Vol 17 | Nov 22, 2024

It’s been a busy month! Let’s dive right in, because I have what you all have been waiting for:

In this edition of Running with Chisels:

• Classes for 2025: Schedule and Details are here!

the 2025 Class Schedule is Released!

Demilune Class

I teach both introductory and more advanced marquetry and veneering classes. There are several schools around the country that cover the introductory material. Filling a large class is easier that way. My classes are small – I prefer teaching and taking smaller classes. This gives me the flexibility to offer more advanced options, such as the Double Bevel II class where we make the handsome dog portrait above.

The Demilune class was suggested by a student as a combination woodworking and veneering class. The end product is stylish and is a modern variation on a Federal hall table. 

It is an intermediate level furniture making class with a radial veneering class tossed in – over seven days we to convert a pile of lumber into a completed table in a traditional form.  I define it as an intermediate class because you need to be comfortable laying out and cutting joints, and using hand and power tools to taper legs and make bridle and mortise and tenon joints.

If I can get two students, I will hold this class in 2025 at a time that is mutually convenient. I’ve already had an expression of interest so I only need one person. The class size is capped at three. Tuition will be $1300 including all materials. You can bring your own tools or use mine. *Jan. 2025 update: we have one spot left, and have a confirmed date of Jun 17-23 for the class. Snag the last spot by emailing Dave!*

Decorating Federal table legs with stringing and paterae

Steve Latta has some excellent videos available on the Lie-Nielsen website describing how he does this. Unfortunately, he designed and uses specialized tools that Lie Nielsen used to make, but hasn’t recently. There are other ways to do it though. Next year I plan to develop a class and the tooling so that I can teach this attractive decorative approach in 2026. A small router works well for straight line inlays but curves are trickier.If we do hold the Demilune class, I will probably dress up mine afterwards by inlaying stringing and cuff banding the legs and maybe the skirt, and adding paterae. This will require that I not glue up the base during the class, but it holds together well enough without glue to finish the class and it will give me an excuse to work on a stringing class. I wish that we had time to do this in the Demilune class but it would add another day or two, and seven days is long enough already.

Geometric Marquetry II

 In this new class we will make a crisp geometric pattern that involves both straight lines and curves – an extension to the techniques we used to make the box lid in Geometric Marquetry I. We will cut the curves using templates, which we will also make. The doors to the 66th St Jewelry box were done this way, as were the flourishes in the Art Nouveau table top. 
I will soon develop a pattern for something that we can reasonably complete in the two day class but that will be challenging, for someone with experience cutting veneer with a knife and straightedge.