Woodcraft of West Springfield

Woodturning Basics: Spindle

Sunday, February 8, 2026, 9 AM - 1 PM

Wood mallet class Woodturning Basics: Spindle Get started at the lathe by learning the basics of spindle turning. In this exciting hands-on class you'll learn the skills required to start making spindles on the lathe as you turn two objects: a cove and bead stick and a vase. Tools covered include the roughing gouge, the spindle gouge, and the parting tool. A wood-turned mallet class teaches you to use a lathe to create a useful woodworking tool, perfect for beginners as it covers fundamental skills like spindle turning, shaping with beads/coves.

Introduction /Scroll Saw trivet

Part 1: Sunday, February 15, 2026, 10 AM - 4 PM

Part 2: Sunday, February 22, 2026, 10 AM - 4 PM

Description: A scroll saw is a small electrical saw used to cut intricate curves in wood, metal, or other materials. The fineness of its blade allows it to cut more delicately than a power jigsaw, and more easily than a hand coping saw or fretsaw. In this class, Jim will explain and demonstrate the basic operation and uses of the scroll saw that include maximizing the scroll saw’s efficiency and accuracy. Students will also learn how to setup and align the machine using various blade sizes and teeth configurations along with proper maintenance practices and trouble shooting. You will practice basic in- and outside cuts complete during the class one of the following, a trivet.

V-Carve/CNC for Beginners

Saturday, February 21, 2026, 12 PM - 4 PM

This introductory course will take you from concept to design, and create toolpaths ready to bring to your CNC machine. This class will cover the following: • Basic project setup. material selection, size, zero position, and X -Y Datum. • Basic drawing tools (Circles, Squares, Ovals, etc…) and how to edit and transform objects. • Tool type and selection (End mills, V-Bits, Ball Nose). • Toolpaths: Profile, Pocket, Drilling, V-Carve and others. • Post Processing. Saving your tool paths for your machine. We will be using Vectric’s V-Carve software for this Class. It is highly recommended that you bring your own fully charged laptop with at least the demo version V-Carve Desktop or Pro version loaded. The demo version is freely available for download at https://www.vectric.com/free-trial/ We will be using our in-house Next wave CNC to demo the machine and produce our design.

Turning A Lidded Bowl 102

Sunday, March 1, 2026, 9 AM - 2 PM

Learn how to turn a wood bowl with a lid on the lathe from one solid blank. We will discuss some common pitfalls and do's and don't while learning the basic techniques for making a vessel with a fitting lid on the lathe.

Basic Bowl Turning 101

Sunday, March 8, 2026, 9 AM - 1 PM

This class is intended for beginners and for those who wish to brush up on their bowl turning skills. We will begin by a review of safety precautions followed by a discussion and demonstration of the turning tools needed along with methods and proper sharpening techniques. Students will also learn about wood selection and grain orientation and the use of face plates and chucks. Under close supervision, students will be assigned to their own lathe where they will learn to turn small bowls by the end of class.

Woodworking Fundamentals / A Cutting Board

Saturday, March 14, 2026, 10 AM - 4 PM

If you’re looking for a fun and satisfying project, With the perfect blend of ease and creativity. A Precut cutting board kit for convenience and quality-checked for beauty, these kits make it simple to craft something special, no matter your experience level. This class will help you gain greater self-confidence, with use of a planer, an orbital sander, a drum sander, gluing, clamping, and finishing.