- Be sure to check out the DAILY CLASS SCHEDULE here.
- For more information on each instructor, check out the INSTRUCTOR DETAILS here.
Carving
- Beginning Woodcarving
By Everett Ellenwood- Noon to 1pm
- This class will show you the basic skills that will allow you to enjoy the art of woodcarving. Everett Ellenwood, author of “The Complete Book of Woodcarving,” provides beginner tips, techniques, and information.
- Carving a Five-Minute Wizard or Santa Christmas Tree Ornament (HANDS-ON)
By Tom Hindes- 9am to 11am
- Learn to carve a simple wizard or Santa ornament with just a knife. Tom Hindes shows easy ways to carve little projects anywhere with just a knife. Tools: carving knife.
- Carving a Caricature Santa Ornament (HANDS-ON)
By Floyd Rhadigan- 9am to 11am
- Learn to carve a Santa head ornament shaped like a Christmas tree bulb. Floyd Rhadigan, a Caricature Carver of American and the author of “Carving Fantasy Characters,” teaches how to carve this clever design. Tools: palm tool and knives. Rough out fee: $5 (cash only).
- Carving a Caricature Letter Opener (HANDS-ON)
By Floyd Rhadigan- 11:30am to 1:30pm
- Carve a letter opener with a caricature face on the handle with Floyd Rhadigan, a Caricature Carver of American and the author of “Carving Fantasy Creatures.” Tools: palm tool and knives. Rough out fee: $5 (cash only)
- Carving an Elephant Coat Hook (HANDS-ON)
By Bob Hershey- 11am to 2pm
- Bob Hershey teaches carvers how to carve a cute caricature elephant head that doubles as a coat hook from a roughout. Tools: carving knife, palm tools, especially a 3/8″ (10mm)-wide medium-sweep gouge and a 1/4″ (6mm) V-tool. Rough out fee: $25 (cash only).
- Carving a Realistic Human Eye
By Everett Ellenwood- 9am to 10:30am
- Learn how to carve a realistic human eye from Everett Ellenwood, author of “The Complete Book of Woodcarving.” In addition to a demonstration, Everett has handouts and props to support the educational process as he carves the eye from start to finish.
- Carving a Small Caricature Animal from a Roughout (HANDS-ON)
By Floyd Rhadigan- 2pm to 5pm
- Floyd Rhadigan, a Caricature Carver of American and the author of “Carving Fantasy Characters,” gives students the choice of four rough outs to start with for this caricature carving class. Students can choose from a moos, turtle, beaver, or a horse. Tools: palm tool and knives. Rough out fee: $12 (cash only).
- Carving a Whimsical Bark House (HANDS-ON)
By Rick Jensen- 9am to Noon
- Learn how to carve a whimsical house out of cottonwood bark. Rick Jensen, the 2014 Woodcarving Illustrated Woodcarver of the year, will show carvers how to create a bark house. Tools: 3/4″ or 1″ #5 fishtail gouge, 1/8″ (3mm) to 1/4″ (6mm) #3 long-bent #3 gouge, 1/2″ (or 12mm) #8 short-bent gouge, 1/2″ (13mm) #3 gouge, long-blade knife, detail knife, 3/8″ (10mm) to 1/2″ (or 12mm) V-tool, 1/16″ (2mm) to 3/32” (4mm) V-tool; 1/2″ (13mm) skew chisel, needle files. Bark fee: $10 (cash only).
- Carving Design
By Vic Hood- 3:30pm to 4:30pm
- Vic Hood, Woodcarving Illustrated’s 2011 Woodcarver of the Year and an award winning carver, shares his methods for designing carving. Vic takes you through the design process from sketch to completed carving.
- Elements of Design for Chip Carving
By Wayne Barton- 12:30pm to 1:30pm
- Learn how to design your own chip carving patterns. Master chip carver Wayne Barton explains the five important aspects for designing patterns and how to put them together for a good design.
- Getting Started Bark Carving
By Rick Jensen- 2pm to 3pm
- Learn how to get started carving cottonwood bark from Woodcarving Illustrated’s 2014 Woodcarver of the Year, Rick Jensen, one of the most respected and popular bark carving instructors. Come prepared to ask Rick anything!
- How to Begin Chip Carving
By Wayne Barton- 9am to 10am
- Find out what tools you need to start chip carving, and how to use them. Learn the best woods for chip carving. Then, watch chip carving master Wayne Barton demonstrate how to make the basic chip carving cuts.
- How to Sharpen Carving Tools
By Everett Ellenwood- 3pm to 4:30pm
- Carving with dull tools is an exercise in frustration. Everett Ellenwood, author of “The Complete Book of Woodcarving” and the instructor featured in the “Sharpening Simplified” DVD demonstrates how to sharpen carving knives, gouges, V-tools, and micro carving tools to produce a perfect cutting edge.
- Whittling the Small Gnome (HANDS-ON)
By Tom Hindes- 1pm to 4pm
- With just a knife, Tom Hindes will help the intermediate woodcarver/whittler how to create a fun gnome carving. Tools: carving knife.
- Power Carving Basics
By Keoma McCaffrey- 1:30pm to 3pm
- “I have a Dremel, now what?” Veteran power carver Keoma McCaffrey walks you through the best bits to start with, and how to get used to your rotary tool. Then, she demonstrates how to carve a simple basket from a walnut shell, and will help beginners to carve their own basket. Sponsored by Proxxon.
Scroll Sawing
- Advanced Scrolling Techniques
By Rolf Beuttenmuller- 3:30pm to 4:30pm
- “What are the best blades for cutting intricate fretwork? What is the easiest way to cut a wooden gear? How can I create large, stable scrolling blanks?” Rolf Beuttenmuller, a long-time test cutter and fabricator for Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts shares his techniques for cutting intricate, difficult, and delicate project.
- Beginning Scroll Saw
By Shawn Ferguson- 3:30pm to 4:30pm
- You are interested in scroll sawing, but how do you get started? What is the difference between the all of these saws and blades. How do you cut a puzzle, or a fretwork clock, or intarsia? What other tools do you need? Shawn Ferguson covers these topics and more in this class designed to introduce anyone to the art of scroll sawing.
- Freestanding Puzzles
By Judy Peterson- 12:20pm to 1:30pm
- Author and popular puzzle designer Judy Peterson discusses how to design and make her signature free-standing puzzles. Judy’s puzzles range from fantasy creatures, to specific dog and cat breeds, and she sells her work to collectors around the country. Judy will discuss how to design, cut, and finish the puzzles.
- Getting Started in Intarsia
By Judy Gale Roberts- 2pm to 3pm
- Judy Gale Roberts, the prolific author and designer attributed with re-introducing intarsia to the United States, provides all the information a beginner needs to start creating intarsia. Judy covers wood selection, tools needed,working with patterns, cutting pieces, shaping, assembling, and finishing an intarsia project.
- How to Build a Better Bowl
By Carole Rothman- 9am to 10:30am
- In this class, Carole Rothman, author of Wooden Bowls From the Scroll saw, and frequent contributor to Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts, will discuss bowl design. Some of the topics in this class include choosing the shape and ring width, adding interest with laminations, using multiple ring sets,and creative treatment of the top edges.
- The Multidimensional Jigsaw Puzzle
By Shawn Ferguson- 2pm to 3pm
- Shawn Ferguson shares tips and techniques to cut his favorite type of puzzle to craft. The Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, N. Y., recently acquired one of Shawn’s multidimensional puzzles, and he has received a lot of questions about how to cut these puzzles.
- This class is a group effort. Shawn will cut a small multidimensional puzzle, explaining the technique along the way, while using student volunteers to assist in the gluing process. Every time Shawn cuts out a cluster of pierces, elements of these clusters will need to be glued together, and the students, using small medicine cups of wood glue and toothpicks, will learn how to glue the elements together.
- Other class members will help choose and place figurals into the design.
- The class would culminate with the class assembling the puzzle and a lucky student will get to take the puzzle home.
- How to Start an Arts and Crafts Business
By Judy Peterson- 12:30pm to 1:30pm
- Students will learn how to start and continue an arts and crafts business based on Judy Peterson’s successful business and life on the craft show circuit.
- The class discusses displaying your work, pricing your work, and how to choose a good show.
- “May the Grain Be With You!” Intarsia Tips and Tricks
By Judy Gale Roberts- 9am to 10:30am
- Learn the tips and tricks of a master intarsia artist. Judy Gale Roberts, the prolific author and designer attributed with re-introducing intarsia to the United States, shares her wealth of intarsia knowledge. Judy will show how to use wood grain and color variations to accent your design, as well as sharing other techniques to help you create the best intarsia projects possible.
- The Multidimensional Jigsaw Puzzle
By Shawn Ferguson- 2pm to 3pm
- Shawn Ferguson shares tips and techniques to cut his favorite type of puzzle to craft. The Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, N. Y., recently acquired one of Shawn’s multidimensional puzzles, and he has received a lot of questions about how to cut these puzzles.
- This class is a group effort. Shawn will cut a small multidimensional puzzle, explaining the technique along the way, while using student volunteers to assist in the gluing process. Every time Shawn cuts out a cluster of pierces, elements of these clusters will need to be glued together, and the students, using small medicine cups of wood glue and toothpicks, will learn how to glue the elements together.
- Other class members will help choose and place figurals into the design.
- The class would culminate with the class assembling the puzzle and a lucky student will get to take the puzzle home.
- Scroll Saw Maintenance and Blade Selection
By Ray Seymore- 12:30pm to 1:30pm
- Ray Seymore, owner of Seyco, will cover scroll saw maintenance, specifically for DeWalt and Excalibur saws. Ray will also discuss blade selection based on the project and wood choice.
Turning
- Beginning Turning
By Tom Deneen- 10:30am to 11:30am
- Are you interested in learning to turn wood? Tom Deneen provides expert advice on what hand tools and lathe attachments you need to turn different projects, from pens to bowls to spindles. Tom also discusses where to find or purchase turning blanks, and will demonstrate how the basic cuts and how to finish a turned project.
- Clear Casting a Pen Using Polyester Resin
By Barry Gross- Noon to 1:30pm
- Barry Gross demonstrates how to create a clear casted pen using polyester resin. Then, Barry will demonstrated how to turn the acrylic pen blank.
- Creating a Fine Writing Instrument
By Barry Gross- 9am to 10:30am
- Turning a pen on a lathe with the emphasis on what tools will be necessary. Barry Gross, author of “Pen Turner’s Workbook,” also demonstrated two finishing techniques: cyanoacrylate (CA) glue and a friction finish.
- Segmented Turning
By Leo Deller- 2pm to 3pm
- This class, by turner Leo Deller, will teach you to save money, reduce mess, and create unique turned pieces by gluing up blanks from small chunks of wood. While it takes longer to create the blank, you don’t end up turning good wood into shavings (reducing waste and cleanup), you can control the grain direction of the pieces (to prevent catching) and you can use small pieces of exotic and expensive woods in whatever combination you want. Leo shows you how to get started creating segmented turning blank and how to turn and finish a segmented turning project.
- Sharpening Turning Tools
By Don Wilson- 12:30pm to 1:30pm
- Don Wilson demonstrates the proper techniques to sharpen turning gouges, skews, and scrapers. He also demonstrates how to add a fingernail grind to a bowl gouge.
- Turning Bowls
By Tom Deneen- 3:30pm to 5pm
- Lathe turned bowls are popular projects that range from simple to complex. Tom Deneen demonstrates good turning techniques for bowls of all kinds. He also explains what tools and lathe attachments you need to turn bowls, how to prepare the blanks, and how to smooth and apply the finish to the completed bowl.
- Turning Spindles
By Don Wilson- 9am to 10am
- Learn to turn spindles and other long, thin project from experience turner Don Wilson. In addition to basic turning techniques, Don will discuss how to support long thin objects while you turn them (to prevent them from breaking as you turn).
Pyrography / Woodburning
- Burning Celtic Knots (HANDS-ON)
By Jo Schwartz- 2:30pm to 5pm
- Choose from one of three projects and learn to carve a Celtic Knot design. Jo Schwartz will walk you through the process starting from transferring the pattern, through the burning process, and finally finishing the project. Razertip and Walnut Hollow are sponsoring the class, so some wood burners will be available for students to use, but if you have a burner, bring it. Blanks will be provided free of charge by Heineke Wood Products.
- Making Pyrography Patterns
By Michele Parsons- 9am to 10am
- Learn how to make your own custom pyrography patterns. Michele Parsons demonstrates how to create a pattern from a photo, which an emphasis on identifying the different levels of shades and tones.
- The Shading Whisperer
By Jo Schwartz- 12:30pm to 2pm
- In this class, pyrographer Jo Schwartz shares her techniques for “smooth shading” in pyrography projects. This technique produces more realistic and pleasing designs.
- Woodburning on 3-D Objects
By Michele Parsons- 10:30am to 11:30am
- Woodburning on 3-D objects, such as wooden boxes, bowl, and vessels presents special challenges to would-be burners. Curved surfaces, awkward holding positions, and lack of hand support make these projects difficult, but Michele Parsons will demonstrate how to deal with these challenges. Michele will cover safety, surface preparation, choice of designs, pen nibs, facing the challenge of hand support and holding the objects, tips for wood burning, correcting mistakes, and coloring and finishing.
- Woodburning 101: Making a Name Tag (HANDS-ON)
By Michele Parsons- 2:30pm to 4pm
- In this hands-on class, Michele Parsons will cover safety, wood selection, surface preparation, the basic types of nibs and how to use them, correcting mistakes, and coloring and finishing. Then, students will apply this material to make their own personalized name tag. If you have a burner, bring it with you.
General Woodworking
- Easy Finishing
By Vic Hood- 10:30am to 11:30am
- Vic Hood, Woodcarving Illustrated’s 2011 Woodcarver of the Year, is also a professional historic restoration contractor. In this class, Vic shares easy finishing techniques for all kinds of woodworking, not just carving.