Learning Series 1 - Basics
Learning Series 1 - Basics
Instructor - Craig Vandall Stevens
We’ll be scheduling Learning Series again in the future
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. Learning Series 2 - Beyond Basics and Learning Series 3 - Projects, will follow the. Learning Series 2 picks up where the first course leaves off, and continues to add techniques and skills to student’s repertoire. Learning Series 3 will be a project-style course where students will apply what they’ve learned to a furniture project.
This course, Learning Series 1 - Basics, is intended for students new to woodworking as well as those who have some experience, but want to develop a very strong foundation in the skills and methods needed to become a skilled craftsman. Through weekly lectures, demonstrations and hands-on work, participants will learn and practice traditional techniques essential to high-quality furniture making and explore important woodworking information such as;
- the vocabulary of woodworking
- understanding, identifying and selecting wood
- sharpening plane blades, chisels, knives and scrapers
- understanding and using essential cabinetmaking hand tools, such as planes (western and wooden planes), chisels, card scrapers, layout tools, saws, etc.
- using machines and accurately milling lumber
- mortise and tenon
- through dovetails
Upon completion of the course, students will;
- understand the basic vocabulary of woodworking
- have a deeper understanding of wood, how it behaves, purchasing and selecting grain for projects
- be able to sharpen plane blades, chisels, knives and scrapers
- understand how to set up and use a hand plane
- have a better sense of using tools and which ones to buy
- know how to use machines safely and mill wood to accurate dimensions
- have created mortise and tenon joinery exercises
- have completed through dovetail joinery
Cost includes all materials. Participants bring their own lunch