Take a deeper dive into Japanese hand planes!  Many of you have taken Andrew’s Japanese Hand Planes class in which we each took a new Japanese smoothing plane (Kana), tuned it up, fitted and sharpened the iron, and went from nothing to making beautiful shavings. Well, this is the next course to take your plane to a new level! You don’t have to have taken Andrew’s previous classes to take this one, but you do need to have a Japanese hand plane of your own that has already been taken through the original steps of setup.  (If you have any doubt then please contact Andrew directly at Andrew@andrewhunterart.com.)

 In this two-day class Andrew will first work with students individually to assess their planes and offer suggestions on how to get them working better.  He will then guide students through the process of setting up the chip breaker.  Getting a chip breaker to work properly can be a bit tricky, but when it’s working just right it makes all the difference!  Students will learn to effectively put their planes to use by pulling shavings with the whole body and not just with their arms. We will each spend some time learning to dimension lumber entirely by hand. Remember: the Japanese Kana, like a Western hand plane, is not just limited to surfacing but also excels at precisely fitting parts; two thousandth of an inch at a time!

In this course, you will learn the important concepts of building rockers and how to build quality furniture safely and efficiently. You will also learn how to use a wide variety of power tools, perform complicated joinery, and build a piece of furniture successfully.

We will dive into this class learning techniques to design and build furniture that is curved and has compound angles. Students will learn and be comfortable using a horizontal mortiser. They will also be introduced to the business aspects of building furniture.

Learning objectives:

1. Joinery at complex angles
2. Techniques of chair building
3. The angles and designs that make chairs comfortable

Class price: $1100

Materials fee: $200

Class size limited to 10

In this class, students will create a small kitchen utility knife. Starting with a section of flat 1080 steel bar, the class will cover forging, grinding, heat treatment, handle fitment and finishing techniques. Students will leave with a finished, full-tang blade, ready to prep a meal. There will be opportunities for additional forging as time allows.

This class is physically (and often mentally) demanding, and the student is encouraged to be familiar with the blacksmithing or metalworking environment.

Beginner blacksmithing experience is strongly recommended but not required.

Must bring:

1. Work boots/shoes. No sneakers
2. Long pants, no shorts
3. Clothing must be cotton/denim/wool, no synthetics
4. Comfortable safety glasses
5. Notepad
6. Water bottle

Class size is limited to 6

Class fee: $450

Materials fee: $25

Wendell Castle changed furniture history when he incorporated stack lamination techniques into his work. This allowed him to move away from “stick build” to more fluid pieces. This course will take you through the entire stack lamination process but will focus on the fabrication and carving steps. (The companion, 2-day, course will focus on the design front-end.) Each student will choose one of four designs to build or they can build what they designed if they took the preceding 2-day course, Design Techniques and Tools for Stack Lamination. Designs should be limited to a 12″x12″x24″ envelope in order to finish the glue-up and carving within 5 days.. Templates of your chosen design will be provided to you. You’ll then trace the template on prepared stock, cut it out on a bandsaw, glue-up the laminations, and carve. We’ll progress through various power carving tools starting with an electric chainsaw and/or an angle grinder. We’ll then finish with hand tools. Instructor Taeyoul (Terry) Ryu was a longtime employee of Wendell’s and is a master of the stack lamination technique. There will also be at least one full-time assistant instructor. Class size is limited to 8 to ensure plenty of individualized attention.

Read about Castle’s pioneering techniques in this Fine Woodworking article, originally published in 1976.

Class fee: $850

Materials: $100

Class size limited to 8

Wendell Castle changed furniture history when he incorporated stack lamination techniques into his work. This allowed him to move away from “stick build” to more fluid pieces. This course will take you through the entire stack lamination process but will focus on the design and digital template creation front end. (The companion 5-day course will focus on the fabrication and carving processes.) Each student will create their own design. The process steps we will go through in class is as follows:

1. Sketch
2. Carve in foam or clay
3. 3D scan
4. Clean up model and manipulate
5. Digitally slice the model and to automatically create templates

Students will need to bring their computers for steps 4 and 5. Instructor Taeyoul (Terry) Ryu was a longtime employee of Wendell’s and is a master of the stack lamination technique. There will also be at least one full-time assistant instructor. Class size is limited to 10 students.

Read about Castle’s pioneering techniques in this Fine Woodworking article, originally published in 1976.

Class fee: $350

Class size limited to 10

Learn to build a contemporary side table that looks complex but is quite straightforward once you know its secrets. The base is assembled using five mortise and tenon joints, so it is as sturdy as it is attractive. Tim will show you how to use files, rasps and scrapers to create the sculptural shape for the feet and will show you how to make a tabletop using his unique approach to veneering onto solid wood. This technique allows you to dress up a surface with a decorative surface veneer while still being able to profile the edge as you would solid wood.

This project is a great way to learn:

1. Design considerations for a pedestal table
2. How to read the grain of the wood when selecting parts
3. Making mortises with a hollow chisel mortiser
4. Cutting tenons using the table saw
5. How to make custom clamping blocks
6. Devising strategies for tricky glue ups
7. How to apply a shellac finish

Class fee: $550

Materials fee: $50

Class size limited to 10

In this class, students will be able to create their very own Spiral Sprout Box! This octagonal, lidded box is topped with a bundle of bentwood spirals. During the class we will cover box design and function, joinery (with geometry—it’s fun, I promise), making a captured panel bottom and lid, wood bending using a hot pipe, creating a tiny wedged tenon, and fine tuning the fit of a split-lid box. This small project is packed with an array of techniques and fun details to make it your own!

In this weeklong class, we will dive into cabinetmaking and demystifying tambour doors. Students will learn the specific techniques necessary for designing a cabinet with tambourdoors. We will tackle carcase joinery, create the tambour track, assemble and tenon solid woodtambour door, make jigs, install interior walls and drawers to allow for storage, and learn tactics necessary to make it all come together. Each student will craft their own wall-hanging cabinet ready to store tea (or anything else)! This class will be jam-packed with strategies and tricks so you can include these satisfying sliding doors into your future projects.

In this hands-on workshop, students will create their own metal flower sculpture—either by following a provided example or bringing their own design to life. The class begins with an introduction to MIG welding and mild steel, followed by demonstrations in cold forming techniques using various shaping and cutting tools. Students will start by sketching their ideas, using an example for inspiration or developing a unique design. They’ll then cut, shape, and weld their pieces, learning essential metalworking skills throughout the process.

By the end of the session, each student will leave with a finished metal sculpture they can proudly display. This workshop is ideal for beginners as well as those with some metalworking experience, providing practical skills and a strong foundation in working with steel.

Students should bring:

1. Leather boots or heavy sneakers/hiking shoes. No mesh or open toed shoes.
2. Cotton pants and cotton long sleeve shirts. No shorts or short sleeves.
3. Drinking bottle
4. Notepad and pencil
5. Leather work gloves
6. Material to pack up your project

Class size limited to 6.

In this class, students will create a small kitchen utility knife. Starting with a section of flat 1080 steel bar, the class will cover forging, grinding, heat treatment, handle fitment and finishing techniques. Students will leave with a finished, full-tang blade, ready to prep a meal. There will be opportunities for additional forging as time allows.

This class is physically (and often mentally) demanding, and the student is encouraged to be familiar with the blacksmithing or metalworking environment.

Beginner blacksmithing experience is strongly recommended but not required.

Must bring:

1. Work boots/shoes. No sneakers
2. Long pants, no shorts
3. Clothing must be cotton/denim/wool, no synthetics
4. Comfortable safety glasses
5. Notepad
6. Water bottle

Class size is limited to 6

Class fee: $450

Materials fee: $25