Stack Lamination Fabrication and Carving (2025)

Wendell Castle changed furniture history when he incorporated stack lamination techniques into his work. This allowed him to move away from “stick build” to more fluid pieces. This course will take you through the entire stack lamination process but will focus on the fabrication and carving steps. (The companion, 2-day, course will focus on the design front-end.) Each student will choose one of four designs to build (see designs here) or they can build what they designed if they took the preceeding 2-day course, Design Techniques and Tools for Stack Lamination. Designs should be limited to a 12"x12"x24" envelope in order to finish the glue-up and carving within 5 days.. Templates of your chosen design will be provided to you. You’ll then trace the template on prepared stock, cut it out on a bandsaw, glue-up the laminations, and carve. We’ll progress through various power carving tools starting with an electric chainsaw and/or an angle grinder. We’ll then finish with hand tools. Instructor Taeyoul (Terry) Ryu was a longtime employee of Wendell’s and is a master of the stack lamination technique. There will also be at least one full-time assistant instructor. Class size is limited to 8 to ensure plenty of individualized attention.

Read about Castle's pioneering techniques in this Fine Woodworking article, originally published in 1976. 

Class fee:$1100

Material fee: $180

Taeyoul Ryu bio