Project Completion gloat/Marc Adams school of woodworking trip report

[Matt Woodworth]

Last weekend I took a course from Master woodworker Graham Blackburn at the Marc Adams school of woodworking. The course description was as follows: MAKE A BIBLE BOX WITH HAND-CUT DOVETAILS, LUNETTES, AND FLUTES WITH GRAHAM BLACKBURN.

My primary goal was to learn to hand cut dovetails. Something about them was proving difficult for me to learn by reading so I thought a course was just what I needed. It was. Now I understand the concepts so completely that I bet I could teach them. I also got started in carving. Learning dovetails and carving in red oak is tough but I still enjoyed the class.

(click on the image for my trip report)
http://www.just4fun.org/images/woodworking/bible_box/DCP_2265_small.JPG (http://www.just4fun.org/woodworking/projects/bible_box/index.htm)

http://www.just4fun.org/woodworking/projects/bible_box

[Jim Becker]

Thanks for the report on the school, Matt. I keep hearing good things about it from folks who have attended classes. Nice job on the box, too. I agree with your instructor...the dovetails are sweet!

[Bob Crosley]

Matt,
Very nice! I can't believe you couldn't hand cut a dovetail before this. They turned out beautifully. The box is very nice.

Bob

[Dave Anderson NH]

For that matter the bible box isn't too shabby either.;) I would agree with both you and Graham Blackburn. The dovetails came out great and I agree that either watching them being cut or being instructed is far better than trying to learn from instructions or a book. Manual skills whether they be sports, woodworking, or any other category are best learned by watching a demo with a commentary and then by actually doing the hands on. Thanks for posting the link.