The hands-on workshops were a big hit at the 2008 Woodworking in America & Hand Tools & Techniques conference in Berea (Ky.). These sessions were very popular for a couple reasons. The first reason was that most people attended these sessions is to learn from the speakers. Participants in the hands-on sessions were able to bring their tools to receive guidance on everything from saw sharpening, bench grinding, and plane use. And suggestions from these speakers dealing with tool setup proved invaluable to attendees.
We hear a lot about the WIA – Hand Tools & Techniques conference that will be held in Valley Forge, Pa. It is not a hands-on event. Well hold on , there are hands-on sessions at the 2009 Woodworking in America; you just dont need to register for individual sessions to make use of them. All you need to do is attend the conference.
Each speaker will be presenting in the Hands-on Bench Room. You can bring your tools and we’ll have tools provided by exhibitors. You can get your questions answered by the speaker and youll have the opportunity for expert guidance to fine-tune your woodworking skills. Does this sound familiar?
Weve taken the best of both worlds , a full line of hands-on sessions with no chance of getting closed out during registration , and packaged it so all you have to do to take advantage of these sessions is be registered for and attend the conference. You can walk into one of the two equipped Hands-on Bench Rooms and soak in the speakers years of experience and expertise (plus well have additional experts on hand). And its entirely guided by questions from you and other attendees. It’s that simple.
Here’s the fun part about a setup like this: Some sessions at the WIA, Furniture Design and Construction conference were only attended by two to three people. Most attendees were running from session to session without taking advantage of these clinics. Jerry Grant, curator of Shaker Museum & Library, sat with me in a session and we talked about Shaker furniture, from paint colors and collectors to Shaker furniture. For more than 40 minutes, I had the opportunity to ask anything I wanted about Shaker craftsmanship. The information I picked up was incredible.
With the same arrangement at the Hand Tools & Techniques conference at Valley Forge (plus Benches for hands-on demonstrations), you can listen as Toshio Odate explains the correct technique to accurately use Japanese planes and gain insight to other Japanese tools. You can have Peter Follansbee show you how to properly hold your carving chisels as you learn about 17th-century methods of work. You could also stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Larry Williams and Don McConnell as they show you how to sharpen hollows or rounds and what you might be doing that is preventing you from sharpening your skills.
This kind of personal attention cannot be bought , at least not for the cost of a conference admission that, by itself, provides invaluable information about hand tools and woodworking craftsmanship. Register now and make plans to attend the conference. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
