Mastery Program Blog
This new blog chronicles the work of our current mastery students. For more information on Mastery Programs, contact The Northwest Woodworking Studio for a program prospectus.
December 2011
I like to say that The Northwest Woodworking Studio is a place where Tradition and Innovation meet. It is true, of course, but there is such a love of tradition here that when I walk into The Studio and it looks like the set from a mad scientist movie it takes me a couple of minutes to adjust. Our new residents, Tom and Tyler, are certainly not afraid of trying new things. Or fire.
An important element of instruction for our Mastery Students is the development of their own signature style. You are never going to learn or grow if you are afraid to experiment. Through experimentation our students get to know what interests and what motivates them. They get to know a little bit more about who they really are.
Tyler is artificially aging a bit of copper wire here for use in his Low Table project. That terrifying concoction he is stirring ended up adding a wonderful patina to the copper wire that give it a great aged look in very little time. The recipe is simple:
1/3 oz. Ammonium Chloride, 3 oz. Cupric Sulphate, 1 qt. water
He heated the copper and the chemical mixture to 200 degrees Fahrenheit then brushed it onto the heated copper. The longer it sat the better the patina became.
His sample pieces were pretty neat looking when they dried, but when I went back later to have another look the artificial aging had really kicked in and they looked amazing.
Tom, our other Resident Mastery Student, was working on some brilliant inlay work at the same time so I was surprised when I went into his work area and saw him also standing over a little burner filled with a multitude of wooden shapes. I had seen him working on the sample that will eventually be a part of his low table earlier in the week, but he had decided that the inlay didn’t pop as much as he would have liked and began to explore ways of changing that. Rather than work just with complimentary woods he chose to work with fire. I think you’ll agree that the experiment paid off. The darkened edges of the inlaid wood not only add wonderful colors, but help to add a sense of depth.
I will be sure to post photographs of the finished pieces here so you can see the results of this experimentation for yourself. The great thing about this kind of work, however, is that you always learn from it. Sometimes you will get great furniture out of it as well but that is almost secondary to the exploration of new techniques.
April 2011
Our Distance Mastery students are in the Studio the week for their Spring Intensive, and they are certainly making the most of their time. Over the three days they will be spending here they are not only learning a ton about design, they are expected to apply it! This meeting their discussions include inlay and they will have designed and created a sample board in time for their showcase discussion on Saturday.
The highlight of the intensive, for me at least, is to see the students build and use their own hand planes. A hand plane becomes part of a woodworker when they are focused on their craft, and I can think of no better way to jump start that connection than by building one yourself.
The students are also learning some tricks for properly fitting frame and panel doors, and a well-tuned plane can be invaluable for this task. Because the students cannot reasonably bring their large cabinet constructions with them to our Portland Studio, they are encouraged to bring the hinges they intend to use and the whole class gets a lesson on how to fit properly for those particular hinges. It’s a great way to get a variety of information that might not otherwise come up in the basics of door fitting. Of course, we all love Krenov so knife hinges will certainly get their moment in the spotlight.
Because the focus of this intensive is cabinets and hand planes there is a lot that will be packed into these lessons. On top of finishing their hand planes, inlay boards, and knife hinged doors the students are learning a lot about design. Everything from raised panels to cabinet feet and plinths is being covered.
With any hands on woodworking training the real treasures are the techniques learned. This is the stuff that you can’t learn from books and you can only incorporate through practice. Right now the students are learning coving on the table saw, which is a handy thing to know, and lots more will be covered before the session is over.
November
2010
Our new Resident students have launched into several small projects for this year. Strangely enough, Rob and John both come from Austin, Texas. Not that Austin is strange nor did their leaving Austin occur under dead of night or unauspicious circumstance. No, they are both from down there, found bench space at the Studio and have started to work hard to become furniture makers. Both exhibit a keen design sense and a willingness to work hard, attributes in high demand in the Resident Program. We welcome them and look forward to their progress. Check back this year and see what they’re up to.
December 2010
After weeks of lessons and laboring on the beech, Rob and John put the final touches on building their own workbench. With this accomplishment, our Residents gain the right of passage to private work space in the studio’s loft. Next up: Side Tables
