Woodworking Classes: Don’t Forget to Remember –
These last couple weeks I have been participating in a (personally) exciting experiment with furniture maker David Savage. Last week I taught a class at his school on making a traveling tool chest very similar to the one on the cover of the August 2015 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine.
David was a student in my class. He built the chest. And he did it the way I told the students to do it (100 percent traditionally). Now if you know anything about David Savage, that’s a ridiculous thing. He’s forgotten more about furniture making than I know.
And yet the class was enjoyable for him because it reminded him of techniques he has set aside over the years – using hot hide glue to assemble carcases, using traditional wedge-shaped nails and milk paint (to name a few).
This week, David and his right-hand man, Daren Millman, are teaching us all about veneering using traditional methods (hide glue) and modern ones (PVA glue and a veneer press). And even though I’m comfortable with both methods, I’m taking the course and having a blast.
David and Daren are both fantastic teachers with insights into veneering that have made this week the highlight of 2015 for me. Even though I’m only two days into the class I feel like my mind has been opened with a crowbar.
Note to self: Take more woodworking classes with excellent instructors. It’s worth the money and the time.
— Christopher Schwarz
