Woodworking Classes?

[Corner of My Mind]

Hi,

I'm new to this newsgroup...been lurking for a week.

I live in Broward County, Florida, US and am interested in picking up woodworking as a hobby and to do home improvements like built-ins or trim work. The time I have available are night and weekends.

Last time I worked with wood was in high school (late 1980s) and I remember I wasn't very good.

I'm trying to think of different options available for me to learn.

• Reading: * This newgroup * Searching google * Books

• Hands-on: * Community College Class? (I'll have to search and see if this is available in my area) * Volunteering for FREE with a local woodworking business. May not make sense since they are probably on open the same hours I'm at work. * Find a new friend? I don't know anyone in the area that does woodworking. (I wonder if there are any clubs in the area that people meet physically instead of online.)

I really believe I would learn best by seeing someone do something, with me helping, and later doing it all by myself.

Any other ideas?

Who taught you? Your dad? friend? some other way?

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

[Toller]

I have taken courses at area high schools. Look into local adult/continuing ed.

I can't see them letting you do anything but sand.

Personally I like being alone when woodworking, but perhaps others don't.

[RonB]

I too, took woodworking i High School. As I recall it was a class in applied vandalism :^)

Since then, I have pretty much been on my own. I have learned a lot through hands on experience, mistakes, reading and challenging myself.

However, I did take a class in Intro Cabinetmaking at the local university several years ago; and I consider it very benificial. The class was taught by a very demanding instructor and they provided an excellent textbook. The book is available today (30 years later) - "Cabinetmaking and Millwork - Feirer". My book is technically dated with regard to equipment, adhesives, etc. However, it is an excellent source of "how-to" that will never be obsolete. My version is over 900 pages. I have seen it, and a teaching guide, in Amazon during recent years. Expect to pay for it - it is a textbook. However Amazon usually have previous versions or used books at a good price.

[Morris Dovey]

| I live in Broward County, Florida, US and am interested in picking | up woodworking as a hobby and to do home improvements like | built-ins or trim work. The time I have available are night and | weekends. | | Last time I worked with wood was in high school (late 1980s) and I | remember I wasn't very good. | | I'm trying to think of different options available for me to learn. | * Reading: | * This newgroup

This is a good place to ask questions. Many of the people posting have links to their web sites in their sigs, and you can find answers to questions you'd never think to ask by browsing them.

Keep an eye on news:alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking to see what people are working on (or have just finished working on).

There's a home repair newsgroup that might be helpful for some of what you're interested in.

| * Searching google

STFW is always a good idea. Sometimes an image search turns up what you might have difficulty finding with a site search.

| * Books

Of course. Browse your library as well as the web.

| * Hands-on: | * Community College Class? (I'll have to search and see if this is | available in my area)

Don't forget to check for high school adult ed programs.

| * Volunteering for FREE with a local woodworking business. May | not make sense since they are probably on open the same hours I'm | at work.

Somehow I suspect that you won't be received with much enthusiasm, BICBW.

| * Find a new friend? I don't know anyone in the area | that does woodworking. (I wonder if there are any clubs in the | area that people meet physically instead of online.)

Unless you already have too many friends, this is a great idea. Keep your ears peeled for the sound of woodworking equipment coming from garages in your neighborhood on Saturday afternoons. Avoid wasting peoples' time, but don't be bashful about asking if they'd be willing to answer future questions.

| I really believe I would learn best by seeing someone do something, | with me helping, and later doing it all by myself.

Ok - but don't be afraid to learn the safety rules for the tool 'something' takes and then giving it a try on your own.

| Any other ideas?

I found it helpful to learn to work with hand tools before I bought the power tool to do the job faster. It wastes less wood and perepares you to use the power tool more safely.

| Who taught you? Your dad? friend? some other way?

Mostly I learned by making mistakes - but that was before the advent of usenet and on-line sharing of experience and advice. There's a lot to be said for making mistakes and spending the time to figure out /why/ it was a mistake. Just don't make mistakes that cause bodily damage.

HTH

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

[SWDeveloper]

There are numerous books, although it's more difficult to grasp a technique from words. There are a few woodworking shows on TV/Cable. I've learned techniques even though I did not build the specific project. Classes can be expensive but if you have the cash that will work well. Our local Woodcraft has classes. I learned what I know from my dad, TV, books, videos, craft fairs, etc. Woodworking is mostly a solitary activity.

[John Flatley]

Check with the Woodcraft store in Pompano Beach, 1157 South Federal Highway. Their phone is 954.785.6321.

The Woodcraft stores have a pretty good lineup of classes at reasonable prices. I've taken Woodcraft classes in Orlando and Jacksonville. (A Note of Caution: I'm finding there may be some truth in the adage about old dogs and new tricks!)

The Woodcraft stores can also give you information on local woodworking and woodturning clubs.

You might also check the Constantine's store in Ft. Lauderdale for classes and clubs.

Good hunting and welcome aboard,

John Flatley Jacksonville, Florida

[Corner of My Mind]

This seems like an excellent idea. Thanks.

They have 22 classes taught at the nearest location. Of those, I'm guessing the following 3 would be most beneficial for a newbie like me:

• "Woodturning 101 & 201" - 2 Days (15 hours total - lunches?) for 0

• "Tablesaws from A to Z" - 1 Day for

• "Learning the Router" - 1 Day (5.5 hours - lunch?) for + materials

So, for about $400 I can become a pro :)

I didn't find any classes listed on their website

but I'll drop by and get to know the place as well as Woodcraft store

Thank you.

[Corner of My Mind]

I'll spend some time navigating the links. Thanks.

ok.

found it... alt.home.repair

"image search"... great idea.

That's interesting... I always assumed adult education was handled by local community college. I guess high schools do that also.

That's interesting, I would have thought power tools used up less wood because you could make more precise cuts.

That's probably my main concern right now... not cutting off a finger... I kind of like having 10 of them. Wasting time and material isn't as big of a concern but would also like to avoid.

[Corner of My Mind]

I don't remember any destruction in my class unless you count the countless trees that died to make ugly looking benches, lopsided baseball bats, and countless other atrocities. :)

[Corner of My Mind]

Yes, I feel that way too. That is why I was more interested in hands-on type learning.

I think the only shows I get are the ones that air on HGTV. I only pay for basic cable.

I'm hoping the initial upfront costs of buying tools and learning are soon recovered (and then some) by savings between building things versus buying them. Plus I'm hoping custom built built-ins look better than store bought shelves.

[Corner of My Mind]

Another person mentioning high schools. I really didn't even imagine high schools would offer such courses. I always thought local community colleges where the adult education venues.

Yep...I can image that also. They probably don't want to waste time training someone, watching them make mistakes that eat us resources, and incurring liabilities when they get very little in return.

I can see why this is probably true for many. You probably want to focus 100% on what you are doing without having someone else around bumping into you, creating noise, and distracting your artistic endeavor.

But perhaps an older person that stopped doing woodwork because they could no longer easily move large pieces of wood would welcome a helper and in return teach the knowledge they have acquired through a lifetime?

[Lee Michaels]

I had a good high school shop experience. The teacher was a safety fanatic and forced all of us to identify and know every part of each tool before we could use them. We had to pass a written test for each tool. That kind of stuff stays with you for a lifetime. He was a part of the the first special forces in WW II.

We had a couple whackos in the class though. One guy decided to become an expert in making wooden penises. They were incredibly lifelike too. By the end of the year he could whip out two or three in one 50 minute class period. They were unfinished though. The teacher inspected all finishes.

He actually snuck around and carried a project with him to quickly subsitute if the teacher came near. He never got caught. He did develop excellent bandsaw and sander technique.

[Drew Lawson]

Be sure to check the PBS listings. That's where I get my fix of "New Yankee Workshop" and "Woodwright's Shop" (for opposite ends of the power tool spectrum).

(Back to lurking, while pondering what would happen if Norm and Roy collaborated on a show.)

[alexy]

I'm sure we've all used that rationalization. But don't kid yourself. You will not know when to use cheap materials and when to use better, so you will buy all good stuff and spend more on materials than a pro will. Or you will cut corners when you shouldn't, then have to throw away the bad materials and replace with good, spending more on materials than a pro will. Or you will screw up something and end up spending more on materials than a pro will.

DAMHIKT!!!

And often when making something, you will not be willing to accept the compromises that you find perfectly acceptable when buying a finished piece of furniture.

P.S. I still use that rationalization, but it is not myself that I am trying to convince.

That, to me, is a better reason for doing the work, if you need one other than enjoying it.

[shawn]

If I had to pick one, I would do the Table saw. Then the router class

[Larry Blanchard]

Look and see if there's a Woodcraft store somewhere in the vicinity. I work at one (on the other side of the country) and we have various classes every weekend and on many weekdays and evenings.

[Larry Blanchard]

Oh, I don't know. Turning can keep some of us occupied for years and there's a lot less tools required. One lathe, a half dozen gouges, scrapers, and chisels, a grinder, and maybe a few sharpening jigs and the OP is in business. Add a chuck and a couple of extra jaw sets after the initial practicing. The whole thing could be done for around $1000, although I'd spring for the new General mini-lathe with the swiveling head which would add around $300 more.

And in many cases, practice wood is free.

Of course, there's a lot more turning stuff out there to spend money on if you're a tool junkie - DAMHIKT :-).

[alexy]

Depends on the kind of work you want to do. Turning is a whole 'nuther game. Many of us woodwork for years without ever turning--but I for one occasionally get the itch. Fundamentals of woodworking sounds like a good into course, although heavily power tool oriented.

Someone else mentioned hand tools. I agree with a caveat: if you don't learn to sharpen them properly, and get some instruction on use, you will probably frustrate yourself, and have a harder time creating okay results than you can with power tools. However, if you learn to use them well, you will be much better at reading wood, which will make you a better power tool woodworker. IMHO, you will do your best work eventually by using both power and hand tools effectively.

[Mortimer Schnerd, RN]

In this area, the local community college offers night classes in various locations, including several area high schools. The high schools themselves don't offer anything to adults... and damned little to the kids, but that's another story.

[Morris Dovey]

|| I found it helpful to learn to work with hand tools before I bought || the power tool to do the job faster. It wastes less wood and || perepares you to use the power tool more safely. | | That's interesting, I would have thought power tools used up less | wood because you could make more precise cuts.

That was my initial thought, too - so I started out with a RAS ("does everything" ), a bandsaw, a shaper, and a drill press. What I discovered was that 90% of the mistakes were complete before I actually realized that I'd made a mistake, and that 90% of the time the mistake called for a "board stretcher" or an "unsaw" for recovery.

When I backed up and forced myself to learn to use hand tools first, I began paying attention to the grain and how different woods responded to being cut. The most-used tool in my shop today is a CNC router - but for those jobs in which I have any emotional investment, I still pull out my chisel roll, a plane (or three), and a scraper to clean up things my eyes can't see but my fingertips tell me aren't quite right yet.

When I moved back from hand to power tools I discovered that I'd developed a better sense of what would "work", higher standards and expectations, and an inclination to consider what I'd experienced using hand tools before I fired up the power tool.

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA