Hey there I am semi retired and want to take up woodworking. I have little experience in it but have always enjoyed what little I have done. I would like to ultimately start to create fine furniture for my own use and maybe for sale. I found a place in Chicago ( where I live ) called The Bauhaus Apprenticeship Institute. I was wondering if anyone had any advice as to whether it is a good place to be trained. If there are any other places that are similar I would like to hear about them.
Secondly I would like to set up my own workshop so would welcome any advice as to what I need to start, where to buy it.
One of the Woodworking at Home DVD magazine issues featured the Bauhaus Institute and show a fair bit of footage of students at work, as well as interviewed the institute founders and some employees. You might want to take a look at that. Heres a review of the DVD magazine itself -
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a read, then go to their official magazing website and track down the issue with the Bauhaus piece featured.
Today's your lucky day. I attended the complete four-class series at Bauhaus. The series is composed of
Basic Woodworking Hand Tools Power Tools Furniture Design
Up until starting classes, I had no formal woodworking training and just a little practical experience, though I had assembled the major shop components. With that level of experience going in, I found the Basic Woodworking mostly review of things I already knew, but some good information. My favorite was the hand tools class, which is one of the main reasons I attended. I wanted to get some instruction and experience using hand tools (chisels, mallet, hand saws, etc.) If nothing else, it will make you appreciate your mortising machine. The power tools class was also enjoyable and easier on my mallet-swinging arm. Honestly, I felt as though I got the least out of the furniture design class. At the beginning there is some instruction, but you quickly get to the point of coming up with something you want to design, drawing it up, Berthold critiqing it, you work on it more during class and at home, you bring it back in, and the cycle continues. Perhaps I expected too much.
All in all, I was happy with my experience and would recommend it to others. They recently moved, and I just checked their web site
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and the address has been updated. They're basically now on the north side of Chicago at Clark and Devon. By the way, it appears that they have changed their name to Chicago Bauhaus Academy.
If you have any other questions about Bauhaus, feel free to contact me.
spot on and thanks alot. I will pop up and sign up sometime next week. Seems that you have done exactly what I intend to do. Thank you for the kind offer of further help, I will take you up on it. Thanks again.
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