The Furnituremaking Workshops @ J. Miller Handcrafted Furniture
offer a wide range of hands-on workshops and classes in the craft
of making furniture.
In the furniture workshops, everyone in the class works on
a piece of furniture - typically a table or chair - learning skills
in context, but also getting a sense of the complete furnituremaking
process. These workshops are a great introduction to the shop
for beginners, and are also a great way for more experienced
woodworkers
to step up to a higher level of craftsmanship. The skill workshops
concentrate on a particular woodworking skill (such as cutting
a specific joint) in depth, for those who want to improve their
work that way. The Essentials classes (Tablesaw Essentials in this schedule) are lecture/demonstrations,
which focus on mastering the tools used in making furniture, or
on the things you need to know for building certain types of furniture.
Classes are small in size - 6 to 8 in a hands-on workshop,
and up to 12 in a lecture demonstration - and can accommodate
a wide range of skill levels, from novices to professionals looking
to refine their craft or explore a new area of furnituremaking.
Workshops range from a single weekend afternoon to a full forty-hour
week.
For a simple schedule
of workshops offered, click here.
For more general information about
the workshops, the shop itself, and a brief bio of Jeff Miller,
click here.
Private lessons are also available, where you can work
with Jeff one-on-one on the topic or project of your choice. Please
call for more information.
We also offer an apprenticeship program
for the woodworker with a demonstrated commitment to furniture
making.
Winter/Spring 2012
Furniture Workshops
Making a Slat-Back Chair
This new class takes you through the building of a
curved slat-back chair, and deals with some of the more interesting
complexities of curves and angles. This is an exceptionally comfortable
chair, largely because of the curved slats. We'll laminate the slats
from sawn strips of wood, creating a strong yet flexible back. Joinery
with angles and curves are a major part of building this chair.
Finishing and upholstery will be
discussed, but not done in class. Woodworking experience necessary.
|
|
|
Tuition.......... 975.00; wood not included; a cut list will be provided
Build a Slat-Back Chair: Monday, March 26 - Friday March 30, 9 AM - 5 PM
|
Registration
Top of page
Skill Workshops
Dovetail Workshop
In our Dovetail Workshop, you'll learn to cut
dovetails two ways: by hand, and using the tablesaw and bandsaw (with a
simple, terrifically versatile jig that you can easily make at home). A
one-day, hands-on workshop devoted to this functional and sometimes
frustrating joint. Why settle for the mechanical look of routed
dovetails when you can learn to cut beautiful dovetails with these
methods? Work on the key skills for hand-cut joints, and see how these
skills can be applied elsewhere in your woodworking.
|
|
|
Tuition.......... $100.00
Dovetail Workshop: Saturday, January 7, 2012, 12 - 5 PM
|
Registration
Top of page
Hand Tools 1 Workshop
For
many people, the mere thought of using hand tools to do fine work makes
them nervous. However, once you get past the initial obstacles, hand
tools can be a delight to use, and can offer incredibly precise contol.
In this class (which I've subtitled Taming Planes and Chisels), we'll
work on sharpening and tuning tools for effective use, and go into the
basic skills for hand tool use. I look forward to sharing some of my
enthusiasm for hand tools with you.
|
|
|
Tuition.......... $100.00
Hand Tools 1 Workshop: Saturday, January 14, 2012, 12 - 5 PM
|
Hand Tools 2 Workshop - Skill
Building
A
follow-up class to our Hand Tools Workshop, which will concentrate on a
variety of more advanced chisel, plane, and hand saw skills. Through a
series of exercises, you'll work on improving your command of these
tools. All of these exercises directly apply to actual use of hand
tools in common woodworking situations.
You will need to
bring tools that are sharp and well-tuned. Our Hand Tools 1 Workshop
covers this, and you should either have taken this class, or be certain
that your tools are at their best.
|
|
|
Tuition.......... $100.00
Hand Tool 2 Workshop: Saturday, January 21, 2012, 12 - 5 PM
|
Registration
Top of page
Furniture Design Workshop
Moving
from the idea of a piece of furniture to an actual piece requires
skills and techniques. There are also tools available that can help.
This workshop introduces the fundamental skills, techniqes and tools
that you need to work up your ideas and turn them into successful
designs. We'll also go through a number of exercises that can help
explore your design ideas, including creation of a small model.
|
|
|
|
Tuition.......... $100.00
Furniture Design Workshop: Saturday, February 4, 2012, 12 - 5 PM
|
|
The 'Magic' Tenoning Jig (and its companion Mortising Jig)
Over the last year, I have developed a pair of jigs that allow
you to produce amazingly accurate, repeatable mortise and tenon joints
by hand. As an added bonus, the tenoning jig actually helps you learn
to saw better freehand. This class is devoted to making and learning to
use these jigs. We'll build and adjust the tenoning jig to your
particular tenon saw, and make our mortise jigs to fit the tenons we
cut. A good tenoning saw is required for the class.
|
|
|
Tuition.......... $200.00
Magic Tenoning Jig Workshop: Saturday, February 11, 2012, 9 AM - 5 PM
|
Registration
Top of page
Mortise
and Tenon Joinery by Hand
The
most important and widely-used joint in furniture making
is one that many people spend much time and effort trying to avoid. But
cutting and fitting the joints by hand is not only possible; it's
surprisingly quick and fun to do. We'll work on chopping mortises,
sawing tenons, and then the curcial fitting of the joint. Lots of tips,
tricks, and techniques.
|
|
|
Tuition.......... $100.00
Mortise and Tenon Workshop: Saturday, February 18, 2012, 12 - 5 PM
|
Tablesaw Essentials
If you're using your table saw just for cutting wood to size,
you're not getting all you can out of it. In this class, we'll
cover a wide variety of jigs for turning your saw into a safer
and more versatile tool. Included will be a wide variety of joints,
duplication of parts, panel-raising, and much more. We'll also
cover the critical topics of tablesaw safety, basic tune-ups
and improvements you can make to your saw.
|
|
|
Tuition.......... $100.00
Tablesaw Essentials: Saturday, March 3, 2012, 1 - 5 PM
|
Finishing Workshop
The essentials of great finishing with methods that work well
at home, or in a pro shop (like ours) without full set-up for
spraying. We'll cover everything from surface preparation, coloring
wood, and a variety of topcoats, to methods for application.
Appropriate finishes for different types of projects will be
discussed, along with the pros and cons of different products
and methods.
|
|
|
Tuition.......... $100.00
Finishing Workshop: Saturday, March 17, 2012, 12 - 5 PM
|
Inlay Workshop
Inlay can be the perfect, virtuostic touch on a project. This
class will cover cutting the grooves both with a router and by
hand with a scratch stock, cutting and sizing stringing, inlaying
irregular shapes, hot sand shading and more.
Taught by Buck Johnson, our inlay expert.
|
|
|
Tuition.......... $100.00
Inlay Workshop: Saturday, April 14, 2012,, 12 - 5
PM
|
Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Event
This will be the fourth year that Lie-Nielsen Toolworks
will come to our shop (along with a number of other high quality
toolmakers and instructors). This is a fun, highly educational event,
and of course, a chance to try out (and purchase) some amazing
tools.
|
|
|
|
|
Free - No Reservations Needed
Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Event - hours to be determined, April 20 & 21, 2012
|
Shaping and Bending Curves
Mastering curves can open up a whole range of projects, and
help bring your woodworking to a new level. We'll discuss layout,
cutting, smoothing, and refining curves, including three dimensional
curves. Then we'll move on to bending curves by laminating thin layers
together. A variety of tools and jigs for doing curved work will be
covered. We'll also do some hot pipe bending.
|
|
|
|
|
Tuition.......... $100.00
Shaping and Bending Curves: Saturday, April 28, 2012, 12 - 5 PM
|
A Day of Hand Tools
This class combines the sharpening, tuning, and set-up
of Hand Tools 1 with the skill building and hand tool techniques of
Hand Tools 2 into a single day-long workshop (See the listings above
for complete descriptions of Hand Tools 1 and 2).
|
|
|
Tuition.......... $100.00
A Day of Hand Tools: Saturday, May 5, 2012, 9 AM - 5 PM
|
Dovetail Workshop
In our Dovetail Workshop, you'll learn to cut
dovetails two ways: by hand, and using the tablesaw and bandsaw (with a
simple, terrifically versatile jig that you can easily make at home). A
one-day, hands-on workshop devoted to this functional and sometimes
frustrating joint. Why settle for the mechanical look of routed
dovetails when you can learn to cut beautiful dovetails with these
methods? Work on the key skills for hand-cut joints, and see how these
skills can be applied elsewhere in your woodworking.
|
|
|
|
|
Tuition.......... $100.00
Dovetail Workshop: Saturday, May 12, 12 - 5 PM
|
Registration
Top of page
