About this Event
It has been said that if you can build a proper Shaker style night stand you can build almost anything. More accurately, the traditional joinery you will learn in Build a Nightstand (no nails, no screws!) can be applied to thousands of other projects. Students should be familiar with procedures for milling hardwoods. Some experience with hand tools (i.e. hand planes and chisels) would be helpful. Students will first cover design considerations then learn to construct the nightstand case, i.e. legs, aprons and top. During the second phase students will learn the skills necessary to build a drawer including hand cut dovetail joints and the care and use of chisels. Out of class preparation will be required. Students will need to have out of class access to either the Technocopia woodshop or another in order to complete work preparing them for the next class session. A material fee ($100) will apply for those unable to obtain their own wood. Max class size will be 4 students but without a minimum of 2 students I will be forced to cancel the class and issue refunds.
Prerequisites: Technocopia Woodshop 1-3 or Instructor's permission.
Material fee: $100
Required hand tools (may be borrowed from Instructor for the class):
- ¼”, ½” and 1” socket chisels (English style steel)
- Dozuki or English style pull-saw
- High quality combination square (12”)
- Marking gauge
- Bevel gauge or dovetail template
Syllabus (subject to slight modifications)
Session 1
Lecture: Design review, lay-out, review cutting to finished dimensions.
Hands on: rough cut legs, aprons and top pieces.
Out of class: Joint plane and rough cut pieces, cut to finished length.
Session 2
Lecture: Mortise and tenon joinery, principles and lay-out.
Hands on: Lay-out mortises and tenons, cut mortises on router table. Fit “sham” apron to mortise.
Out of class: Cut and fit tenons to mortises, rabbet drawer dividers
Session 3
Lecture: Drawer divider design and construction.
Hands on:, lay-out and cut twin tenons and twin mortises. Dovetail top drawer divider.
Out of class: Finish fitting drawer dividers.
Session 4
Lecture: Panel construction, discuss drawer design
Hands on: Glue up top panel, back legs + apron, front legs + drawer dividers. Mill drawer parts
Out of class: Glue up drawer bottom, glue up side aprons, take drawer sides and back to finished dimensions
Session 5
Lecture: Chisel use and sharpening. “Through” dovetails.
Hands on: Practice sharpening. Layout through dovetails on drawer back and sides. Practice through dovetails
Out of class: Practice dovetails. Dove tail back and sides.
Session 6
Lecture: Lay out and cutting half blind dovetails sockets. Drawer front fitting. Review panel squaring.
Hands on: Practice half blinds, Fit drawer front, lay out half blinds on drawer front.
Out of class: Practice half blind dovetails. Cut dovetail sockets on drawer front. Cut top square to finished dimensions
Session 7
Lecture: Laying out and cutting half blind “tails”.
Hands on: Finish cutting half blind sockets. Lay out and cut half blind tails
Out of class: Catch up on any above and surface drawer bottom.
Session 8
Lecture: Drawer bottom grooves and drawer glue-up. Beveling the top
Hands on: Groove drawer front and sides, Glue-up drawer
Out of class: Bevel and surface top.
Session 9
Lecture: Adding doublers and drawer runners, drawer stops and flushing up drawer front
Hands on: Ensure top flatness, bevel top, install drawer runners.
Out of class: cut, fit and glue in doublers. Final top surfacing, plane apron tops to fit top underside.
Session 10
Lecture: Finishing I (oil v. milk paint)
Hands on: Installing drawer runners and drawer stops.
Out of class: Flush up drawer front, oil all the parts
Session 11
Lecture: Finishing II (varnishing)
Hands on: Finishing
Out of class: Catch up days
Session 12
Lecture: Attaching top
Hands on: Attach top, class evaluations
Out of class: Enjoy your nightstand
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Technocopia, 44 Portland St, Worcester, United States
USD 500.00