Dates: Saturday, January 31st & Sunday, February 1st (2 meetings)

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Kolin Schmidt CF '21

In this 2-day class, students will practice multiple router techniques while fabricating a candle stand and a serving tray. 

We will practice multiple router setups with both handheld routers and router tables. We will discuss different router features, bit types, and discuss best practices for the safe and efficient use of the tool.

Tools & Supplies: All tools and supplies are provided for this class.

Attire: This is a general list of how to dress for the shop environment, please contact ce@nbss.edu if you have any questions. 

• Closed-toe, comfortable, and protective footwear (sneakers or boots)
• No loose clothing
• Long pants suggested
• No loose jewelry
• Long hair must be tied back

Prerequisite: None

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Dates: Saturday, January 31st & Sunday, February 1st (2 meetings)

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Rick Angus

Turn bowls from wet local hardwoods recently cut and provided by the instructor. The bowls are first prepared from a log with oversized walls, allowed to dry, and turned a second time to finished dimensions. Students will receive a refresher in the fundamental gouge and scraper cutting techniques and review all procedures used in the Fundamentals course. We start with a bowl blank freshly cut from a log. Before cutting it, we examine the grain lines and visualize the “bowl within the wood” and make a plan to reveal it. Blanks of wood will be mounted between centers, and the grain pattern will be planned. We shape the outside of the bowl, remount the blank in a chuck, and cut the inside, leaving slightly thick walls. This bowl is allowed to dry (for three to six months) and distort to an oval shape (approximately). Next, students receive a similar but dried bowl prepared by the instructor. We examine our once-turned bowls and find the grain pattern planned when it first was turned. It is remounted on the lathe, and the final shape is revealed through a process of removing the “high” spots of the oval until it is round again. This is based on visualizing the grain pattern and truing the spigot so that the dry oval bowl spins on nearly the original axis. The remainder of the process is cutting the outside while between centers, remounting in a chuck and cutting the rim and inside, and finally mounting in a jam chuck to finish the foot.

Tools & Supplies: *There is an additional $50.00 material fee due to the instructor on the first day of class. The instructor accepts cash or checks. All other tools and supplies will be provided for this class.

Attire: This is a general list of how to dress for the shop environment, please contact ce@nbss.edu if you have any questions.

• Closed-toe, comfortable, and protective footwear (sneakers or boots)
• No loose clothing
• Long pants suggested
• No loose jewelry
• Long hair must be tied back

Prerequisite: Fundamental Techniques in Bowl Turning or equivalent experience (at instructor's discretion). If you have questions about prerequisite requirements, please email ce@nbss.edu.

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Dates: Tuesdays & Thursdays, February 3-12 (4 meetings)

Hours: 6:00 - 9:30 pm

Instructor: Rachel Prentki CF '18

Learn to cut crisp and accurate dovetails. Dovetails are one of the strongest and oldest types of joinery; they are useful for building boxes and furniture. Students will learn to cut both through and Half-Blind Dovetails by hand. They will learn to use chisels, marking gauges, saws, and mallets to cut the joinery. It's helpful for students to have some woodworking experience, but not necessary. Good dexterity and a good eye will help those without much woodworking experience.

Tools & Supplies: All tools and supplies are provided for this class.

Attire: This is a general list of how to dress for the shop environment, please contact ce@nbss.edu if you have any questions. 

• Closed-toe, comfortable, and protective footwear (sneakers or boots)
• No loose clothing
• Long pants suggested
• No loose jewelry
• Long hair must be tied back

Prerequisite: None

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Dates: Saturday, February 7th & Sunday, February 8th (2 meetings)

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Oliver Strand

Teaching Assistant: Haniel Wides CF'24

Students will build a rectangular Windsor-style bench, perfect for an entryway or beside the kitchen table. This class covers the basic joinery and shaping techniques used in Windsor chairmaking, and will teach you everything you need to start making benches, stools, and chairs at home! We will use kiln-dried wood, simple hand tools, and tapered mortise and tenon joinery to build a rock-solid bench that will last a lifetime.

Tools & Supplies: All tools and supplies are provided for this class. 

Attire: This is a general list of how to dress for the shop environment, please contact ce@nbss.edu if you have any questions.

• Closed-toe, comfortable, and protective footwear (sneakers or boots)
• No loose clothing
• Long pants suggested
• No loose jewelry
• Long hair must be tied back

Prerequisite: None

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Dates: Saturday, February 7th & Sunday, February 8th (2 meetings)

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Stephen Thrasher

Teaching Assistant: Caroline Knight CF'26

Interested in woodworking and looking for a way to get started? This introductory course is designed to give beginner students an overview of shop safety as well as some of the most common machines and hand tools used in woodworking. We work towards the completion of a small project while building basic skills and getting comfortable with machinery and working at the bench. This class is geared toward beginners looking to get a peek into woodworking. For more in-depth skill-building, check out our Fundamentals of Fine Woodworking and Fundamentals of Machine Woodworking classes. Many students choose to take Woodworking 101 before a Fundamentals class, but it is not required. 

Tools & Supplies: All tools and supplies are provided for this class.

Attire: This is a general list of how to dress for the shop environment, please contact ce@nbss.edu if you have any questions.

• Closed-toe, comfortable, and protective footwear (sneakers or boots)
• No loose clothing
• Long pants suggested
• No loose jewelry
• Long hair must be tied back

Prerequisite: None

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Dates: Saturday, February 21st & Sunday February 22nd (2 meetings)

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Ellen Kaspern CF '03

Teaching Assistant: TBA

In this hands-on woodworking class, students will work with white ash to build a Danish cord footstool. Students will start off by building the bench base and learn about mortise & tenon joinery and domino construction. Students will use both machines and hand tools to build the base. From there, they will learn about different types of cords and methods that can be used to weave the seat. They will then apply what they learned to weave the seat of their bench. The basic furniture-making techniques learned in this class can be applied to building stools and tables. If you have prior experience, this class will help you refresh and refine your woodworking skills. Students will leave with a 16-inch-long, 12-inch-deep, and 12 1/4 inch tall Danish cord footstool.

Tools & Supplies: All tools and supplies are provided for this class.

Attire: This is a general list of how to dress for the shop environment, please contact ce@nbss.edu if you have any questions.

• Closed-toe, comfortable, and protective footwear (sneakers or boots)
• No loose clothing
• Long pants suggested
• No loose jewelry
• Long hair must be tied back

Prerequisite: None

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Dates: Saturday, February 21st & Sunday, February 22nd (2 meetings)

Hours: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Instructor: Eric Goodson

This two-day class will introduce students to bowl turning on a western-style electric lathe.  Students will learn how to turn a finished bowl straight from a freshly felled tree (once-turned), and how to create bowl blanks that can be dried and turned again (twice-turned). Topics like wood selection, blank preparation, tool sharpening, methods of attaching the bowl to the lathe, ways to dry your bowl/blank, and various finishes will also be covered. Each student will have a dedicated lathe and will produce two or three bowls.

Tools & Supplies: All tools and supplies are provided for this class.

Attire: This is a general list of how to dress for the shop environment, please contact ce@nbss.edu if you have any questions. 

• Closed-toe, comfortable, and protective footwear (sneakers or boots)
• No loose clothing
• Long pants suggested
• No loose jewelry
• Long hair must be tied back

Prerequisite: None

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Dates: Monday, February 23 - Friday, February 27 (5 meetings)

Hours: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Instructor: Haniel Wides CF '24

Teaching Assistant: Caroline Knight CF '26

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the safety, setup, and use of some of the most common woodworking machines. This class is suitable for both beginners looking to jump-start a hobby in woodworking and intermediate/advanced students looking to refresh their skills. Students learn to perform basic machine procedures while gaining the confidence to undertake more complicated operations. We cover the use of the planer, jointer, table saw, radial arm saw, bandsaw, and additional machines as time allows. Each student is given the chance to install and set blades on each machine, along with the necessary fences, guides, and fixtures. Proper techniques for operating each machine safely and for recognizing potentially dangerous situations are emphasized. Each student completes a box with a sliding lid, beginning with milling rough lumber. This course focuses on machine work. Check out our Fundamentals of Fine Woodworking class if you are looking to work at the bench and improve your hand skills. Many students take both classes. If you are just looking to get your feet wet in the shop, check out our Woodworking 101 class.

Tools & Supplies: All tools and supplies are provided for this class. 

Attire: This is a general list of how to dress for the shop environment, please contact ce@nbss.edu if you have any questions.

• Closed-toe, comfortable, and protective footwear (sneakers or boots)
• No loose clothing
• Long pants suggested
• No loose jewelry
• Long hair must be tied back

Prerequisite: None

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian.