This one-day class is for everyone who has been confused, frustrated, and otherwise unsure about how to choose from the vast array of finishing products, and how to apply them. The goal is to carefully explain the building blocks of all wood colorants and finishes so that students can confidently make informed choices by knowing “what’s in the can”. The class format is a mixture of lecture, demonstration and hands on activities with an emphasis on the science, craft and art of wood finishing.

The morning is devoted to color, with an exploration of dye and pigments and how these two very different materials can be used separately and together to achieve effects including color matching, enhancing or “popping” the grain, and harmonizing the colors within a board or on an entire project. To focus on the optics of color, students will complete a classic color wheel to see the relationships of the various colors and how they interact, and how the color “temperature” of the light affects the way we actually see color. Students will also gain experience in using the four different methods of applying color: dyeing, staining, glazing and toning, which provide a nearly endless set of possible colors and decorative effects with both oil based and waterborne colorants. There will also be discussion and demonstration of using asphaltum (tar) as a glazing and ageing agent, and the many chemical or “reactive” treatments that can be used to alter the natural color of various woods.

The afternoon is all about the huge number of different finishing products available on the market, and the goal is to understand that they are all composed of the same basic components, and that they fall into groups or “families” that have similar working properties, but do not always work well with products from other families. Students will practice several ways to apply shellac, and employ the proper applicators and techniques for oil based, and waterborne varnishes, as well as the very popular hard wax-oil formulations. Using prepared panels, students will practice various techniques for rubbing out a cured finish, both to lower the sheen or to enhance the gloss.

MIKE MASCELLI has been a student and practitioner of the upholstery trade for nearly 50 years and divides his time between the worlds of classic cars and classic furniture. He has provided upholstery for national champion cars and furniture that is on display at the US House of Representatives and numerous historic homes and private collections. He is also the longtime Director of the Professional Refinisher’s Group an organization of professionals in the conservation and restoration trades, from whom he has learned much of the science, art and craft of wood finishing. Mike actively lectures and teaches, and has instructed hundreds of students in basic and advanced upholstery techniques as well as the fundamentals of wood finishing at the Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking, the Marc Adams School of Woodworking, and numerous other schools and organizations both in person and on line in both America and England. He contributed an essay on 18th century upholstery techniques for Roubo on Furniture by Don Williams (Lost Art Press). Mike has also published a number of articles on various aspects of historic upholstery in the Journal of the Society of American Period Furniture Makers (SAPFM) and on modern upholstery for Fine Woodworking. He has also completed several instructional videos on upholstery and finishing for Popular Woodworking, and Fine Woodworking, and was a presenter at the “Working Wood in the 18th c”. conference at Williamsburg. In the summer of 2024 Fine Woodworking will release an online course: Foundations of Furniture Finishing” presented by Mike. In addition to driving some classic cars, Mike and his wife are the very proud grandparents of two small boys who are the main focus of semi-retirement.

In this class, students will create a small kitchen utility knife. Starting with a section of flat 1080 steel bar, the class will cover forging, grinding, heat treatment, handle fitment and finishing techniques. Students will leave with a finished, full-tang blade, ready to prep a meal. There will be opportunities for additional forging as time allows. Beginner blacksmithing experience is strongly recommended but not required.

Must bring:

1. Work boots/shoes. No sneakers
2. Long pants, no shorts
3. Clothing must be cotton/denim/wool, no synthetics
4. Comfortable safety glasses
5. Notepad
6. Water bottle

Class size is limited to 6

Materials fee: $25

Zach is a welder by trade with experience in a wide range of industries. Based in rural NY, he is an ABS bladesmith who creates custom, heirloom-quality, hand forged kitchen cutlery and edged tools. He strives to blend traditional and modern techniques and materials to create quality tools to be used for decades in the kitchen. After teaching welding for Monroe Community College and at the Arc + Flame Center for seven years, Zach now runs his own company where, in addition to blades, he manufactures tooling and machines for blacksmiths and metalworkers. He is passionate about collaborating with other local artisans, makers, and tradespeople. In his classes, Zach seeks to inspire students by sharing the functional artistry of modern bladesmithing. https://tarbellindustries.com/

In this 4-day class Andrew covers everything you need to know about Japanese hand planes. What seems like a simple tool, a blade and a block of wood, the Japanese plane (Kanna) is actually complex instrument with many subtle qualities. The first challenge most woodworkers face when learning to use a Kanna is that they don’t come ready to use out of the box. You are only supplied with great ingredients, and it is up to the user to get the fit between the blade and the block just right.

In the past, Andrew has separated teaching Japanese planes into two distinct classes. Class 1 involves setting up a plane with a single cutting blade and Class 2 covers setting up the chip breaker. Andrew is now teaching the complete setup and use of Japanese planes in a single 4-day class. Each student will receive a new plane (or bring your own if you have one already). If this is your first Japanese plane, Andrew recommends starting with this 45mm Yamamoto plane. If you have already taken Andrew’s plane Class 1 or if you have experience setting up a new plane, he recommends this 65mm Yamamoto plane

Andrew will work with each student to get their new plane into working order. He will cover sharpening and shaping the blade, fitting the blade to the block, fitting and adjusting the chip breaker and profiling the sole for optimal performance. Of course, you will also spend time using your new plane, learning to work with your whole body, not just your arms. By the conclusion of this class, each student will take home a fully operational Japanese hand plane and have the know how to keep it working correctly.

Students will pay Andrew directly for their new plane. The current cost of the 45mm plane is $200 and the 65mm plane is $350. The cost of the plane is not included in this course cost.

Class fee: $650

Class size limited to 10

Andrew is a custom furniture maker working and living in New York’s Hudson Valley. Best known for his use of traditional Japanese hand tools, Andrew demonstrates and teaches across the country. As a self-taught woodworker, he offers a unique perspective to other Americans exploring Eastern woodworking. His workshops demonstrate that by understanding the fundamental principles behind other cultures’ tools and techniques, all woodworkers can benefit. A frequent contributor to Fine Woodworking magazine, he is eager to share what he has learned in his 25-plus years of making furniture. https://www.instagram.com/andrewhunter_furniture/

In this weekend workshop, students will learn to create a round tabletop with a cracked ice pattern in figured maple. The cracked ice pattern is seen widely in Chinese decorative arts and is a great way to learn how to construct geometric veneer patterns. The pattern utilizes the wood’s natural chatoyancy to create a surface with shapes that shift from light to dark.

Class fee: $385

Materials fee: $50

Class size limited to 10

Tim Coleman creates custom furniture in a shop he built a few paces from his home in rural Western Massachusetts. He has been creating furniture for clients and exhibition for more than 35 years after studying at the College of the Redwoods with James Krenov in the 1980s. Tim is known for his graceful and dynamic furniture forms which often feature richly patterned and textured surfaces. Using low-relief carving, marquetry, embossing, and thick veneer tiles, he has developed simple but innovative techniques that put a new spin on traditional embellishment. As passionate as Coleman is about his own work, he is equally excited to pass on his knowledge as a frequent contributor to Fine Woodworking Magazine and by teaching at schools throughout the US.

This 5-day workshop follows the Cracked Ice tabletop weekend. Students will create this unique table with a base that gathers in the middle. The table is 22-inch-tall table with a 22-inch diameter solid wood top which we will overlay with decorative veneer. This versatile table design will introduce students to the possibilities and dynamics of pedestal tables and the design decisions that go into them.

This pedestal table design is perfect for those who took the Cracked Ice Tabletop class, but for those who didn’t, Tim will show you his novel method for veneering onto a solid wood substrate which allows you to shape the edge of the table as you would solid wood.

Class fee: $900

Materials fee: $150

Class size limited to 10

Tim Coleman creates custom furniture in a shop he built a few paces from his home in rural Western Massachusetts. He has been creating furniture for clients and exhibition for more than 35 years after studying at the College of the Redwoods with James Krenov in the 1980s. Tim is known for his graceful and dynamic furniture forms which often feature richly patterned and textured surfaces. Using low-relief carving, marquetry, embossing, and thick veneer tiles, he has developed simple but innovative techniques that put a new spin on traditional embellishment. As passionate as Coleman is about his own work, he is equally excited to pass on his knowledge as a frequent contributor to Fine Woodworking Magazine and by teaching at schools throughout the US.

Over the course of four full days, participants will explore the techniques and aesthetics that define Japanese-style kitchen blades. Students will use Blue #2 zenko (mono steel) stock to forge a chef’s knife by hand. The class will focus on the basics of forging, heat treating, grinding, and sharpening our blades. In addition to forging and finishing the blade, the class will emphasize traditional Wa handle making and fitting, demonstrating how to achieve the clean, functional designs characteristic of Japanese knives. Whether you are new to bladesmithing or looking to expand your skills, this workshop offers a comprehensive introduction to Japanese forging techniques while encouraging experimentation and personal expression in your work. Each student will leave with a fully finished blade, ready for use.

Class fee: $500

Materials fee: $50

Class size limited to 6

Kiran Chapman (he/they) is a blacksmith based in Maine. They became fascinated by blacksmithing after moving to Maine from NYC and meeting a local knife maker. They went on to work for Wick’s Forge, a third-generation blacksmith shop, for two years. In addition to their own studio where they teach blacksmithing classes, they run the sharpening department at Strata Portland, which offers endless learning and practice on a wide range of blades. Their experience working at Strata and visiting makers in Japan has had a big impact on the type of blades they make and their understanding of metallurgy and blade geometry.

Bent lamination represents a dramatic departure from most traditional fine woodworking. Rather than working within rectilinear geometry, you will lean into the materiality of the wood and explore its natural strengths through curvature. Reference face is often non-existent, so cutting joinery requires some creative thinking and novel use of machinery and hand tools. We will explore a variety of methods including cold lamination, mold making, vacuum forming, and freeform bending. Students will design and prototype a project that showcases bent lamination aesthetically and structurally.

Class fee: $850

Materials fee: $100

Class size limited to 12

Laura Kishimoto is a designer and maker based in Denver, Colorado and a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, where she earned a BFA in Furniture Design in 2013. Her work falls somewhere between sculpture and furniture, distinguished by its spatial complexity and visually striking curves. Central to her practice is a technique known as freeform bent lamination, which allows her to push the wood to its material limits and create curiously organic and emotionally evocative forms. Her pieces can be found in the permanent collections of the Denver Art Museum in Colorado and the Mint Museum in North Carolina.

Learn the fundamentals of blacksmithing while forging your own pendulum from start to finish. This 2-day introductory workshop is open to beginners and experienced blacksmiths.

On day 1, you’ll learn fundamental blacksmithing skills including precise hammer control, tapering, upsetting, punching, and riveting connections. You’ll learn how to isolate material, forge specific shapes, and move metal in different ways using the hammer peen. We’ll also introduce top tools and fullers for accurate material isolation, working with a striker and partner to achieve the desired results. We will explore the plasticity of hot steel using different texturing tools. We’ll talk about pendulum designs and kinetic art and after seeing several design inspirations, you’ll sketch and design your own artistic pendulum.

On day 2, you will use your new forging skills to create, shape, balance, and finish your own unique pendulum. There will be brackets and stands to allow you to create a wall-hanging or free-standing pendulum and if time allows you can create your own stand.

Students will leave with a completed pendulum of their design—whether it’s kinetic art, a wall-hung piece, a decorative desk object, or a simple functional pendulum with artistic flair.

Class fee: $250

Materials fee: $50

Class size limited to 6

Mark Teece is an artist blacksmith near Syracuse, NY, with over 10 years of experience running his own blacksmithing business. He is passionate about teaching this ancient craft, offering blacksmithing classes to students of all ages—from youths to retirees—ensuring each student enjoys a hands-on, personal experience in a small class setting. Mark specializes in creating custom ornamental ironwork for homes and gardens, blending traditional techniques with artistic craftsmanship. Mark's work is deeply influenced by his upbringing in Britain, where he was surrounded by historical ironwork, as well as the rich legacy of colonial blacksmiths in New England. Instagram: @TheBritishBlacksmith

In this class, we will build a splayed-side tool tote. This project is designed to stretch your hand tool skills and show that anyone can complete the project. We will make angled dovetails, tilted grooves, and a steam-bent handle, assembling everything without glue, and doing it completely with hand tools. The project is intended for beginners and intermediates alike, and the goal is to conquer apparently complex hand tool skills and bring them within the reach of any woodworker. And in the end, you can take home a quality-built tool tote you can cherish for the rest of your life.

Class fee: $500

Materials fee: $50

James Wright has been working with wood since he could stumble into his father's shop. This led to a career in woodworking and design. But after years of power-tool woodworking, life circumstances forced James to switch to hand tools only. The hand tool workshop allowed James the time to slow down and enjoy the process. He is now a full-time woodworking educator and YouTuber with over 500,000 subscribers across two channels, and travels around teaching hand tool woodworking in person and online.

In this weekend class, students will learn a few fundamental metalworking and woodworking techniques to create a series of small marking and layout tools. In the making of a marking knife, small bevel gauge, and a square, we'll learn about different metals and their applications (tool steels, brass, and bronze), learn to to file, grind, heat treat, drill, hammer, sand, and cut our metals, and we'll make wooden handles by incorporating cutting and shaping techniques using the bandsaw, drill press, sanders, and various hand tools. This class will be a practical way for any woodworker to dip their toes into metalworking.

Class fee: $275

Materials fee: $25

Class size limited to 8

Sophie is a metalworker, woodworker, and furniture maker currently based in Reading, PA. She makes classic furniture designs recreated out of steel to give voice to women in both the woodworking and metal fields, and she utilizes steel in the making of her work to explicitly expand upon the materials that are considered to be part of the fine furniture making field. Sophie received her MFA in Furniture Design and Woodworking from San Diego State University, and BFA in Sculpture and Drawing from SUNY Purchase College. She has exhibited her work across the country, including Blue Spiral 1 Gallery (NC), the Center for Art in Wood (PA), and the Metal Museum (TN), and has been fortunate to receive several grants, fellowships, and residencies to help advance her career, including the John D. Mineck Fellowship in 2022. Sophie currently teaches at Kutztown University and has taught workshops at A Workshop of Our Own, Penland School of Craft, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, the Appalachian Center for Craft, and Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. https://sophieglenn.com