A busy month ahead in New York

I am finishing up some work here at the North Wales School today and preparing for my return to New York and the new school opening in a couple of weeks. I will also be covering the Northeast Woodworking Association show for articles and such and then demoing at the show to promote the school and the Real Woodworking Campaign. I will keep up with the posts and tweets to let you know how things are progressing.

The new school is nearing completion and so too the benches, tools and all of the equipment. The first response has been amazing as I thought it would. I have developed this course and many others for almost two decades now and students are always refreshed and inspired when the complete it. We have changed many aspects of the course for this new beginning. The course is one third longer and covers many new aspects of woodworking we could not include in previous courses because of time constraints. We have a new system for teaching saw sharpening that really works well and the same for make bench planes work like never before. The joinery we teach has been expanded too so that you get as much from the course as you possibly can. Another aspect I think is important is that this year we will be issuing certificates of completion at the end of the Foundational Course.

The NWA show promises a large offering and a venue famed for presentations like this. I will be demonstrating throughout each day of the two-day event and will be showing you how the real power tools are those you work with your own energy and your own hands. Hand power has gained much ground through craftsman instructors like myself. Woodworkers are looking for real woodworking in an age when substitutes are being rightly subdued to a secondary level. I see more of you reaching for the hand planes and tenon saws than for the router and the dovetail jig. I’ll be showing you methods you may have never seen before this weekend and it will all be free.

Oh, also, if you come by the New legacy School of Woodworking booth at the show I will be  signing copies of my new book too.

I look forward to seeing you there.