teaching woodworking (business)

[Peter Pedisich]

The great post about woodworking business got me thinking...

Richard Wolf & others working wood full time,

Would you ever consider offering woodworking classes? I know of 3 people (local to me) like myself who have more interest than experience and would pay to learn how to use specific machines and/or learn more about what it takes to do it full-time. You guys have got the experience in woodworking and business and I've borrowed all the books my Library has on the subject but that ain't like hearing and watching someone who has done it for real to support themselves. They'll tell the unvarnished truth, which is what's needed!:eek:

Any creekers who would do this?

Pete

[tod evans]

peter, there are several of us who have offered some get placed on the mentors list? given my location i`d be no help to you, sorry. tod

[Peter Pedisich]

Tod,

Guess I should read more posts before writing one, Oops! I just read the post on the mentor's list.

Thanks,

Pete

[Ken Shoemaker]

I think Creeker Allan Turner just opened a school of woodworking in PA., I think.... I think your closer to him than I am.. But one day, wherever he is I'll be there... Good guy... Give him a shout.... Let me know how it works out... Ken

[Jim Becker]

Ken is correct, Alan just opened his woodworking school (http://www.alanturnerfurnituremaker.com/atfm/courses/list) in Philadelphia...top-notch equipement and facility, too.

[Richard Wolf]

I can't say this is somthing that I haven't give some thought to. I started out as a shop teacher and I am still certified as a teacher in the state of NY. I may pursue this a little farther and rethink the situation and offer my shop and knowledge on some level.
I was thinking of maybe a saturday open shop time with instruction.

Richard

[Peter Pedisich]

Thanks guys,

A few years ago I was given a gift of a Windsor chair class at a woodcraft store in Maryland and I learned a lot in a 3-day class.

I checked out Alan's site and it looks great, would be nice to get back to Philadelphia - I spent 4 years there '83-'87 in college.

Richard, if you decide to do something like that let me know, I'm interested.

Pete

[Jim Hager]

I've taught agriculture and shop classes at the school where I work for 27 years. I have also begun to offer classes in my own shop at home. I've held two classes so far and if I get time I want to offer some more. The classes that I did were basic woodworking machines and techniques. I took the students through the major stationary woodworking tools and also did an evening on routers and shapers.

I plan to do more down the road, likely to have a project class next for those students who have taken the basic class.

Now taking classes on running a woodworking business is what I need. I have done pretty well so far but there is a lot for me to learn about business.

[Jim Becker]

You know, it's interesting when I think back about Paul's recent thread about woodworking businesses. I suspect I'd be more likely to get in to teaching (probably turning) long before I'd consider "woodworking" for a living or even part of it. That is the part of what I do now (in high-end telecommunications sales) that I enjoy the most and I have had a few pleasurable experiences mentoring a few local turners during our AAW chapter's annual "Hands On Weekends".