Teaching the Craft

[D.McDonnel "Mac"]

This weekend I had the opportunity to instruct a 2 day class on making an adjustable width Arts & Crafts style Bookrack.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c166/indymac24/Bookrack%20Class/FinishedBookrack.jpg

My friends at American Sycamore Woodworkers Retreat, Mike and Dana, gave me the opportunity to teach a couple of weekend classes this year. I've never formally taught anything so I accepted with some reservations but now that I've taught a second class I can honestly say I really like it!! I have rarely had so much fun working so hard at something. I probably spend too much time preparing (ask my wife) getting examples ready as well as a detailed instructional handout but the payoff in class has been great.

I wish I had taken the time to take a few classes early on in my woodworking so I did not have to learn everything the hard way. This kind of knowledge transfer used to happen in high school shop or in the garage with Dad. While some of that still happens today the woodworking schools out there offer a lot of options to jump start your woodworking. If it's knowledge you seek go take a class. If you get the opportunity to teach/mentor someone or a whole class give it a try, you might really like it!

Here's a shot of my class (I'm the big guy in the green shirt) and our completed bookracks.

Mac

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c166/indymac24/Bookrack%20Class/ClassPix.jpg

[Dave Anderson NH]

Congrats to you Mac. Teaching is fun, but to be successful as you well know, preparation is the key. I view it as more than fun however. It is a responsibility both from the sense of passing on skills and techniques, but also from the perspective of teaching Safe techniques. You obviously enjoyed yourself. So, when you going to do it again?

[Spence DePauw]

Mac, I wish I could have been there. We had the grandkids this last weekend or I would have been. I will be there next week for the Greene & Greene table classs with Dale though.

Spence

[D.McDonnel "Mac"]

Congrats to you Mac. Teaching is fun, but to be successful as you well know, preparation is the key. I view it as more than fun however. It is a responsibility both from the sense of passing on skills and techniques, but also from the perspective of teaching Safe techniques. You obviously enjoyed yourself. So, when you going to do it again?

Well they have talked me into doing a week long class this September. We will be building a Shaker Blanket Chest. It is a transitional piece that has a large drawer at the bottom below the chest. Over the years they kept adding drawers until the chest was gone and they were all drawers...hence the chest of drawers. It's a piece right out of Kassay's Shaker book with a few ease of building changes. I've made it once but will have to make another to doccument the process for my class notes. I look forward to both the prep work and the class BUT I don't know where I'll fiind the time.

You are right on about the passing on the techniques and safety (my biggest concern during class and the biggest reason I hover a bit when they are using the big machines!).

Thanks,

Mac

[D.McDonnel "Mac"]

Mac, I wish I could have been there. We had the grandkids this last weekend or I would have been. I will be there next week for the Greene & Greene table classs with Dale though.

Spence

I'll try to sneak over during Dale's class to Supervise and Harass!

[Spence DePauw]

That'd be great. I'd like to meet you.

Spence

[Eric Murphy]

Mac,

A good friend at work gave me a newspaper clipping a while back with a photo of one of these book racks (an antique). I've been wondering ever since where to find plans for one. The details look rather straight forward from your pictures. Did you have plans that you worked from or did you create your own design? I prefer to work from plans. If you can point me in the right direction to find plans for this, I'd greatly appreciate it.

[Dan Forman]

Mac---What a great opportunity, and a cool project. I don't think I've ever seen an adjustable book rack before, that will go on my to do list.

Dan

[D.McDonnel "Mac"]

Mac,

A good friend at work gave me a newspaper clipping a while back with a photo of one of these book racks (an antique). I've been wondering ever since where to find plans for one. The details look rather straight forward from your pictures. Did you have plans that you worked from or did you create your own design? I prefer to work from plans. If you can point me in the right direction to find plans for this, I'd greatly appreciate it.

This is a project I just went to the shop and made one weekend a few years ago. It was inspired by one I saw somewhere.

I have a pdf file I handed out in the class that might help but it's too big to post here. let meknow if interested.

Mac

[Eric Murphy]

This is a project I just went to the shop and made one weekend a few years ago. It was inspired by one I saw somewhere.

I have a pdf file I handed out in the class that might help but it's too big to post here. let meknow if interested.

Mac

Mac, I sent you a PM. Thanks.