~Joint Gymnastics~ Mitered Corner with Splines (intended for women & marginalized genders)

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