Contemplation

I was just thinking about the last session of my "Becoming a Hand Tool Woodworker" class. There was discussion near the end about other classes that the students would be interested in. The classes mentioned included:

1. Build a cabinetmaker's workbench.
2. Build hand tool cabinetmaker's tools.
3. Build hand tool cabinetmaker's bench accessories.

I'm curious to learn if there is interest in these.

The cabinetmaker's workbench would be Roubo style, only because that is what everyone seems to be talking about these days. The top would be 3+ inches thick with the length being unique to your needs. Included would be a wagon vice. Face vice would be separate.

The cabinetmaker's tools class would build fore plane, smoother plane, a draw knife and a mallet.

The cabinetmaker's bench accessories class would build a pair of saw benches, three shooting boards (long grain, standard and miter), and a handful of other useful accessories.

This is all in the early thinking stage so if you think you are even remotely interested this is a good time to steer the class(es) in your direction.

With hand surgery tomorrow afternoon I'll have two to six weeks to do a lot of thinking about this stuff, so now is the time to shoot ideas to me.

Bill

Lessons learned

Last Saturday was the sixth and final session of my five session Hand Tool Woodworker class.

Lessons Learned:

1. You can not plan a class that includes homework if you are going to not give the students time to do the homework. By running the class for nine hours on Saturday and bringing them back on Sunday morning you are forced to try to get all of the work done during class hours. That doesn't work.
2. Its not a problem to have vast differences in skill level between students. In fact, it appears to be an advantage. I never encouraged students to help one another with new skills but it helped me to allow students to plow ahead if they already possessed the skill being taught at any given moment while I gave more attention to the less experienced students. Everyone ended up getting their fair share of my time but in different ways. Some needed help with the mechanics of a skill others needed help polishing that skill to a higher level.
3. Don't sell the example pieces until the class is completed. It would have been helpful to have a table to examine closely or even disassemble but your humble instructor was unable to say no to a sale...or several. It was originally decided that I'd build one as a marketing piece. I don't see that was a failure since I personally sold every seat in the class.

How I'll do it next time:

1. I will not compromise on the schedule. A class with a major project requires either tons of shop time or time for the students to work between sessions. The next class will run on Saturdays only.
2. There are some very basic hand tools that are not available through the store (i.e a router plane). I will still demonstrate alternative methods where appropriate. I will still make tools available to students during class sessions. If its not available through the store then I will not feel guilty offering an alternative source, I will continue to encourage students to purchase tools from the store whenever an appropriate tool available.
3. I will keep at least the prototype piece for every class that I teach in the future.

What we'll build next time:
I haven't decided. All hand tools again obviously. The choices I have narrowed it to are:

1. Do the Shaker side table with drawer again.
2. A Blanket Chest, the dovetailed carcase will really lock in your dovetailing.
3. A hanging cabinet, a dovetailed carcase plus frame and panel door construction plus door fitting.
4. A bookcase, a dovetailed carcase plus stopped dadoes.

Clearly, I like hand cut dovetails but each project adds an additional skill to a hand tool person's bag 'o tricks. Please let me know in the comments what you'd be interested in building.

Bill

Bringing everyone up to date

Hand Tool Woodworking:
Due to the way we scheduled the session there was very little time between session. So, we have added an additional session. On May 12 from 9:00am (I'll be there by 8:00 hint, hint) until Woodcraft closes we will finish up own Shaker side tables. Based on where everyone was when we last saw each other all of the students should have done the following over the break:

1.  Cut your rails
2. Chopped the mortises on the legs
3. Cut tenons on your aprons and fit them
4. Test Fit the base
5. Created the reference face and edge on drawer parts
6. Dimensioned your drawer sides and back to 1/4-3/8" thickness ignoring length and width
7. Create the reference face and edge on the drawer bottom stock ignoring length and width

On May 12 we will:

1. Chop the mortise for the lower rail
2. Cut the tenon on the lower rail
3. Cut the single dovetail on the upper rail
4. Cut the socket for that dovetail.
5. Taper the legs
6. French Polish the show faces of the aprons and legs
7. Glue up
8. Fit the drawer guides
9. Fit the drawer
10. Hand cut the dovetails and assemble the drawer
11. Depending on time we will do a simple inlay or go straight to French Polishing the top.

SketchUp Students:
It was fun doing SketchUp at Woodcraft. The best part of teaching SketchUp is seeing the light bulbs flash on at about the 45 minute mark. SketchUp is such a powerful design tool! You should learn to use it regardless of the type of woodworking you do.
On May 31 I will teach "Advanced SketchUp" at Woodcraft. There are several seats still open. This is a hands on class and if you haven't taken my Beginning SketchUp you can still join in if you are comfortable drawing with SketchUp and understand components. Notice that Woodcraft named this class "Advanced SketchUp" I will be teaching my Intermediate SketchUp class that evening. You will learn faster drawing techniques, how to avoid drawing whenever possible, component and model reuse and more. My "Advanced SketchUp" is making models from digital images and using SketchUp to design furniture.

What's On My Bench:
My upcoming hand surgery is causing me to try to finish up as many in-process projects as possible. Nothing new will begin until after my recovery to help me avoid hurting myself due to my inability to stay out of the shop.

I just got John Wilson's book "Making Wood Tools" in the mail. I will report on it during my break. My initial impression is very good. I suspect there will be a few book reports coming during the break.

The video I did on French Polishing has been accepted but has to be re-shot due to some focus issues and the customer wants my face on the screen. That will happen on May 12. If you are not in the class on May 12 but want to see the demonstration and be "in" the video feel free to stop in at Woodcraft around noon.

After recovery my build list is (in no particular order):
purple board (the last one, really this time, probably)
a pair of Stickley reproduction end tables
Living Room set (couch, love seat, end tables, waste basket, hall tree, wall mirror, ...)
Hidden compartment table clocks
.
.
.


Other Stuff:
I need your advice. Many of you know about the book I am writing. I was advised to start a separate blog to "give away" some of the content of the book to help determine interest. If I haven't told you about the book, its working title is, "The $100 Woodworker." In the book we build 3 projects. The process of building the projects includes finding old tools, fixing them up and using them exclusively for each build. I need a name for the new blog and I really suck at naming things. Have you got any ideas? I've already rejected OldGuyWithAnOldTool.com, it just didn't fit with my self-image! Please add your name suggestions as comments.


As always, your comments are welcomed (but moderated).

Peace,
Bill