WOODWORKING CLASSES

Fundamentals of Woodworking
Entry-level
This two-day introduction to tools and techniques is a great class to begin your woodworking experience. You'll learn the basics of wood technology, what tools to use and how to use and care for them. Bring a notebook and comfortable shoes, as this is a fast paced, hands-on overview.

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Beginning Woodworking
Entry-level
In this class, you will learn how to use traditional and modern hand and power tools safely and effectively. Class assignments introduce basic concepts and techniques, and you'll learn the skills needed for many woodworking projects, such as how to mill boards to make them perfectly straight and flat, how to create strong, attractive joints to connect two pieces of wood, and how to glue boards together to make a panel. All tools for learning are provided, and you'll leave with an excellent foundation for more advanced wood classes.

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Continuing Techniques in Woodworking
Prerequisite: Introduction to woodworking
Are you comfortable in the woodshop and itching to learn more woodworking techniques? This course explores advanced woodworking methods applied to furniture making and other projects. You'll use hand-cut dovetails and a variety of machine-cut joinery, and learn about veneering techniques and the use of jigs and fixtures to speed your workflow. Skills taught will include joinery, advanced milling and tapering, shaping, finishing techniques and design. You must provide your own materials.

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Woodcarving
Entry-level
In this class, you will learn to design a carving and transform your design into a three-dimensional object. You'll receive expert guidance throughout the execution of your project and leave the class knowing the fundamentals of three-dimensional carving, skills that apply to carving other materials.

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Also check out this class in our Youth Department.

Woodturning
Entry-level
Using a lathe, you can turn a rough piece of wood into a beautifully shaped spindle or bowl. In this class, you will learn the basics of the turning process as you explore small bowl turning and spindle turning. The class covers tool use and sharpening, and wood selection, preparation and finishing.

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Also check out this class in our Youth Department and as part of a Family Fun Weekend!

Continuing Techniques in Woodturning
Prerequisite: Woodturning
After you become comfortable using the lathe and understanding basic tool use, it's time to explore more advanced projects and tackle more adventurous pieces. This class gives you more time on the machines with the guidance of the instructor. Demonstrations in hollow turning and additive sculpture are emphasized. You are encouraged to bring in your own materials and project ideas.

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Wood + Metal
Entry-level
Wood + Metal is for those who want to learn and apply the fundamental properties of these two titans of materials. During this class, you'll create a coffee table that incorporates both materials and highlights the ways each complements the other.

Skills covered will be MIG welding, cutting, grinding, bending and finishing metal as well as wood milling, gluing, joinery, sanding and finish work. You will work closely with the core woodshop tools: table saw, jointer, planer, band saw and router.

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One Sheet of Plywood: Design/Build
Entry-level
This class is for woodworkers who want to expand their design skills, and for designers who want to learn woodworking. You will be challenged to design and build anything you can imagine from one 4 x 8 sheet of high-quality laminated birch plywood. You will go through a rigorous design process as you explore the versatility and unmatched structural integrity of plywood and learn skills to produce a one-of-a-kind piece of furniture, sculpture or invention.

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Build a Ukulele in Just Four Days!
with Rick Turner (Fall & Spring)
Entry-level
In just four days, you'll build a complete pineapple ukulele, using instrument-grade woods, modern glues and space-age graphite neck reinforcement. You'll assemble a complete instrument with instrument grade woods in the traditional Spanish style with modern glues and space age graphite neck reinforcement. Along the way you'll learn many of the techniques used in other stringed instruments and gain a better appreciation of what goes into them. By the end of the last day, you'll be playing your very own uke, the pride of the Hawaiian islands!
(Note some pre-machined parts will be used)

Coming in Spring 2012...

Build a Mandolin in Just Four Days!
with Rick Turner (Winter & Summer)
Entry-level
Internationally, the mandolin is revered for its simple and elegant construction as well as its unique sound. These little cousins of the guitar have traveled the world, played for kings, queens, emperors, and a president or two. In this unusual course offering you'll learn how to assemble a simple and fully functional flat style mandolin using traditional Spanish techniques. We'll craft quality instruments out of western big leaf maple, walnut, sycamore or cherry. Mahogany will be used for the necks. This class is a great way to enter into the world of stringed instrument craft, as many of the techniques covered are also used in the construction of other instruments such as guitars and violins. You will end class with personalized mandolin that you will be proud to play and share. (Note some pre-machined parts will be used)

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