Learning Series - Projects

Instructor - Craig Vandall Stevens 

• To be scheduled

About the Learning Series 

The Learning Series are ongoing, weekly classes designed to guide beginners through specific techniques and exercises, helping them build strong fundamental woodworking skills. Students will explore the tools, techniques and attitudes use to create fine, hand-made furniture and woodworking projects. The focus of these process-oriented classes is the development of skills, as they relate to hand, eye and workbench. The emphasis will be the sensitive use of hand tools combined with the proper and safe use of machines.

The Series has been created to help woodworkers develop safe, accurate and efficient woodworking techniques that lead to successful results and minimize many of the frustrations that occur when learning on their own. Upon completion of the first course, Learning Series 1 - Basics, a followup course, Learning Series 2 - Beyond Basics will begin. Learning Series 2 picks up where the first course left off and continues adding techniques and skills to student’s repertoire. Learning Series 3 is a projects based course where students will apply what they’ve learned to a furniture project.

Learning Series 3 - Projects

In Learning Series 1, students learned important base skills, techniques and vocabulary as they got their start building an excellent woodworking background. Learning Series 2 - Beyond Basics added new techniques and reinforcing those already practiced in the first course.

Learning Series 3 - Projects continues adding new techniques and challenges to student’s broadening skills by adding a project to the mix. The goals for the course are to continue building on participant’s base of knowledge while developing good workflows and strategies that build accuracy into projects and minimize set-backs. Participants will choose to design and make a simple, solid wood piece of furniture such as a small dovetailed bench with through mortise and tenon stretchers or a small side table with mortise and tenon joinery. Specific techniques and skills include;

- variations on the standard mortise and tenon

- tool making

- small hammer

- square

- knife w/wooden handle

- develop basic drawing skills and learn to explore ideas on paper

- make a full-size mockup of the project to determine proportions and aesthetics

- the careful selection of lumber is revisited with particular attention to the use of wood grain as it affects the balance and aesthetics of the project

- joinery layout strategies to assure square, accurate results

- continue exploring adhesives and methods for assuring successful glue ups

- hand-planed surfaces

- finishing techniques including shellac and oil

As always with the Learning Series classes, the direction of the course is somewhat directed by student input and interest. Additional topics and techniques are often added as the course progresses.

Practice materials and supplies are included in the class fee. Lumber for mockups and projects are available for purchase from PFW. Students provide their own lunch.

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