# Woodworking Classes and/or Schools You've Attended



## Paul (Mar 13, 2007)

I did a search of LJ and it looks like several of us have referred to woodworking classes we have taken. I thought it might be an interesting forum thread for us to share the classes we have taken, where the classes were conducted, the teachers, etc.

I've attended the Marc Adams Woodworking School in Franklin, IN for four different week-long classes with the professional artisans he invites to teach at the school. The facility is outstanding, comfortable and well equipped. An outstanding lunch is served and is included in the tuition. Marc is an enthusiastic educator and artisan. I highly recommend the school. There is a high alumni return rate and sometimes it's quite difficult to get into classes if you can't forecast your calendar 6 to 8 months in advance. A portion of the $ I "make" from woodworking doing this and that for others goes into a savings account in hopes of saving up enough for travel expenses, room/board and tuition for a class each year. I've learned a lot from books and trial and error, but there's nothing like watching and learning from a pro. www.marcadams.com

I've taken:

1. Handcut Dovetail Blanket Chest with Kelly Mehler (he has his own school now in Berea, KY)
2. Windsor Chair Building with David Wright (professional chair builder in Berea, KY - traditional green wood)
3. Veneering with Bill Hull
4. "Between the Centers" Turning with Alan Lacer

I'm on the waiting list to take a furniture design class with Graham Blackburn in September.


----------



## gizmodyne (Mar 15, 2007)

I attend Cerritos Community College's Woodworking Program

Great program: It's around $120 for a semester long class!

I have taken:
101: Intro to woodworking
102: Furniture Making: Tables
151: Cabinet Making
128L: Furniture Lab (Many times)

Plan to take:
Solid casegoods and finishing in the future.

Everyone should take a class. I was going to give up on woodworking after my first few disasters. I learn something every time!


----------



## ErikinColorado (Mar 20, 2007)

Hey Paul,

You mention David Wright in Berea, Ky…that's where Brian Boggs is, have you run into anything about his chairmaking?

Erik


----------



## Paul (Mar 13, 2007)

If I'm not mistaken. Brian Boggs has taught at Marc Adams, too. If you visit Berea, Boggs' shop is a stone throw away from the Visitor Information Center. I saw him from a distance once when I went to visit Berea, but I decided not to interupt him as he was working (the lady at the Vistor's Center suggested this). Several outstanding artisans live and work in and around Berea, KY. It's part of the culture of the community and Berea College that is located there, too.


----------



## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

Just a few Woodcraft classes for me. Hopefully one of these days I will get a chance to take the cabinet making class at the nearby JC or a woodturning series at the UC Davis extension.


----------



## Karson (May 9, 2006)

I wet to a class at Thadious Steven University In Penna. The instructor of the woodworking school is Steve Latta. He write a lot of articles and does Federal period Furniture. The class was Finishing and was taught by Jeff Jewitt


----------



## mot (May 8, 2007)

I took an introduction to turning class with my dad at Lee Valley. I was trying to get my dad into turning again. It didn't work. The snarky little Brit instructor took days off my life for everytime I wanted to strangle him for being somewhat less than helpful to my father. Otherwise, I'm the self DVD generation of woodworker. I like videos from Rob Cosman in particular, but have watched some stuff from our own furnitologist with great success.


----------



## Treefarmer (Mar 19, 2007)

I haven't taken a course since sixth grade wood shop…1/2 a day on Fridays…made my Mom a wishing well planter…....I don't think that counts though..hehe. Done LOTS of reading however.


----------



## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

I had two years of woodworking in 8th, & 9th grade. I've read a lot, & some of that, soaks in eventually.


----------



## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

I must be one of the DVD generation as well. I cannot remember taking any form of wood shop in school.


----------



## gizmodyne (Mar 15, 2007)

Bob…Oh yeah.. Sixth grade wood shop. I forgot about that. I made two skim boards. Good times.


----------



## Sawdust2 (Mar 18, 2007)

Me and my sixth grade shop teacher didn't get on too well. My Dad had a complete shop and I was already using the table saw and drill press and power sander. When I started to use the table saw the teacher hit the ceiling.
I made a corner shelf with a coping saw and some brads. Duh.

I took a week long course with Ian Kirby 30 years laterthat was memorable and I learned a lot Improved the skills I had figured out on my own.

I took a weeklong course with Paul Schurch for marquetry and learned a whole new, for me, area of woodworking.

I'm planning on taking a day course with Nick Cook to improve my turning skills.

And I am fortunate in having 6-7 friends who regularly come to my shop and we critique each other and work on group projects. We decided last week to make nesting tables and butler's tables for our next projects.
Unfortunately, it will require glue so it won't qualify for the summer contest.


----------



## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

I'm learning from the school of "LumberJocks.com".

I highly recommend it!! Many expert teachers with lots of knowledge, experience, and a whole bunch of patience!!


----------



## Treefarmer (Mar 19, 2007)

Best school out there Deb.


----------



## RonR (Jun 5, 2007)

I had one year of woodworking shop class in 8th or 9th grade. It took the whole year to make a magazine table that I gave to my Dad, I think for father's day or his birthday. We only had hand tools. He keep the table by his chair with a lamp and his newspapaers for the rest of his life! It wasn't much to look at but I guess he liked it. I don't know whatever became of that magazine table. My Dad passed away 20 years ago. I didn't do anything resembling woodworking until about 8 years ago when I build a stereo cabinet. That gave me the bug and I started watching Norm and David Marks and some other DIY programs, subscribe to all the WW mags, and WW Book Club, and have a large collection of books on WW, mostly from Taunton. I would like to take some formal classes someday but it'll probably not be until I retire from software engineering.


----------



## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

I wonder how many software professionals we have here. Quite a few. I've got a degree in Software Engineering as well.


----------



## cheller (Feb 24, 2007)

I am just old enough that I was not allowed to take woodshop in 7th and 8th grade. I had to take Home Ec and learn how to cook and sew, which I already knew how to do. I was in the first class in my high school where girls were allowed to take Mechanical Drawing. I could probably have taken a woodshop class in high school, but I didn't have time available in my schedule.

I've taken wood working classes at Woodcraft (couple hour sharpening), Massachusetts College of Art (3 credit hour), Boston Center for Adult Education, Brookline (Mass) Adult Education (Open Woodshop) and North Bennett Street School (Fundamentals of Fine Woodworking - highly recommended). I also took a bunch of other art classes (screen printing, ceramics, design, architecture) at Mass Art back when I worked there.


----------



## Aubster (May 16, 2007)

I have taken plenty of class at the OPPs, Darn It, and Shoot, School of Woodworking.


----------



## MikeLingenfelter (Feb 19, 2007)

I've only taken a few short workshops. I also watch DVDs and read a lot of books. I've been considering going to http://www.woodschool.org/ for their 2-week courses. Has anyone heard much about this school?


----------



## Greg3G (Mar 20, 2007)

I only had 4 yrs of woodshop in school as well as spending my summers working under my Grandfather. He probably taught me the most, from designing and building originals to how to fix other's mistakes and problems.


----------



## TimNuey (Jun 22, 2007)

I took woodshop in 7th grade. I remember the bandsaw blade snapped while I was making a cutting board. I got really nervous the teacher was gonna kill me, but he was nice about it. I don't even think I was missusing the tool. Must have been the guy before me!

Anyhow, I am interested in taking some serious wood courses. Does anybody know of some good long-term programs available? I'm thinking of something more than these weekend or 2-week workshops I see all around. Those seem good…however, I'm considering some more intense study. I would like to get some part time work for now. Maybe in a cabinet shop?


----------



## TimNuey (Jun 22, 2007)

I have decided to, as much as possible, submerse myself in woodworking. This past weekend, at The Sawdust Shop http://thesawdustshop.com/index.asp , in Sunnyvale, CA, I took a two evening, plus one full day course on the lathe. The course is Woodturning for Beginers and is taught by Gordon Rockhill. We covered spindle and bowl turning, tools, techniques, sharpening, and wood selection. There was also a short segment on cutting out bowl blanks on the bandsaw from raw timber. I recommend the instructor and the course. The cost was $285 and there were 5 people in the class. All tools were provided and each student had a 12" Jet lathe to there self. The picture in the link I provided shows the spindle forms I did, one being an exercise in coves, beads, and ogees, the other a candle stick, both made of Birch. The other in the forground, notice the frost, is a bowl made of ToroCarpus, a local Northern California tree. The frost on the bowl is because I am keeping the bowl in the freezer to the control the humidity as it cures. The bowl is only the rough shape and will have to be brought back to round after the wood dries and as most always, from what I've learned, warps, or turns oval.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/?saved=1


----------



## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

Thanks for sharing. I was not aware of the SawDustShop. I will have to check them out next time I am over in the bay area.

Looks like the bowls came out great.


----------

