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:  TBA

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. 

Dates: Saturday, February 28th & Sunday, March 1st (2 meetings)

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Kevin Hopkins CF'18

Teaching Assistant: Alana Schwartz CF'25

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: Monday - Friday, March 2 - 13 (10 meetings, class does not meet over the weekend)

Hours: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Instructor: Steve Brown CF'90

This comprehensive course builds foundational hand skills that are essential to completing many fine woodworking projects. The class is suitable for both beginners looking to jump-start a hobby in woodworking and intermediate/advanced students looking to refresh their skills. Topics include sharpening, tuning, and the use of basic hand tools, including paring chisels, hand planes, dovetail saws, card scrapers, and marking gauges; characteristics of wood and wood movement in furniture making; and cutting dovetails and mortise and tenon joinery using flat and square reference surfaces. Demonstrations and exercises develop skills such as chopping and paring with a chisel and hand planning. Traditional cabinet-making practices are explained throughout the course, and instructors emphasize how these methods can be used systematically in any woodworking project. Each student will complete a box with a sliding lid. This course focuses on handwork at the bench. Check out our Fundamentals of Machine Woodworking class if you are looking to learn more about machines. 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: Please bring the items on this supply list to the first day of class.​ Need an item? Our NBSS Store/Gallery carries dozens of tools and supplies in addition to NBSS branded items and handmade goods. You may make purchases online, in person (Monday-Thursday 7:30 am - 2:00 pm), or via email at store@nbss.edu. Tool orders must be made via email or over the phone.

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

Date: Saturday March 7th & Sunday March 8th (2 meetings)

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Brad Wolcott CF '12

Inlaid stringing and banding are hallmarks of furniture styles ranging from early American to the finest Art Deco pieces. This class will teach students how to create, use, and finish stringing and banding on a variety of surfaces. Learn how to incorporate these details for both aesthetic and practical reasons. 

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, March 7th & Sunday, March 8th (2 meetings)

Hours: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Instructor: Eric Goodson

This class will introduce students to end-grain cup turning.  Unlike most bowl turning, which orients the grain perpendicular to the lathe bed, end-grain turning orients the grain parallel to the lathe bed, like spindle turning.  Students will learn to use both traditional bowl gouges and ring tools, as well as explore the advantages of turning with the machine running in reverse and once-turned versus twice-turned vessels. Each student will have a dedicated lathe and will create two or three cups or 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: Saturday, March 14th & Sunday, March 15th (2 meetings)

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Oliver Strand

Teaching Assistant: TBA

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.