Woodcraft of Milwaukee

Wood Finishing

Saturday, August 23, 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM

If applying a finish to your woodworking projects is a chore, a nightmare or simply confusing, this class will help you take control of the process. Learn what you need to know to pop the grain on figured woods and how to select the best finish for the particular needs of your project. Get the results you want with the proper surface preparation, the correct combination of finishing products, and use of the correct application techniques and tools for the job. Topics include: Properties and the finishing characteristics of wood species. Surface preparation and dealing with defects, Coloring wood with dyes, stains and toners, Selecting top coats and the characteristics of each, Application tools including brushing and spray gun basics, and Finishing the finish

Woodworking Fundamentals

Part 1: Monday, August 25, 6 PM - 8:30 PM

Part 2: Tuesday, August 26, 6 PM - 8:30 PM

Part 3: Wednesday, August 27, 6 PM - 8:30 PM

During this 3-part class, participants will learn how to use a table saw, jointer, thickness planer and mitersaw while making a laminated cutting board. Hard maple and cherry will be used for the laminations. Limited use of a router will also be involved.

HAND TOOL SHARPENING

Saturday, September 6, 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Learn what you need to know to quickly get razor sharp edges on your hand tools. In this hands-on class you will learn what is sharp, why we sharpen, how to sharpen and when to stop. The sharpening process can be applied across the many hand sharpening systems available today including water stones, diamond stones, oil stones or the scary sharp sandpaper system. This class will focus on sharpening plane irons and chisels. The skills learned can be applied to any cutting edge tool. Bring a dull chisel or plane blade to sharpen in class.

Woodworking Fundamentals

Part 1: Monday, September 8, 6 PM - 8:30 PM

Part 2: Wednesday, September 10, 6 PM - 8:30 PM

Part 3: Thursday, September 11, 6 PM - 8:30 PM

During this 3-part class, participants will learn how to use a table saw, jointer, thickness planer and mitersaw while making a laminated cutting board. Hard maple and cherry will be used for the laminations. Limited use of a router will also be involved.

Sharpening Woodturning (Lathe) Tools

Tuesday, September 23, 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Learn the fundamentals of sharpening lathe tools to increase your success at woodturning. This class will cover grinding wheel selection, grinding technique, and proper setup and use of the popular Oneway Wolverine grinding system. Correct shapes and angles for roughing, bowl and spindle gouges including the fingernail and Irish grind will be covered. The techniques for sharpening parting tools, skews and scrapers are included.

Scroll Saw a Jack-o-Lantern

Saturday, September 27, 10:30 AM - 4 PM

Halloween is coming. This month we will be scroll sawing some scary lanterns. There will be several different profiles to choose from. These lanterns will be approximately 9 inches square and 12 inches high. That is a large piece to store for displaying, just for a short time. Therefore, I modified and simplified the building process. We will be using threaded brass inserts which will allow the panels to be taken apart and stored flat, ready for next year. Cutting out the scary face is not demanding nor is following the pattern all that critical. It’s supposed to be scary, right? The interior space is large enough to accommodate numerous kinds of LED lights, either battery operated or hardwired. How you decide to illuminate the lantern will be up to the individual. No lighting will be provided. However, I will have several different examples available to help you decide.

Woodworking Fundamentals

Part 1: Monday, September 29, 6 PM - 8:30 PM

Part 2: Tuesday, September 30, 6 PM - 8:30 PM

Part 3: Wednesday, October 1, 6 PM - 8:30 PM

During this 3-part class, participants will learn how to use a table saw, jointer, thickness planer and mitersaw while making a laminated cutting board. Hard maple and cherry will be used for the laminations. Limited use of a router will also be involved.

Scroll Saw a Charcuterie, Trivet, and Cutting Board

Thursday, October 9, 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM

As the holidays are approaching, hosting a get-together is a fun way to reconnect with friends and loved ones. This project is simple to cut and assemble. As a bonus, it can perform a multitude of tasks. It can be used as a trivet, a charcuterie board or a cutting board. We will use a 1inch thick piece of hardwood and cut out a center section. This class will also introduce the participant on how to cut Corian as a piece of Corian will then be cut as an insert which is heat resistant and unlike hardwoods will not dull your knives when used for cutting or chopping. A food safe finish will also be applied to the hardwood base. The insert can be removed and washed, and the hardwood base can then be wiped clean.

Introduction To Woodturning

Sunday, October 12, 10:30 AM - 4 PM

Get to know and understand turning safety, the lathe and its attachments, tuning tools, wood grain orientation and its significance. The basics of tool sharpening will be covered as you get the feel of the tools and make beads/coves and chips. This is a fun class to get the fundamentals of spindle work and is a required class to proceed on to Introduction to Bowl Turning.

Hand Plane Essentials

Saturday, October 25, 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM

Learn to tune-up, sharpen and use hand planes to improve your woodworking. Flatten wide boards that will not fit on your jointer, use a smoothing plane to skip all that sanding, and perfect the fit by removing just thousandths of an inch when needed. This hands-on class will cover how to tune-up a new or old plane, getting the blade sharp, and how to set-up and use the primary bench planes. These include the block, jack, jointer and smooth plane. Bring your planes, sharpening stones, honing guides and a practice board to class if you have them. If not, you can borrow what you need in class.

Natural Edge Bowl Turning

Sunday, October 26, 10:30 AM - 4 PM

Learn about mounting techniques, chucks, grain orientation, and tool usage while completing a simple Live Edge bowl. Students should have taken Introduction to Wood Turning and Bowl Turning.

Woodworking Fundamentals

Part 1: Monday, October 27, 6 PM - 8:30 PM

Part 2: Tuesday, October 28, 6 PM - 8:30 PM

Part 3: Wednesday, October 29, 6 PM - 8:30 PM

During this 3-part class, participants will learn how to use a table saw, jointer, thickness planer and mitersaw while making a laminated cutting board. Hard maple and cherry will be used for the laminations. Limited use of a router will also be involved.

Scroll Saw a Bread Knife & Box

Part 1: Tuesday, November 11, 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Part 2: Wednesday, November 12, 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM

These knives are great for cutting fresh bread. The bow helps keep the blade nice and tight and acts as a reference point for the thickness of the slices. Included in this class is a tray that you will make to hold your new bread knife. The blades are stainless steel. The entire bread knife measures 16 inches long, 2 inches high and is ¾ inches thick. You might also consider enrolling in our “Woodworking Fundamentals “class to make a cutting board to use along with the breadknife. If you already have a cutting board and would like to add a handle, bring it along.

Woodworking Fundamentals

Part 1: Monday, November 17, 6 PM - 8:30 PM

Part 2: Wednesday, November 19, 6 PM - 8:30 PM

Part 3: Thursday, November 20, 6 PM - 8:30 PM

During this 3-part class, participants will learn how to use a table saw, jointer, thickness planer and mitersaw while making a laminated cutting board. Hard maple and cherry will be used for the laminations. Limited use of a router will also be involved.