Class Schedule Update – COVID 19
We have been receiving inquiries about our course schedule due to COVID-19. At this point, we are not planning to offer any classes during the Winter of 2021. A guitar making class may be offered during the Fall of 2021. That said, if you have a specific training need, or need some assistance with a project, please reach out for options. We have also received some recent inquiries for custom projects. Our instructors are taking on more custom work during the pandemic, so please contact us if you have a commission in mind for a piece of...
read more2019 Guitar Making Class at Maplewood!
We will soon be announcing dates for the 2019 Guitar Making Class at Maplewood taught by Martin Macica. Check back soon for updates or check Marty’s site at www.macica.com for more information about this upcoming class. At this point, we are not offering basic hand tool workshops, so we can focus on training another class of young woodworkers. However, please don’t hesitate to contact us if you are interested in a custom class.
read moreThanks for Another Great Season!
We have just completed our 5th year of operation, culminating with a guitar-building intensive class with Martin Macica. We will be posting the 2018 workshop schedule in February, so be sure to get on our mailing list if you would like to receive updates. Also, feel free to contact us if you have a specific woodworking project or class in mind. See you in 2018.
read moreSaratoga Woodworking Showcase
For the 5th year in a row, we will have our regular booth at the NWA Woodworking Showcase in Saratoga next weekend (April 1 and 2, 2017). In addition to our regular activities and demonstrations at our booth, three of our presenters will also be featured demonstrators. Martin Macica will be teaching “Edge Joining Made Simple” at 3:30pm on Saturday, Jacob Fruchter will be teaching “Hand Tools for Finish Carpentry” at 10:30am and Logan Simms will be teaching Sharpening & Using Card Scrapers at 12:00pm on Sunday. ...
read moreThanks for a Great Season!
We’ve had a great season here at Maplewood with full workshops and lots of activity! Our 1 Day Sharpening and 1 Day Joinery Saturday classes were very well received. A few of the classes went into the early evening, with a lot of ground to cover in one day, but participants seemed to enjoy the opportunity to learn the basic skills of sharpening or joinery in a single day. We’ve also had good feedback on some of our newer classes, including a dovetail drawer class taught by Arien and Jacob. Our 4th annual Hand Plane Restoration...
read moreMaplewood Video!
Here is a video showing the Maplewood workshop in full swing! Many class participants have told us they enjoy learning in our spacious timber-framed woodshop. Our facility is equipped with 18 hand-made workbenches and complete sets of hand tools, so those attending classes do not need to bring tools (unless they would rather use their own). Don’t forget to check out our class schedule for details and registration information on upcoming workshops
read moreHardwood Spatula Workshop
Our 7 week Hand Tool Skill Building Series ends with a class in Shaping Wood. It is an excellent way to learn about grain direction and curved work. Here you can see some of the hardwood spatulas that participants made as they honed their shaping skills using spokeshaves and other hand tools. Use the subscribe area to the right to sign up for updates on upcoming classes. We are considering offering this 6 week series on Friday afternoons this Fall (Nov-Dec.) The six weeks cover the following skills: Sharpening Chisels...
read moreBuilding Hand Tool Skills
We are half way through our six-week Thursday hand tool skill building series. In the first two sessions, participants learned to sharpen chisels and planes. In the 3rd session, instrument maker Martin Macica taught the principles of hand-cut dovetail joinery using traditional methods and tools. The class consists of both beginners and experienced woodworkers looking to add some techniques to their repertoire. Jeff Kadlic, who owns his own guitar making company Champtone Guitars, participated in the first two weeks of these classes to...
read moreHand Plane Restoration Class (with slideshow and video)
Can an old rusty Stanley hand plane really be brought back to better-than-new condition in only a few hours? In our recent hand plane restoring class, fifteen woodworkers spent their Saturday cleaning, flattening and sharpening a plane that would become theirs to keep. By the end of the day, everyone was using these old Stanley #4 workhorses to raise panels, create roundovers, plane rough stock four-square and take shavings of less than one-thousandth of an inch. We spent the morning going through the three stages of restoring these...
read moreTimber Framing Class (with video)
We always enjoy our Introduction to Timber Framing Class here at Maplewood. Participants spent three days building a timber-framed sawhorse that incorporates three traditional timber framing joints, including the angled knee brace. This is a “hand-tool only” workshop, so beams are crosscut with hand saws and mortises are drilled with antique beam drills (otherwise know as a “boring” machine or beam auger). Maplewood instructor Nick Richards uses traditional layout and joinery methods to allow participants to see...
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