Dates: Monday, June 1 - Friday, June 5 (5 meetings)

Hours: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Instructor: Ellen Kaspern CF '03

Teaching Assistant: Alana Schwartz CF '25

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 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: None

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ by the class start date 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. 

Please Note: North Bennet Street School will be undergoing exterior construction this summer, which may cause occasional noise or temporary changes to building access.

Dates: Saturday, June 6th & Sunday, June 7th (2 meetings)

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructors: Brad Wolcott CF '12

This two-day workshop covers the finishing of furniture in a manner that is consistent with the period of design, including proper coloring using various types of stains, dyes, and glazes. Different types of top coats are discussed, demonstrated and applied, including shellac, oils and varnish. Color theory and the layering of stains and dyes are used to bring out the depth and beauty of the piece. Students will leave with the ability to choose and apply the appropriate finish to complete the work they have made.

Tools & Supplies: * Please bring a card scraper to the first day of class. 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: None

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

Please Note: North Bennet Street School will be undergoing exterior construction this summer, which may cause occasional noise or temporary changes to building access.

Dates: Saturday, June 6th & Sunday, June 7th (2 meetings)

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Rachel Prentki CF '18

Students will learn how to make a mitered picture frame in this 2-day class. Each student will make a frame using the table saw, router, and various fixtures. Students can choose from various router bits to mold their frame to give it a unique look. We will talk about different techniques to glue up the frames, and each frame will be splined to give it added strength.

Tools & Supplies: All 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: None

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ by the class start date 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. 

Please Note: North Bennet Street School will be undergoing exterior construction this summer, which may cause occasional noise or temporary changes to building access.

Dates: Monday, June 8 - Friday, June 12 (5 meetings)

Hours: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Instructors: Jamey Pope CF '06 & Alana Schwartz CF '25

*This class will be hosted in our Cabinet & Furniture Making department at North Bennet Street School. 

Price: $1,250 is the full cost of the class. A $150 deposit is due at the time of registration. Students will have the option to pay in full or pay over time with a weekly payment plan when registering for the class. The payment plan details will be shared during the registration process. 

In this class, students will build a splayed leg side table with tapered octagonal legs and an octagonal top with a molded edge. The class will cover the following topics:

• Understanding compound angle joinery and how it relates to both mortise and tenon and dovetail joinery
• Laying out and cutting mortise and tenon joints
• Making and using jigs and fixtures for the table saw and router including V-blocks and L-fences
• Tapering legs, specifically tapered octagon legs 
• How to layout an octagon using a compass 
• Flush cutting on the table saw and router 
• Cutting profiles on the router

Tools & Supplies: All 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: None

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ by the class start date 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. 

Please Note: North Bennet Street School will be undergoing exterior construction this summer, which may cause occasional noise or temporary changes to building access.

Dates: Tuesday, June 9 - Saturday, June 13 (5 meetings)

Hours: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Instructor: Sophie Linnell PC '21

Teaching Assistant: Kevin Jarvis PC '26

Price: $1,250 is the full cost of the class. A $150 deposit is due at the time of registration. Students will have the option to pay in full or pay over time with a weekly payment plan when registering for the class. The payment plan details will be shared during the registration process. 

In this course, students will reconstruct the historic Holten House Privy (ca 1750) using traditional mortise and tenon joinery. Students will learn the basics of reading architectural drawings to capture the key measurements needed to build the frame and solve for the curved hip-roof geometry using full scale drawings on the floor. Construction methods cover the use of traditional hand tools such as: chisels, mallets, T-handle Augers, hand- cranked boring machines, in addition to the sharpening techniques for these tools. The evolution of tooling will be discussed, and modern methodologies (such as chainsaw mortisers) will be demonstrated and utilized. Instructors will demonstrate how to layout and cut a mortise and tenon, how to layout and cut braces, and how to solve for the hipped roof rafters. Students will also have the opportunity to learn peg making with shaving horses and drawknives. As a result of taking this course, students will have the resources they need to design and build a small timber frame of their own.

The timber frame raising will take place on the final day of class, Saturday, June 13th as part of the Topsfield Historical Society’s 57th Annual Strawberry Festival. 

Location: Please note that this class will be held at the Topsfield Historical Society, 1 Howlett St, Topsfield, Massachusetts. 

• The class will be held in the Gould Barn while utilizing the lawn and grounds for portions of the classwork.
• The Gould Barn is wheelchair accessible with two single occupancy restrooms and a kitchenette available to students. 
• Parking is available in the Topsfield Historical Society's gravel lot. No parking is allowed in the church parking lot next door. 

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.

• Steel-toed or composite work boots (NO SNEAKERS OR SANDALS)
• 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: Tuesdays & Thursdays, June 9 - June 18 (4 meetings)

Hours: 6:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Instructor: Rachel Prentki CF '18

Teaching Assistant: TBA

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 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: None

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ by the class start date 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. 

Please Note: North Bennet Street School will be undergoing exterior construction this summer, which may cause occasional noise or temporary changes to building access.

Dates: Saturday, June 13th & Sunday, June 14th (2 meetings)

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Stephen Thrasher

Teaching Assistant: TBA

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 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: None

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ by the class start date 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. 

Please Note: North Bennet Street School will be undergoing exterior construction this summer, which may cause occasional noise or temporary changes to building access.

Dates: Saturday, June 20th & Sunday, June 21st  (2 meetings)

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Mark DeVeber CF '21

This two-day workshop provides an introductory foundation to machine woodworking techniques, focusing on the creation of a functional and beautiful cutting board. Students will gain hands-on experience with various woodworking machines, learning essential skills and safe tool usage through practical demonstrations. 

Tools & Supplies: All 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: None

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ by the class start date 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.

Please Note: North Bennet Street School will be undergoing exterior construction this summer, which may cause occasional noise or temporary changes to building access.