Open shop is a time for you to bring in any projects or crafts you are working on and have access to the tools and the space. While we will have an instructor on staff to help open shop run smoothly and make sure tools are being used safely, this is a self-directed work time NOT class time. Open shop is capped at 7 participants and needs 5 participants to run.

Registrants of open shop MUST have taken power tools 101 or be comfortable and experienced using power tools.  

Every attendee of open shop must register. Please no guests without registration!

Until further notice, NO GREENWOOD ON THE BANDSAWS.

Please email fireweedwoodshop@gmail.com if you have any questions about open shop or what tools are available to use.

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *
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Facilitated by Aria Kampfer

Make a cutting board while learning how to use power tools. We will cover using the electric planer, ripping on the table saw, cross cutting on the miter saw, curved cuts on the bandsaw, and finishing. This is a great chance to get to know, or brush up on the most powerful tools in the shop. Take home your very own cherry or maple cutting board at the end.

The materials fee for this class is $20 and is included in the admission cost.

Email hello@fireweedwoodshop.org to request ASL interpretation for this course.

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

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 Taught by Meena Mangalvedhekar. 

Join herbalist Emily Pearson Ryan and printmaking instructor Jessie Merriam for an exploration of calendula as a remedy, ingredient, and summer delight. Students will spend time with Emily learning about the history and practice of harvesting and using this plant material. Students will have the opportunity to sample calendula in various forms, then learn the process of woodblock printmaking by carving a design and printing it on different papers. Students will use sharp tools to carve 4x6" blocks and use water-based inks for printing, using methods easy to replicate at home.

There will be space for conversation about these intertwined crafts—the healing arts of plants—during the tea and carving time. 

This course is beginner friendly. A short walk plant walk is an option, calendula emergence and weather permitting. 

To bring with you: a notebook for notes if you like, questions about calendula use and herbalism, and a 4x6” design for your woodblock (spend some time looking at images and the plant if you can, and think about chunkier/more symbolic designs or designs taking advantage of woodblock texture). 

There will only be about an hour of carving time before proofing, printing and cleanup, so don’t make your design too intricate especially if new to carving. There will be a template for anyone who prefers to use that or if you don’t have time to prepare a design.

The class is 3 hours and 15 minutes long to allow for a short break. Students are welcome to arrive 5 minutes early to settle in.

Email jessiemerriam@gmail.com with any questions.

The materials fee for this class is $35 and is included in the admission cost

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

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Taught by Jessie Merriam (@wheelbugs) and Emily Pearson Ryan

~Power tools 101 is a prerequisite for this course~

Learn how to transform rough lumber into finished sizes while making a mitered box. This class will cover how to use the tools to create parallel sides and perpendicular corners before building the box. Through box-making, we will learn how to make several forms of joinery including miters, splines, and dados. This class is open to students of all levels of ability, and we will make accommodations for anyone with a disability.

The materials fee for this class is $25 and is included in the admission cost

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

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Taught by  Aria Kampfer

Learn how to carve a spoon from a fresh cut tree using traditional Nordic carving techniques. We cover tree anatomy, axing out a blank (roughed out spoon shape), knife holds for the hook & sloyd knife, drying, and finishing. This class is great for the beginner or the person wanting to learn Sloyd style carving. The class fee includes tool rental, materials, a finishing kit, and safety gloves. Please wear pants and close toed-shoes, as we are going to make some wood chips!

The materials fee for this class is $25 and is included in the admission cost.

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

__________________________

Taught by Katie Speckman

Calling all bakers, chefs and hobbyists! Novices and pros alike! 

Learn the basics of spindle turning in this fun, beginner-friendly course. Class will introduce the anatomy of the lathe and students will learn the techniques to turn a maple or walnut French rolling pin. Course will also cover sanding and food-safe finishes.

The materials fee for this course is $20 and is included in the admissions cost.

*  We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

_________________

Taught by Tiff Tran

Build a cedar bench for your patio, garden, sauna, or anywhere else you want to sit and enjoy the outdoors! The dimensions of this bench are 47 inches long and 14 inches deep. Students will use a miter saw to cut 4x4 beams of cedar to size and the biscuit jointer and drill to assemble. Benches will be left unfinished.

The materials fee for this class is $150 and is included in the admission cost.

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It can be hard to find just the right picture frame--especially for one-of-a-kind art--and custom frames are expensive. Solve that problem by learning how to build your own! We'll use the table saw, miter saw, and v-nailer to construct basic frames out of oak, maple, or cherry. Students should come to class with dimensions of the piece they want to frame, and we'll take it from there!

The materials fee for this class is $15 and is included in the class admission cost.

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

__________________________

Taught by Aria Kampfer

Learn to make two functional and beautiful whisk brooms. This 5 hour introduction class will cover traditional shaker and modern designs of the Turkey Wing and Sparrow tail whisk brooms with wrapped or plaited handles. You will also learn how to prep stalks for the woven handles. Leave feeling confident and inspired to explore the world of broom making.

The materials fee for this class is $20 and is included in the admission cost.

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

_________________

Taught by Tina Green Krause

Open shop is a time for you to bring in any projects or crafts you are working on and have access to the tools and the space. While we will have an instructor on staff to help open shop run smoothly and make sure tools are being used safely, this is a self-directed work time NOT class time. Open shop is capped at 7 participants and needs 5 participants to run.

Registrants of open shop MUST have taken power tools 101 or be comfortable and experienced using power tools.  

Every attendee of open shop must register. Please no guests without registration!

Until further notice, NO GREENWOOD ON THE BANDSAWS.

Please email fireweedwoodshop@gmail.com if you have any questions about open shop or what tools are available to use.

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *
_________________________________

Facilitated by Aria Kampfer

Make a cutting board while learning how to use power tools. We will cover using the electric planer, ripping on the table saw, cross cutting on the miter saw, curved cuts on the bandsaw, and finishing. This is a great chance to get to know, or brush up on the most powerful tools in the shop. Take home your very own cherry or maple cutting board at the end.

The materials fee for this class is $20 and is included in the admission cost.

Email hello@fireweedwoodshop.org to request ASL interpretation for this course.

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

__________________________

 Taught by Meena Mangalvedhekar. 

Come learn how to turn your own bowl on the lathe! We will start with a freshly cut bowl blank and take it all the way to its finished shape. You will be learning parts of the lathe, how to mount your blank, and how to use bowl gouges, scrapers, and different chuck attachments. We will also cover how you will later on dry, sand, and finish the bowl. In this 4 hour class we will go at a pace at which everyone is comfortable, leaving plenty of room for demonstration, questions, and hands-on time.

The materials fee for this class is $30 and is included in the admission cost.

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

_________________

Taught by Abbey Dickhudt

Join us for a special BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) centered class to practice the basics of Power Tools

Make a cutting board while learning how to use power tools. We will cover using the electric planer, ripping on the table saw, cross cutting on the miter saw, curved cuts on the bandsaw, and finishing. This is a great chance to get to know, or brush up on the most powerful tools in the shop. Take home your very own cherry or maple cutting board at the end.

The materials fee for this class is $20 and is included in the admission cost.

This class is intended for BIPOC students.

Email hello@fireweedwoodshop.org to request ASL interpretation for this course.

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

-----------------------------

Taught by Meena Mangalvedhekar (@meenanew)  Bio 1.  Bio 2.

Learn how to carve a spoon from a fresh cut tree using traditional Nordic carving techniques. We cover tree anatomy, axing out a blank (roughed out spoon shape), knife holds for the hook & sloyd knife, drying, and finishing. This class is great for the beginner or the person wanting to learn Sloyd style carving. The class fee includes tool rental, materials, a finishing kit, and safety gloves. Please wear pants and close toed-shoes, as we are going to make some wood chips!

The materials fee for this class is $25 and is included in the admission cost.

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

__________________________

Taught by Katie Speckman

This class is intended for students who have taken Bowl Turing at Fireweed or have prior turning experience.

During this 4 hour class, students will have the chance to apply their learned turning skills from Bowl Turning 101 to make a plate.

The techniques will build off of previous classes, while adding in additional changes such as using dried wood and making a plate, instead of a bowl. This class will allow students to further involve themselves in their turning skills, while also refreshing their knowledge from previous classes. Covered in this class will be mounting a blank to the lathe, balancing a blank, plate layout, and turning practices with the bowl gouge and parting tool.

The materials fee for this class is $30 and is included in the admission cost.

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

_________________

Taught by Abbey Dickhudt

Come learn how to turn your own bowl on the lathe! We will start with a freshly cut bowl blank and take it all the way to its finished shape. You will be learning parts of the lathe, how to mount your blank, and how to use bowl gouges, scrapers, and different chuck attachments. We will also cover how you will later on dry, sand, and finish the bowl. In this 4 hour class we will go at a pace at which everyone is comfortable, leaving plenty of room for demonstration, questions, and hands-on time.

The materials fee for this class is $30 and is included in the admission cost.

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

_________________

Taught by Abbey Dickhudt

Build a communal set of timber framed sawhorses. With mortise and tenon joinery, this class will build two sets of sturdy trestles and learn the basics of square-rule timber framing. Each participant will use professional grade power tools and traditional hand tools to layout, carve and assemble green 6"x6" timbers into 3' long benches that will enable Fireweed to offer more advanced timber framing classes in the future. This class does require upper body strength, good near vision, and standing for long periods of time though we try to use tools and approaches to create ergonomic and less physically taxing work.

There is no materials free for this class as the saw horses will be made for Fireweed. 

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

_________________

Taught by Alo

It can be hard to find just the right picture frame--especially for one-of-a-kind art--and custom frames are expensive. Solve that problem by learning how to build your own! We'll use the table saw, miter saw, and v-nailer to construct basic frames out of oak, maple, or cherry. Students should come to class with dimensions of the piece they want to frame, and we'll take it from there!

The materials fee for this class is $15 and is included in the class admission cost.

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

__________________________

Taught by Aria Kampfer

Make a cutting board while learning how to use power tools. We will cover using the electric planer, ripping on the table saw, cross cutting on the miter saw, curved cuts on the bandsaw, and finishing. This is a great chance to get to know, or brush up on the most powerful tools in the shop. Take home your very own cherry or maple cutting board at the end.

The materials fee for this class is $20 and is included in the admission cost.

Email hello@fireweedwoodshop.org to request ASL interpretation for this course.

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

__________________________

 Taught by Meena Mangalvedhekar. 

Fireweed Woodshop is excited to host a four part series in handcut joinery called Joint Gymnastics! Each part will be a two-class session: the first class will be a lecture and demo and the second class will be time for students to practice making the joint. Joint Gymnastics is a skills-building workshop for students to learn how to use handtools, so the focus is on practice rather than creating a take-home project. Students are welcome to sign up for individual parts.

The four types of joinery we will cover in Joint Gymnastics are the mitered corners with splines, butterfly joints, wedged mortise and through tenons, and handcut dovetails. While students are welcome to sign up for the specific joinery they are interested in learning, the sessions are organized so we will start with the most forgiving joint and work our way towards the most complicated. These classes will build students' confidence in handsaw and chiseling skills. 

Joint Gymnastics Part One: Mitered Corner with Splines will walk students through the different variations in splines and when to use them. We will cover through splines, feather and classic spline keys, and dovetail keys. Students will learn how to crosscut wood with a Japanese pull saw, how to cut on an angle, and how to create a flat plane with a chisel. There will be special focus on how to lay out a joint and the importance of precision in handcut joinery. While the objective of the class is for students to be able to create a clean and tight joint, there will be the opportunity to build a bookend or small knickknack shelf too.

The materials fee for this class is $25 and is included in the admission cost.

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

__________________________

Taught by Aria Kampfer and EB

Do you want to both practice your skills with power tools and build a picture frame for a custom piece in your home? This class is for you! We will build a picture frame with splines using the table saw, miter saw, sander, and v-nailer. You'll get some time with all of the power tools to increase your comfort level during the class. Students will have extra time with the table saw to build a reinforcing spline in each corner. The splines provide strength and style for your hand built frame to last a lifetime. Students should come to class with dimensions of the piece they want to frame, and we'll build a basic frame out of oak, cherry, or maple.

The materials fee for this class is $15 and is included in the admission cost.

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

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Taught by Julie Arnold

Fall in love with making beautiful brushes used for art studios, workshop bench brushes, gardens and kitchens. Create a brush design of your own. Make tampico brushes with scrap wood or bring your own unique dried wood to work with.

Day 1, We will use power tools such as the bandsaw, drill press, sanders and hand tools to create the wooden handles. Day 2, we will focus on bristle work using tampico fiber.

The materials fee for this class is $30 and is included in the admission cost.

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

__________________________

Taught by Tina Green Krause

Learn how to make your own spoon blanks with an axe! Students will learn how to split a log into wedges and then process those wedges into spoon blanks. Students will use splitting wedges, axes, and saws to make a butter knife blank and 1 or 2 spoon blanks. There will be lots of practice axing time. Be prepared to move around. We will emphasize safe techniques and explore a few different types of axes.

The materials fee for this class is $20 and is included in the admission costs.

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

__________________________

 Taught by Jeanette Torkelson and Ema Thoen 

Make a cutting board while learning how to use power tools. We will cover using the electric planer, ripping on the table saw, cross cutting on the miter saw, curved cuts on the bandsaw, and finishing. This is a great chance to get to know, or brush up on the most powerful tools in the shop. Take home your very own cherry or maple cutting board at the end.

The materials fee for this class is $20 and is included in the admission cost.

Email hello@fireweedwoodshop.org to request ASL interpretation for this course.

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

__________________________

 Taught by Meena Mangalvedhekar. 

In this special hands-on demonstration, Teresa Audet will give a presentation about several techniques for creating organic compound curves in wood on a small scale, including bricklay stack lamination and coopering with a handplane. She will also showcase a variety of hand tools used to smooth and shape these surfaces, including planes, gouges, and rasps. Participants will then experiment with these techniques in small groups at several workstations set up around the woodshop.

The materials fee for this class is $5 and is included in the class admission cost.

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

__________________________

Taught by Teresa Audet

In this weekend intensive workshop, students will design and build their own wooden stool using wedged tenon joinery. We will cover the basics of woodworking using both machine and hand tools, including spindle turning and shaping by hand. Students will explore carved textures using gouges and spokeshaves, and learn how to layer milk paint to create dynamic finishes. Each student will design several elements of their piece including the shape of the seat and the number of legs. Key skills covered will include turning spindles on the lathe, drilling complex angles, and creating wedged tenon joinery. This class is suitable for all skill levels but will be fast-paced; students should bring a willingness to learn and have fun!

* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *

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 Taught by Teresa Audet