Working Out of Square

Creating shapes or joints in wood that are not flat and straight may seem daunting and beyond what you are comfortable with. There’s a surprisingly simple solution: build a custom support, often called a jig, that puts the piece in a “square” reference so your machine or hand tool can accommodate the irregular form. The next step may be clamping and assembling the shapes and joints. We’ll show you how to identify what’s needed to apply perfect pressure and how to fabricate clamping cauls, both specialized and cauls used repeatedly.  This class will open new design and construction vistas.

Topics covered:

• Learn how to choose the correct hand tool or machine for the task at hand
• Tools and materials for making jigs, both shop made and purchased
• How to secure parts in jigs for one-off or repetitive operations
• Build a collection of reusable clamping cauls that will simplify assembling irregular shapes
• How to analyze the direction for perfect clamping pressure
• How to upgrade quick jigs so they last and last

This class will be limited to 12 students and will largely be demonstrations; however, feel free to bring a project idea and Michael can help you problem solve the fabrication.

Class fee: $200

Materials fee: $35

Michael Fortune bio