School review-- MASW

[roger wiegand]

I had the good fortune to spend the last week learning to carve with Bob Yorburg at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking in Franklin, Indiana. Bob is a great carver, with particular expertise in carousel and amusement-related art, and a superb teacher, but I wanted to talk more about the school than the particular class. (Bob did take six of us from complete novices to being able to produce passable appliqués of flowers, shells, fruit, ribbons, and the beginnings of acanthus in five days, in my own case a near-miracle!)

The school is one of the most amazing places I've ever seen. It is huge, occupying 4-5 large (~100x200 ft) steel buildings, and far better equipped than any place I've ever been. My jaw dropped when I walked through the doors. More amazing to me was that I'd never heard of the place prior to being alerted to the course I took by the instructor. I don't see many references to it on this site, so I thought I'd bring it to your attention. Their catalog and web site are well worth a look.

There were several classes in progress while I was there. Twenty turners were each working on their own Oneway lathes in one room with Jimmy Clewes as the instructor. They produces a range of projects from colored and textured platters to calabashes to wooden drinking jugs. Another set of folks were building period reproduction serpentine front chests using hand tools wherever it mattered with Jeff Headley and Steve Hamilton. Another class was making small boxes with intricate marquetry. We were free to go from class to class during breaks and such to learn a bit and watch what was going on.

They run a couple of hundred classes and workshops every year, ranging from a single day to a couple of weeks. Examples of the work of both the students and instructors was everywhere in the buildings. The range of instructors is really first rate, people from around the world who are the experts in whatever it is they do. They've recently added a new building for CNC machines, and will start construction on a "hot building" for metal and glass work.

The school is run by Marc and his family with a dedicated staff who have been there for years or decades. Everything about the place runs flawlessly, from the personal and friendly registration process, to the hot muffins that get delivered to your class from time to time, to the class assistants who make sure that the teachers can focus exclusively on teaching, taking care of all the technical and background tasks. Every machine is perfectly adjusted, has a sharp blade and works as you might hope it would. They don't accept any sponsorships, so have machines that range from Powermatic to Felder and Festool, selected to be the best for their students.

The people are just fantastic; friendly, accommodating, and scarily competent. If you'd like to up your game or just take on a really challenging project with expert help I'd suggest you have a browse of their catalog. (No, I'm neither on the payroll nor getting a discount, just enthused!)

I didn't take many pictures because I was too busy and having too much fun, but I've attached a couple, including my first carved shell (still needing a lot of cleanup). Mar is a big Disney fan, and has done all the Mickey Mouse cartoon posters in marquetry. I attached a picture of one that I particularly liked.


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[Ken Fitzgerald]

Congratulations!

I am jealous!

[Frederick Skelly]

Thanks for posting this Roger. Ive seen ads for the school. I really want to spend a vacation at one of these schools, so Im always interested in hearing from people who have. The logistics worry me a bit though, depending on where they are. Roger, did you drive or fly there? Did you have to bring your own hand tools? If so, how did you do so without losing/damaging them in route? What about lodging and transportation nearby?

I myself would enjoy seeing (separate) posts from others who are or have attended schools around North America. IIRC, Lowell attended several classes with Sellers in Texas and someone else (forgive me, I cannot recall) recently checked out Inside Passage. Any others?

Thanks again.
Fred

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

I was fortunate enough to have been Steve Sinners assistant for a week long deep hollowing class there a few years back. I have to agree with Roger it's a first class facility all the way. I also have to agree that Marc and his staff are also first class people. It was truly a great week & left me with some great memories. Marc offers a great variety of classes to, something for everyone should one have the opportunity to attend a class there don't hesitate.

[roger wiegand]

I flew from Boston to Indy to go to the class. All I took was a small roll of carving tools and a mallet with me, so it fit easily in a checked bag. Some of the turners shipped their tools in by UPS prior to the class. A number of the people building the serpentine chests were from 1000+ miles away, I didn't have a chance to ask them how they were dealing with getting there and back. The staff is very accommodating with handling shipments. Although the school has most everything you might need I'd always prefer to have my own hand tools-- they are what I'll work with after I get home.

I'm thinking about taking the "sculpted rocker" class next year, for that you need to bring a lot of precut wood to get done in seven days, as well as some tools, plus getting an assembled rocker home, so if I do that I'll probably drive.

The rest of logistics worked out quite well. I stayed in one of the houses owned by the school, about a half mile away. It was (like everything) super clean and well equipped (and cheap). I either walked when it was nice or got a ride with one of my housemates when it was raining to get back and forth, so I didn't rent a car. The fare on Lyft was about $40 to the airport. We either cooked in our house kitchen or went out in groups for dinner, all part of the fun. Hotels are mostly at the interstate exchanges and pretty typical for that--as I recall the house was $45/night and the hotels were about double that. Franklin has some nice restaurants, and is a charming college town, but the school is in the middle of corn and soybean fields. I didn't check on local AirB&B options, but I bet there are some.

[lowell holmes]

Frank Straza is the lead instructor. He is as talented as Paul Seller.

[Frederick Skelly]

Thanks Roger!
Thanks Lowell!

[Roy Turbett]

I took "Hands on Finishing with Mitch Kohanek" at MASW earlier this month and was very impressed with the instruction and facilities. The object of the class is to help students find a finishing system that is best suited for their projects. We were each given 16 different sample boards to finish 16 different ways over the five day class. We got an introduction to wood coloring and color matching, selection and use of spray guns, french polishing, and rubbing out finishes. I rented a room in a house that the school owns that was exceptionally clean with a full kitchen. A tasty hot lunch is provided at the school. Most of the students had been there before and many of the classes sell out shortly after registration opens in December. Alumni get to register early in November. I'll be back.

[Tim Tibbetts]

I took Mike Hosaluk's two classes earlier this month, and have to concur on the quality of the facility, the instruction and the welcoming atmosphere. Since this was my first class at MASW, I had been a bit concerned with the potential size of the classes (16 in the 5 day class, but only 6 in the weekend class). However, Mike and the MASW assistants (Max and Will) were able to keep everything moving well. The traditional Tuesday evening barbecue and slide show / discussion by that week's instructors was also worthwhile. As mentioned earlier, the ability to wander around the school and observe / talk to folks in other classes is very nice. And Mike was a fantastic teacher, open to whatever the students wanted to do - we had people ranging from brand new turners to fairly experienced turners, and Mike was able to help everyone, and keep them moving towards their personal goals.

Since we planned this as part of a long road trip (from Seattle) to visit family and a couple national parks as well, we drove. This allowed me to carry a lot more tools along than if I flew or shipped them. As it turns out, the school is very well equipped with tools, and one could just about show up with nothing (as far as the turning classes go) and use the school tools and safety gear. However, I was very glad to have my own tools with me. I plan to take another pair of classes in the fall (from Hans Weissflog), and will most likely fly then, and probably ship some tools / safety equipment and carry a few in checked luggage. I stayed at one of the local hotels in Franklyn, just a 12-15 drive away. If I lived closer to MASW, I'd be in serious danger of spending all my time there...

[Cliff Polubinsky]

I've taken a few classes at Marc's school. Joinery taught by Marc which was an intense week of learning to work with hand and power tools to make just about any joint you'll need. Hand planes taught by Thomas Lie-Nielsen and Christopher Schwarz, finishing taught by Bob Flexner and Sketchup taught by Bob Lang.

I can't complement the operation enough. Everything ran smoothly, the instruction was excellent and the time and cost well spent.

Cliff

[Bryan Lisowski]

Recently there was a video on YouTube by Popular Woodworking or Fine Woodworking doing a shop tour of MASW. Looks like an impressive place. I would like to take a class there at some point. Glad you enjoyed and good review.

[Terry Lewis]

Here's one more reference for those who are interested in the courses: https://masw.smugmug.com/
I'm planning to take a class there in April 2020, I guess it will be one of the best birthday presents for me.

"I always worked with my hands, my head and heart as a craftsman. As an artist, I was never able to completely finish a task or do my homework art project, because it was skill without imagination and I needed both." - Tom Stoppard

[Tom Bain]

You will love it, Terry. I've taken probably 10 courses there over the past dozen years or so. It's a fantastic facility and incredibly well run.

[Jacob Mac]

I did a two day course over the summer and was super impressed with the facility and the people. I will definitely go there again as time and money allows.

I do wish, however, there was a way to video the important parts of the classes. It would make it easier to retain the information.

[Steve Hubbard]

Another fan of MASW. All of the above accolades are consistent with my experience.

In 2010, my son and I flew to the Pacific Northwest for a week long beginner's class. We chose that school because tools were provided and we did not own many. It was an OK class, but not inspiring. In 2011, we bought tools and took the Introduction to Woodworking class taught by Marc Adams. Inspiring!

Each year since 2012 I have attended one to six classes at MASW. The first six years it was a 10 hour drive, but worth it. Fortunately, I now live only 4 1/2 hours away. I usually stay at one of the hotels at exit 103, a few miles up the interstate towards Indianapolis. They give discouts to MASW students, and there are multiple restaurants within walking distance of the hotels.

Of the 20 or so classes I have taken, only two were just very good, the others were excellent and inspiring. As noted above, classes taught my Marc tend to be intense. I am now 71, and glad that I took most of Marc's classes when I was a couple of years younger.

My only complaint is that some of the tool lists are out of date. The tools lists tend to include the tools that will be used, but that does not mean that the stiudent has to provide all of them. Power tools on the lists are usually provided by the school. In a Steve Latta inlay class, the student should bring a Dremel, but in other classes, if the list includes a router or a power grinder, that will be provided by the school. Glue scrapers are also readily available for use by students. So if you are flying in, it may be worth your time to inquire about which tools are really necessary. It is also possible to ship tools to the school ahead of time, and there is pick up by UPS at the school for shipping tools back home.

In every class, the skill level varies from beginner to skilled and experienced expert. Students may be young professional woodworkers or highly skilled hobbiets. Students willingly share insights and help each other. For some of us, the human interaction has become as important as the skills we learn.