This highly informative class introduces you to selecting the project, design, sketching, architectural standards, shop drawings, full size drawings, models and templates. Don will also discuss wood selection, lay out, joinery, assembly and finishing. At the end of the day, you will have the basis for understanding the design and construction of fine furniture.
Understanding the different types of routers available and their use is one of the most useful subjects in the woodworking industry. Among the topics covered will be general router operation, maintenance, safety, router bit selection, and operating techniques. Don will introduce you to and you will operate the following routers: Bosch 1617EVS 2 ¼ H.P. combo kit, Bosch 2.3 H.P. combo kit, Dewalt 618 3 pack combo-kit, and the Dewalt 621 dedicated plunge router. Don will demonstrate advanced router techniques including pattern making, template routing, using a plunge router for joinery work, and jigs and fixtures. Towards the end of the day do will demonstrate cutting through dovetails on the Leigh Jig. By the end of the day you will possess the information and experience necessary to select equipment wisely and to operate your router safely with confidence. If you own a router bring it along with it’s accessories to the class. Don will help explain specific features and help tune it up!
Understanding the differences between sharpening systems and selecting the best system for you is one of the most confusing subjects in woodworking. Don starts at the beginning explaining the sandpaper system then continues to compare water stones, diamond plates, and oil stones. He will give you information on cross referencing the different grit systems so that comparing performance and price is easier. You will be provided with equipment to flatten and sharpen on sandpaper. Final honing will be completed on waterstones with a jig to produce a surgically sharp tool. You will also learn how to hollow grind on a bench grinder. By the end of the class you will understand what sharp is and have had the opportunity to experience tools sharper than you could have ever imagined.
This is a full day hands on table saw class using the new Saw Stop table saw. The class starts off with a discussion on equipment tune up and saw blade selection, then moves quickly to safety procedures and hands on experience. Planning your cuts, saw set up, the correct use of push sticks, feather boards, hold downs, and guards will be explained. You will practice ripping, crosscutting on a sled, cut dadoes, Cut rabbets, and learn to cut tenons. Don will explain how to build his favorite jigs and fixtures and demonstrate them for you. Extensive handouts will be provided.
Transform Your Craft into a Thriving Business! Learn from seasoned expert Stoane Loudenslager, a professional woodworker, contractor, and author with 20+ years of experience. This seminar will reveal: Insider secrets from big, multimillion dollar woodworking shops. Proven sales, marketing, and pricing strategies. Time-saving production techniques for garage-sized shops. Insight to some of the challenges you will experience as a woodworking entrepreneur Each Student will receive a signed copy of Stoane’s book: Garage Shop Income, along with worksheets to help you move forward, and unique insights that are not in the book! Come and learn how powerful a small shop really can be! We want YOU to be our next Woodworking Entrepreneur Success Story!
Learn, Create, Impress! Join professional woodworker, Stoane Loudenslager, and learn a mesmerizing pattern that’s sure to turn heads. In this class, you will go from “How is that possible?” to “Look what I made!” Come and build your skills, gain confidence, and take home 2 stunning cutting boards to showcase.
In this class you will learn how to layout and hand cut, both through dovetails and mortise and tenons. Starting with the selection and design of joinery you will move quickly through layout process, and then learn to use traditional hand tools. You will learn how to use chisels and saws to pare, chop and cut to a line. At the end of the day you will have hand cut the through dovetail.
This is an advanced hands-on, finishing class for everyone. The class begins with a discussion on surface preparation and the selection of sand paper. You will learn what surface each grit will produce and be able to recognize when to advance to the next grit. Each student is expected to prepare numerous hardwood samples obtaining preparation results from 150, through 400 grit. We will discuss and use oil finishes, oil base poly urethanes, and water base poly urethanes as clear top coats. The second half of the class will introduce you to numerous pre stains, stains (both oil and water based), dyes, and dye stains.
How many planes do I need? What's the difference between a $60 and $250 dollar plane? Should I buy planes that are bevel-up, bevel-down or both? Don will answer all these questions and more as he explains how hand planes really work and exactly what they’re used for. Sharpening and tune up will be covered. Everyone will get a chance to use a wide variety of planes from Dons’ personal collection. Bring in all your planes so don can help you identify them, critique them, and help you set them up.
Setting up your bandsaw can be one of the most frustrating jobs in the shop. Don will explain the steps to trouble free sawing. Blade selection, guide set-up, tensioning, and dust collection is just the beginning of the class. Don will show you how to correct for drift so that you will always be able to saw parallel to your fence. He will show you how to set up your saw to resaw perfect boards as thin as 1/16th inch. The hands on portion of the class will include resawing tall material, ripping boards, free hand cutting curves & circles, just to name a few. Don will demonstrate his favorite jigs and fixtures, tapering legs, cutting perfect circles, and free hand sculpting.
Squaring lumber is the first skill a woodworker must master. Without this skill you will never understand how woodworking machines work or be able to determine why your parts don’t fit. Through hands on experience you will learn how to select, flatten, and square lumber using the bandsaw, table saw, jointer, and planer. Starting with machine set up then moving quickly to hands on practice you will square boards necessary to build table tops, solid wood face frames, and raised panel doors.
Don knows that good planning and organization are the first steps towards successful wood working. Through out his career, Don has set up many different shops, small and large, temporary and permanent, all efficient enough to make a living in. He will explain to you how he reads a space then transforms it into a working shop. Tool selection, work stations, tool and material storage, dust collection, electrical, lighting, along with layout procedures and the importance of a scaled floor plan will be covered. Steps to create a detailed electrical plan will be discussed. He will explain all the ins and outs of setting up and surviving in a small space. You will be amazed at how efficient and comfortable any size shop can be.