About
This class has pre-requisites. Please see below.
Make a sturdy lidded box with hand-cut dovetail corner joints as you build your woodworking skills and learn fundamental steps common to all hand-cut joinery.
Starting with rough-cut poplar, you will go through all the steps of constructing a box about 6 inches wide, 12 inches long and 3½ to 4 inches tall. You will learn to mill parts precisely to the dimensions you need, using the jointer, planer and table saw. Then you will learn how to design, lay out and mark the dovetails, and how to cut them accurately and efficiently using hand saws and chisels. You'll also learn tricks for getting a perfect fit. Depending on the pace of the class, you will finish your box using a combination of hand and power tools.
Dovetails started out as a practical solution to keep drawers from coming apart as people tugged and pushed them in and out. Today, they still serve that purpose. But, in an era when there are also machine-assisted ways to join wood at right angles, projects with hand-cut dovetails are also a code for fine craftsmanship.
Details:
- Ages 14+ are welcome.
- This class is open to students who have taken Orientation to the Woodshop, Woodshop Tool Safety Checkout 1 and either Woodworking Basics: Hand Tools (previously titled Beginning Woodworking: Hand Tools) or other hand tool experience approved by the instructor. To contact the instructor, please email woodclasses@bainbridgebarn.org. For the other requirements, please login to your BARN account and click on "My event registrations" to ensure you will have completed the required classes before this one begins.
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Please click here for BARN's current COVID-19 health & safety protocols.
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You must wear safety glasses and closed-toe shoes, tie back long hair, and avoid loose-fitting clothing and jewelry. We recommend bringing your own safety glasses.
- BARN is committed to accessibility. Tuition assistance is available - click here to fill out the simple application before registering for a class. For those who might need physical assistance, please learn about BARN's Companion Program here.
Instructor: Ted Newman. Ted studied woodworking and has assisted in classes at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine. He is active in BARN's woodworker group and volunteers as a safety monitor.
