New Events This Week!

A New Online Series Starts Wednesday

We just completed the Bookshelf series last Wednesday and so this week we see a new series for building an oak Sofa/Entryway Table beginning in a couple of days. Thank you everyone for sharing your enjoyment of the last series and all of the other work that’s going on. I think that this table will aid in your skill development and understanding of joinery whilst reinforcing your working knowledge too. I made two tables during the table build just to show a couple of alternative possibilities. Those members of woodworkingmasterclasses.com can follow this new course this coming Wednesday evening any time after 5pm and new members, remember you can access all of our past series when you sign up too. Here is a brief intro:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-D1ttT5TUI&feature=youtu.be

At the New Legacy School

As the training through online broadcast shapes the future of woodworkers across the globe, on a local level I will be hosting a two-day introductory Discovering Woodworking workshop here at Penrhyn Castle. We are working on developing a series of workshops with woodworkers around the bench attending some of these workshops and letting you see the questioners as we answer the questions. It’s still in the research and development phase but we look forward to this as a training aid for all levels of woodworking.

Two-day Discovering Woodworking Course

Discovering Woodworking has proven a valuable transitional course at the bench for those new to hand work to bridge the gap between those with little or no prior knowledge of using hand methods and working with hand tools. It’s important to get the foundation dead right to avoid the confusion many would-be woodworkers face after getting started. From this workshop students know which tools do what and which joints to choose for different aspects relying on solid woodworking joinery. Making the joints reinforces the work at the bench in the same way setting up the plane  and using a spokeshave establishes insights into planing and shaping wood by hand.

This class starts on Friday 11-12 April 2014

All in all I feel a contentment in moving from level to level and interfacing with woodworkers afar off and near to, face to face and on the other side of camera lenses. The future for woodworkers never looked brighter than today.  I know thousands of others feel the same way, judging by the ever-increasing number of emails I receive from around the world. This year I feel that we crossed a critical line in our game plan to make serious woodworking work for anyone. We use a functioning workshop, ordinary everyday hand tools, a proven curriculum and the insights of 50 working years as a crafting furniture maker.