Woodcraft classes

[Shawn Swafford]

Have any of you taken classes from Woodcraft? If so what was your impression of them.

Thanks!

[Mike Tempel]

Never taken any but hoping in the responses to this thread someone might comment on those offered by Rockler as well.

[Charles McKinley]

I have taken classes at the Pittsburgh Woodcraft and have been very pleased. I took a Bowl turning class and the Liegh Jig class. The class will vary from store to store due to the different instructors. Most of the instructors here work in the store so you can meet them before the class.

I think getting instruction before you buy a tool ar as soon as you get it is the best way to figure out what you need to get it up and running and what you like and don't like about various tools.

Good Luck

[Mitchell Garnett]

I took a raised panel door class at the Seattle Woodcraft - it was excellent. I was the only student so I have to give them high marks for not cancelling rather than deal with one guy. But I think even if they'd had the 6 or so students they wanted I would still have given it high marks.

I also took an introductory router course also from Woodcraft several years ago - it was well attended and it was also superb. It was taught in the evening by a guy who does major woodwork for a yacht renoovation company in Seattle. It was especially interesting to hear what brands he preferred and why. But equally it was surprising to learn that a top quality router in a heavily used shop becomes junk in 6 months. Mostly due to abuse: dropping. sloppy handling,etc. ...sorry I got off topic here.

I sat in with my wife at a pair of scroll saw courses at one of the Rockler stores too. I thought they were both good but perhaps not quite as first class at the Woodcraft courses.

[Dan Stuewe]

My wife and i took one at a now defunct Woodworker's Club (which was a part of Woodcraft). It was fun and helpful. One thing to consider, here in Southern California there are a couple of the Community Colleges with good Construction Technology courses. They may not be as intimate, but the price for the amount of shop time is much better.

[John Shuk]

I took a turning class at the Norwalk, Ct. Woodcraft/Woodworkers club. I was very happy with it.

[Tom Seaman]

I've taken 3 classes at Woodcraft in Richmond - Beginning pen turning, Intermediate pen turning, and Bowl turning (in that order). I had virtually no lathe experience going in, and the 1st class got me up the learning curver MUCH quicker than I would have gotten on my own. I've now made a lot of pens, and have the confidence to play around with making bowls when I have time. Very informative and hands on. I was so pleased I gave my wife the Scroll Saw class for Christmas since she showed some interest. She really liked it and came out with a nice project and a good experience.

[David Fried]

I took the Beginning Pen Making class in Manchester, CT. I enjoyed the class and generally give them high marks. There was a little too much marketing for my taste. Buy Woodcraft pens kits or you're doomed! :eek: We even took time out from the class for a tour of the store.

But I did learn to turn a pen. I did get on a lathe for first time and got over my fear of them (spinnyphobia?? :confused: ). Like others, I think the class got me up to speed in a day rather than stumbling around.

[Joe Scarfo]

I took the cabinet making class at the Clearwater Store appx 3 years ago.

I had shop full of tools and a heart full of desire... no experience to tie them together.

The class pulled it all together for me. I've earned a few $$ on furniture / cabinet comissions as well as built stuff for friends and my shop.

Worth every dime and wish I had the resources for more classes... I'd take them.

Good Luck
Joe in Tampa...

[Dennis Petrillo]

I'm new to posting on this site.....a great deal of good information here.

I've taken classes at the WoodCraft in Manchester, CT, it's actually the Conn Valley School of Woodworking - both in the same building.

I've taken a basic woodworking class and a few of their cabinet making classes. I found the classes to be very good and the instructors top notch. This is a fairly large facility with 2 classrooms and plenty of machinery and hand tools. In addition to the in-house classes, they also bring in outside instructors like Phil Lowe, Mario Rodriquez and Garrett Hack.

[Frank Pellow]

Dennis, let me be the first to welcome to Saw Mill Creek. Not only is there good information, the members are friendly, polite, and helpful.

[Marshall Harrison]

First - Dennis, welcome to the Creek. Lots of good stuff here.

As for the Woodcraft classes, I've never taken one but suspect that the quality would be good. One thing to remember is that the instructors are local so the experiences at other stores may not reflect what you would get locally. My best advice is to talk with the store staff, get to know them (as they are probably instructors also) then take a class.

[Terry Quiram]

Shawn

For a couple of years I taught scrolling at Woodcraft. The feedback the store received was always very good. You will find that the insturctors are knowledgable and have a real interest in helping you master the tool.

Terry

[Robert Mayer]

I would like to attend one here in tulsa if they would offer some decent classes for beginning woodworking. They have a dozen classes each on woodburning (yawn), scroll saw, and wood finishes.

[Jim Becker]

While the ultimate determination of the quality of the class rests with the particular instructor, I've rarely heard bad comments about classes at Woodcraft. My first introduction to turning was at such a course...back in about 1996 or so...and the inimitable Bill Grumbine was the instructor! What's not to like about that?? :D

[John Motzi]

I took the Handplane class with Garrett Hack last March at the Manchester, CT Woodcraft. Excellent! Garrett is very nice and an excellent teacher.


JM

[Tyler Howell]

Hey Shawn,

Took a 10 week Woodshop Unplugged Class Last fall. It was a wonderfully transforming and expensive process. All the New Toyls and attention to detail changed my approach to WW. I have a number of threads related to the class.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=105696#post105696

[Ted Shrader]

Hawn -

My wife has taken two classes - and is signed up for a third - at the local Woodcraft. The quality of the class depends on the instructor. Her first was OK, the second, outstanding. She has been back to the store and asked further questions above and beyond the classes (so far) and has gotten very detailed in-depth answers and more hands on training.

Ted

[Carole Valentine]

I've heard the classes are good, but take your credit card! I suspect you will most certainly use some little (or big) thing in the class that you just can't live without. And guess what? It's right there in the store so you can buy it on the spot and take it home with you! I am not criticizing Woodcraft for this...it's good business. I am just making fun of my own and other woodworkers weaknesses!:D

[JayStPeter]

I took a class on the Incra jig at Woodcraft. It was a pretty good class with a good instructor. In the end, I got what I wanted out of it.
The other students were all novices, so I did have to sit through a lot of basic questions. I think what they wanted out of it was some lessons on basic joinery, where my main purpose was deciding on a fence for my router table that was on the drawing board. I guess they probably say that they had to sit through some guy demanding a technical sales pitch for the thing :D.
That would be the only negative I can think of. At the college of the redwoods, I suspect most of the students already have a working knowledge of biscuits vs. box joints. At Woodcraft, you just never know. But, the instructor did a very good job of keeping the course focused to the outline while still straying enough to give a basic understanding to those who needed it.
It seemed to me that the instructors were available for one-on-one sessions in whatever subject interests you. That is definitely something I will consider in the future vs. the set class structures.

Jay

[Kent Cori]

I took a beginning spindle turning class at the Orlando Woodcraft. I definitely felt I got my money's worth. Give it a shot.