Newsletter – blogs, broadcasts and classes

Blogs for the future weeks provided a list of suggested future blogs came in thick and fast last week and many suggestions have become points of interest for me. I haven’t included them all here but I will be blogging on those not listed too. Here are a few of the suggestions:

1: Finishing different projects: Can you do a blog or two on this subject?
A: Yes, better than that we will do a series to give options of finishes. This will include brush finishes, paint finishes, French polishing, rubbed finishes, spray options using canned sprays and HVLP spray systems. We may also cover colouring with stain and dye options included.
2: Designing projects: Can you talk us through design processes and help us to understand which joints to use where and when? How do you even begin to design a piece?
A: This is a common question. Many people do not want a drawn plan by someone else to follow but want to develop their own concept and we covered some of that recently on Starting out on your own. A specific course would be simple enough when you have the basic concepts of design understood and steps to follow.
3: Using power grinders for sharpening: Would it be a good idea to buy a grinder/sharpener (like the Tormek series) or is it still better to go with a simple guide and some good diamond stones?
A: For 99% of work these machines are an excess and essentially unnecessary, but let’s examine the reasons why in a more in-depth blog.
4: Building your tool cabinets: You have built tool cabinets we see in your pictures and in the woodworkingmasterclass series online and you started a blog on this. Can you finish the blog.
A: In some ways I shouldn’t have started this because I never photographed the steps as I usually do. Neither did I record all of the details in my journal. We discussed this last week and decided to build one and film the processes as we did with the tool chest build. I have developed a plan that will work for kitchen units based on some more traditional kitchen cabinets that will expand the concept so you can build workshop tool cupboards or kitchen cabinets.

Upcoming Film series for woodworkingmasterclasses.com
Increasing our library resource for you to learn from and follow means we have filmed ahead and they are being edited as i write. There is of course so much we could film, but we have chosen our projects carefully to give you a more definitive course backed by technical how to’s via woodworkingmasterclass.com series and of course the ever-popular YouTube and Vimeo. Over the coming weeks we have the new sticks, staffs and walking canes series starting in two days time and we will follow on with making fully jointed bar stools that for us as woodworkers means the first real bench stool for woodworkers to use at the bench. So here is a list we will be posting soon:
Making walking canes sticks and staffs
Making bench and bar stools
Making bandsawn birdhouses
Making your first mallet
Making Christmas decorations from wood
Making the Paul Sellers bow saw
The 2014 Schedule of workshops at New Legacy Penrhyn Castle
We have now completed the 2013 courses but we have posted our schedule for next year’s classes at www.woodworkingschool.com. I have a blog scheduled for later today to explain more information as to the why’s and wherefores and I hope that this will help you to plan your visit to North Wales and the beauty of our Welsh heritage and culture.