Courses

Without question, the Adirondack chair is a timeless classic—the high back, large armrests, and contoured seat and back are unmistakable. For many, the Adirondack chair defines the ideal deck or lawn chair for a well-deserved break.  This course is the perfect opportunity for you to learn and expand basic woodworking…

Cranks wind, gears turn, dragons chomp and birds fly. Welcome to the whimsical world of automata: simple wooden machines that delight and amaze. Join Cecilia Schiller for a five-day exploration of the art of making wooden machines and the mechanisms that make things move. Starting with the design process in…

Pick up your hammer! This course is designed for students with little or no building experience who want to build a tiny home, small cabin, or workshop. The techniques for building a small frame building are not only for the skilled carpenter; nearly anyone can come away from this course…

Considering when and where to start on that big cabinet project you want to build and install?  Start here.  Before you jump into a big project, learn the basic techniques, tools and equipment used by both traditional and contemporary cabinet makers.  As a class project, each student builds a pine…

Create beautiful and useful things for your kitchen using simple hand tools and birch wood. Participants in this course will be introduced to the Swedish traditions of ‘köksredskap,' or the process of carving functional utensils, including butterknives, small spoons or bread boards. Students will start by splitting a green log,…

Discover the secrets of the old Saami school of ski construction by crafting a custom pair of birch skis to meet your needs. In this course you'll learn about the origin of ski design, function and construction. We'll also cover topics such as wood grain, bending wood, types of bindings,…

There are many designs for sawhorses, as it is one of the most important tools a timber framer or woodworker has in the workshop. Der Zimmererbock is the traditional version of a sawhorse used and taught throughout Germany, where instructor Gerald David did his training in timber framing. It is…

The axe is perhaps the most indispensable of all tools in the North Woods. A sharp axe, skillfully wielded, makes tasks from splitting kindling to carving spoons and canoe paddles a pleasure. In this course, students will begin with a pre-made hand-­forged axe head, then make a hardwood handle and…

You can find almost anything you need while wandering through a certain Swedish big box furniture store...almost. But sometimes generic designs just don’t fit the unique needs of a space. Designing and building custom furniture for your own home can be a unique and rewarding experience. From bookcases to dressers,…

Learn to turn on both power and pole lathes and explore the historical continuum of bowl turning in this unique course offering. Students will move back and forth between the foot-powered pole lathe and modern electric lathe to delve deeply into a study of old world Norwegian ale bowls. This…

We all spend a lot of time sitting so how can we do a better job of it? The key ergonomic feature of a perching stool is the forward sloping seat which rotates your pelvis keeping your back aligned in its natural s-shape. It makes for a comfortable rest at…

In this two day course each student will build a post-and-rung stool as we explore aspects of traditional chair making. On day one, students learn about splitting logs for stool pieces and how to shape stool parts using a shaving horse, drawknife, and spokeshave. On the second day, students use…

Whether they are built for the workshop or used to support a tabletop or workbench, timbered sawhorse trestles are reliable, sturdy and reflective of the craftsmanship that goes into timber framing. During this course, you'll focus on the layout and cutting of the mortise and tenon joints needed to create…

Have bench, will travel? Indeed, with this workbench you can do both! A fine workbench is an essential fixture in the home workshop. In this class, students will build a sturdy timbered workbench based on early American designs, using simple and classic joinery that echoes timber framing techniques. Mortise and…

Turning wood on a pole lathe—a wonderfully simple hand built machine that needs only your leg and a wooden pole to power it—is a challenging and empowering experience. Your whole body must work together to make a useable bowl or cup. During this three-day tutorial students of all levels will…