Boston Woodworking Co. Ltd., Sunbury, OH

General Information

Registration
Registration for the 2008 season opens Wednesday, January 2. Workshops must have a minimum of three students to run and are limited to five students. Waiting lists will be kept and additional workshops scheduled as interest warrants. Benches are reserved upon receipt of payment in the order in which payment is received. Workshop hours are 8:30-4:30 Saturday and Sunday.

Shop Safety
Woodworking is inherently dangerous. Students are required to sign a waiver of liability before work begins.

Weekend Workshop Fees
Weekend Workshops are $215 and include breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday. Wood is provided for you unless indicated otherwise, but you may bring your own already prepared if you wish.

Meals
A light breakfast is served each day in the house from 8:15-8:45. Work in the shop begins at 9:00 and continues until 4:30 with a lunch break at noon. Late afternoon refreshments will be served in the shop each day. All meals are meatless; dairy products are used. If you have special dietary requirements or food allergies, please email the chef in advance. We are happy to accomodate special diets. See the Food and Lodging page for information on nearby restaurants for dinner.

Payment Information
Register online with Paypal or call the shop at 740-972-6304 to pay with a credit card by phone. Mail checks and money orders to:

Boston Woodworking Co. Ltd.
423-A South Galena Rd.
Sunbury, OH 43074

Refund Policy
If you change your plans or become ill and cannot attend the workshop after having paid, a refund less $50 will be issued. A full refund will be issued if we cancel the workshop.

Tools and Materials
Students are to bring their own tools to the workshop. Tool lists are provided for each of the following workshop descriptions and include links to online retailers. Wood will be provided for you, but you are welcome to bring your own wood if you wish. Questions about tools may be emailed to Mark or you may call the shop Monday-Friday 10:00-5:00 EST at 740-972-6304.

Course Descriptions

Tool Tune-Up, January 26 & 27
Why does your new hand plane chatter? Why does your card scraper produce only fine dust? Does your marking gauge skip and tear the grain? Has your best chisel been used as a screwdriver? Whether you are working with dad's old tools or buying new, most hand tools need some fine adjustments to perform properly. Get your handtools ready for serious woodworking! Level: Beginner   Tool List

Basic Joinery Techniques, February 16 & 17
This two-day intensive course covers the two fundamental joints of fine woodworking: the dovetail and mortice and tenon. On Saturday, students will learn to layout and cut half-blind and through dovetails and pins using a variety of measuring, marking and cutting tools. On day two, you will learn how to layout and cut a mortice and tenon joint. A discussion of proper joint selection and proportion as well as tips for easier layout will accompany instruction. Level: Anyone new to handtools and/or handcut joinery.   Tool List

Veneering and Inlay, March 8 & 9
Veneer is often feared and maligned, yet unfairly so. Introduce yourself to some of the amazing possibilities of working with thin sheets of wood. In this workshop, students will decorate a panel while learning how to flatten unruly veneers, bookmatch sequentially-sliced sheets, and tape a ‘face’, and adhere it to a substrate using PVA glue. In the process, we will discuss veneer figures, treatments, tapes, adhesives, substrates, clamping options, and strategies for doing curved work. Students will embellish their panels with stringing and/or banding. The sequence for making herringbone and rope bandings will also be demonstrated so that students can use these on a future project. Veneer and substrate provided. Level: Intermediate. Tool List

Cabriole Leg / Carving a Ball & Claw Foot, April 12 & 13
Perhaps no detail in period furniture is as instantly recognizable as the ball and claw foot. In this two-day session you will learn how to reproduce this hallmark of Chippendale furniture. We will begin by comparing the different styles of the ball & claw foot in colonial America and then make a pattern for a Philadelphia foot. We will systematically lay out and shape the cabriole leg using the band saw and then a selection of hand tools. Once the cabriole has been shaped, we will lay out and carve the Philadelphia-style ball & claw foot. Carving blank included. Level: Intermediate.   Tool List

Make a Sunburst Veneered Table Top, May 17 & 18
This workshop is designed for students who want to get more serious about veneering or who may already have some experience working with veneer. Completing the Veneering & Inlay workshop (March 8 & 9) is highly recommended before enrolling in this workshop though not required. Students will cut, assemble, tape, and glue their sunburst faces to a ¾” MDF substrate. Students are required to bring their own pre-treated sequentially-sliced veneer with them as well as a suitable backing veneer. Students may choose to do a 6, 8, or 12-piece sunburst, full-circle or demi-lune, up to a diameter of 42”. We will discuss possible edge treatments and other types of embellishment for your table top. Substrate and adhesive provided. Level: Intermediate.   Tool List

Planning for Upholstery, June 28 & 29
Make your next project a little more comfortable. We’ll go under ‘cover’ to find out what preparations woodworkers should make for upholstering their furniture. Students will learn the contemporary materials, as well as their period counterparts, used in seating furniture. Strategies for wing back chair construction will be emphasized. Hands-on exercises in covering a slip seat and doing an 8-way tie on a spring deck will give participants an introduction to the essentials of planning the upholstery of their next project, be it a wing back or a side chair. Some materials provided. Level: Intermediate.   Tool List