I’ll be in beautiful Franklin, Indiana the week of September 17-21, 2012, teaching a hands-on woodworking class at Marc Adams School of Woodworking. The class is called “The Real Details of Arts & Crafts Furniture”, and registration is now open.

Arts & Crafts furniture is one of the most popular styles among woodworkers, but many of the details you see in books and magazines aren’t true to history. This was the inspiration for me to write Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture, and this class will help you understand and make the fine details that separate a good reproduction from a cheap imitation.

Each student will make two projects from a selection of four (or you can substitute a similar project, send me an e-mail and we’ll talk about it). Here are the projects:

A tusk-tenon bookrack, inspired by a Roycroft antique, this small piece was featured in an article in the August 2007 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. This is a great introduction to through mortise and tenon keyed joinery, and it will look great on your desk or on top of a bookcase or other cabinet.

 

A Greene & Greene picture frame. I made this mahogany frame for the December 2010 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. This has a lot of elements of the Greene & Greene style; cloud lifts, gently shaped edges, offset surfaces and square ebony pegs. I’ll be showing how to make the pegs with real ebony, or how to cheat with black walnut, steel wool and vinegar.

 

A round Stickley end table, such as this one made by Christopher Schwarz for Issue No. 9 of Woodworking Magazine. This is a classic of the period, and was available in a number of sizes. Students can choose to make this table as shown, or with through mortise and tenon joints where the trumpet stretchers connect to the legs. If you’re really ambitious and adventuresome, you can build a version with through tenons on top of the legs that pierce the top.

 

Last but not least is a Greene & Greene stand. This is the Thorsen House stand. An adaptation of this project was made by David Thiel for the February 2007 Issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine.Breadboard ends and square plugs make for an elegant top, and there are a variety of curved shapes to add interest and texture.

 

In addition to hands on instruction in proportions, joinery, surface and edge treatments and other details, there will be daily slide shows of authentic period pieces. Students will learn several variations of mortise and tenon joints, including the use of joinery as a decorative element and efficient methods to produce these joints. Authentic finishes will also be covered, with methods to achieve an authentic look with modern finishes.

• Work with a leading author and expert in authentic Arts & Crafts furniture
• Study and discuss design elements of original pieces
• Study and discuss original Stickley, Greene & Greene construction
• Learn efficient methods for period correct joinery, edge and surface treatments
• Learn to make tusk-tenons, breadboard ends, ebony pegs, through and standard mortise and tenons
• Build two projects with authentic materials, details and finishes

Of course there is a SketchUp component to this class. I snagged SketchUp models of the four pieces shown in the photos, and put them in a special collection on Google SketchUp’s 3D Warehouse. Visit the collection and download the SketchUp Models.

Get details and register for this class at Marc Adams School of Woodworking

I hope you’ll join me for this class. If you have any questions, or want more details feel free to leave a comment below, or send me an e-mail.

Bob Lang