friday, April 17, 2009
Two New Fiske Fund Opportunities
Jim Tolpin will be presenting 2 hand tool based workshops at the Wooden Boat School in Brooklin, Maine this July. Both sessions may be eligible for tuition assistance through NWA's Fiske Education Fund.
The first session "Hand Tool Heaven" will be held on Sunday, July 12th through Saturday, July 18th. Will cover basic and some advanced handtool techniques. Through a series of discussions, demonstrations and hands-on exercises, participants will become aquainted with the versatility and accuracy that hand tools can add to their woodworking. You'll leave with the confidence and skills needed to effectively select, maintain and incorporate hand tools into your woodshop routine.
On Sunday, July 19th through Saturday, July 25th Jim will offer up "The Joy of Woodworking". This session put your hand tool skills to work in building a small toolbox. Surface preparation, cutting and smoothing curves & hand cut dovetails are just a few of the techniques you'll put to use in this enjoyable and useful project. Jim has prepared two different designs in order to allow each individual to challenge their personal skill set.
Full course descriptions, pricing and registration information are available on the schools website at http://www.thewoodenboatschool.com/courses-glance.php
For information on the Fiske Education Fund and grant application requirements contact :
Tom Osborne at TTomosborne@AOL.com
Mid-July on the Maine shore enjoying sea breezes and crashing waves along with the scent of freshly worked lumber and the "swoosh" of a finely tuned handplane...it just doesn't get much better than that!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Mid- Hudson Woodworkers Annual Banquet
Have you seen this man?Dateline: Hurley, NY
This just in...
A warrant has been issued to locate and applaud one Chuck Walker (AKA the Missouri Mule) on the charge of contributions above & beyond the call and conduct epitomizing a woodworker of the first degree.
Mr. Walker's trial by his peers is scheduled to convene at 6:00 PM on Friday, April 24, 2009 at the Twin Lakes Resort in Hurley (just off the Kingston exit of the NYS Thruway) under the auspices of the NWA Mid-Hudson Woodworkers annual banquet. The evening's diversions will also include cash bar, dinner, prizes, raffles and plenty of good conversation. The cost of admission is $27 per person. All NWA associates are welcome.
To apply for jury selection, or to reserve your seat in the gallery contact:
Joe Kennedy at: JKenn23333@aol.com
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Psst...Showcase is coming, Pass it on
NWA's 18th annual fine woodworking Showcase will return to the Saratoga Springs City Center on Saturday & Sunday, March 28 & 29, 2009. Along with amazing displays of finely crafted furniture and accent pieces to admire, there will be all the latest and greatest in woodworking tools, machinery & materials available for inspection and / or purchase. Continuous demonstrations of woodturning, scroll sawing, wood carving, basic woodshop techniques, chainsaw sculpture and a working sawmill are sure to pique your interest. Some distant cousins of Santa's elves are bound to draw wide-eyed stares as they keep the toy factory humming to produce race cars and a few surprises for the youngsters, and a panel of accomplished craftspeople will be on hand to provide advice and guidance in response to your woodworking questions. Raffles and prize drawings will help round out the event. There's even a series of instructive seminars (48 sessions in all!) which are included in the $8.00 price of admission. The program of seminars is available online at http://www.nwawoodworkingshow.org/index.php.
The doors are open from 10 AM to 5 PM both days, so call a friend, shake off old man winter and gather some inspiration for a special project of your own.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Fiske Fund Opportunity
Garrett Hack will be holding a class on constructing a Demilune table at the Shelburne, Vt. Arts Center in March 2009. Garrett's synopsis of the class is listed below. Shelburne is an easy drive from the Capital District, and provides a good opportunity to improve your skills while exploring this versatile form. Part of the cost may be eligible for re-imbursement through a Fiske Education Fund grant.
DEMILUNE TABLE PROJECT
Of all of the tables I have built over the years this petite demilune or half elliptical design is one I return to again and again. It’s an elegant and very classy table rich with decorative possibilities and well suited to many uses. It’s also an excellent project to explore design, laminating to create curved parts, cutting angled joints, and using a variety of hand tools to size, smooth, and fit parts.
As a class we will build the same table, with small variations possible
in size and detail. We'll start by designing the curve of the apron, the taper and size of the legs, the joinery, the top overhang and details, and how everything fits together. Construction from there involves some machine setups, from cutting a set of legs to a pattern off the bandsaw to resawing laminations and cutting mortises. Then it will be careful work with planes and chisels refining parts, fitting joinery, smoothing surfaces to a polish, and trying your hand at some string inlay or other decorative details.
The focus might be building an elegant table, but what you will walk away with will be more confidence as a furniture designer, better hand skills, and more insight into the balance between machines and hand tools in working efficiently and accurately.
Garrett
For further details and class registration information go to http://www.shelburneartcenter.org/classes.html
For Fiske Education Fund information go to http://www.woodworker.org/
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Shaker Boxes at the Meeting House
Instructor: John Wilson
Date(s): Choice of two sessions
Thur. Mar. 12, from 7 PM to 9:30 PM and
Fri. Mar.13, from 8 AM to 4 PM
OR
Fri. Mar 13 from 7 PM to 9:30 PM and
Sat. Mar. 14 from 8 AM to 4 PM
Location: The Shaker Meeting House
Cost: $125 all materials included
Perhaps the single most recognizable artifact of Shaker life may be the classic oval box. Its simplicity of form, economy of materials and utility of function immediately says "Shaker" to even the most casual of observers. By the same token, no craftsman today embodies boxmaking in the Shaker tradition more than John Wilson. John's unique blend of experience as a woodworker, teacher and social anthropologist has led to him being referred to as "the Johnny Appleseed of Shaker Boxes". He frequently writes for Popular Woodworking and Fine Woodworking magazines and travels the country presenting workshops on Shaker Boxes. His business The Home Shop in Charlotte, Michigan offers classes on boxmaking and other traditional woodcrafts and is the primary supplier of materials to the boxmaking trade.
These classes mark the first co-operative effort between NWA and the Shaker Heritage Society and all sessions will be held in the 1848 Shaker Meeting House. The workshop gives the participants hands-on experience in making a nesting set of five oval boxes in cherry. Fee includes all materials, use of tools and an instructional booklet. The class is intended for both new and experienced woodworkers. John will also provide background commentary on Shaker life and craftsmanship.
Making Shaker Boxes at the first Shaker community in America...now what could be more natural than that? Don't miss this special opportunity to experience this time honored craft first hand and bring the spirit of the Shakers to life in this historic setting.
For further information and reservations contact: Gerry O'Brien at go12211@yahoo.com
