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North Bennet Street School

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Woodworking

Woodworking 101

$300

with Stephen Thrasher

Calendar Nov 7, 2026 at 8:30 am, runs for 1 week

Dates: Saturday, November 7th & Sunday, November 8th (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. 

Locking Lidded Boxes

$445

with Eric Goodson

Calendar Nov 7, 2026 at 9 am, runs for 1 week

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

Hours: 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Eric Goodson

Making locking lidded boxes is a wonderful introduction to the world of green wood turning. Wood shrinks as it dries, but it does not shrink equally in all directions. This project takes advantage of this variation to create a small box where the lid clamps shut when twisted onto the base. This course is designed for students with a basic understanding of side-grain bowl turning who would like a challenge. The instructor will discuss the history of these Scandinavian boxes, the grain orientation necessary to create the piece, and the various steps and techniques in turning their boxes. Special attention will be paid to ways of measuring diameter and profile to ensure that the lid properly fits the base, how to turn with the lathe running in reverse, and how to handle a slöjd knife safely and efficiently to carve the locking mechanism.  Each student will create one box.

Tools & Supplies: There is an additional $15 materials fee due to the instructor on the first day of class. The instructor accepts cash, checks, credit, or Venmo. All tools and supplies will be provided for this class.

Prerequisite: Students should have some prior experience with bowl turning. If you have questions about your experience, please contact ce@nbss.edu. 

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.

Picture Frames

$300

with Rachel Prentki CF '18

Calendar Nov 14, 2026 at 8:30 am, runs for 1 week

Dates: Saturday, November 14th & Sunday, November 15th (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. 

Fundamentals of Machine Woodworking

$1,150

with Haniel Wides CF ’24

Calendar Nov 16, 2026 at 9 am, runs for 1 week

Dates: Monday, November 16 - Friday, November 20 (5 meetings)

Hours: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Instructor: Haniel Wides CF '24

Teaching Assistant: TBA

Price: $1,150 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. 

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. 

Payment plan available: $150 deposit plus 11 payments of $83.33, paid weekly. Final payment of $83.37.

Shaker Oval Boxes

$290

with Kolin Schmidt CF '21

Calendar Nov 21, 2026 at 8:30 am, runs for 1 week

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

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Kolin Schmidt CF '21

In this class, students will learn to make oval bent-band boxes using basic hand tools and steam bending. These boxes are of a traditional style often called "shaker" boxes. * Working with prepared box bands, students learn to bevel, steam, and bend bands; then fit and tack them to lids and bottoms. Students will make 3 different-sized nested boxes, and some techniques for finishing them will be covered as well. All skill levels are welcome!

*The term "Shakers" refers to the people of The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, a religious group that separated from the Religious Society of Friends (also known as "Quakers") during the 18th Century. While the group itself is no longer active, their aesthetics of simplicity and utility were highly influential to the history of American furniture making in what has come to be known as the "Shaker style." They were also known for their communal culture, pacifism, abstinence, and equality of the sexes at a time when this was well outside of the mainstream. Both "Shaker" and "Quaker" are terms, originally pejorative in nature, that were given to these groups by outsiders.

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+ 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. 

Spoon Carving - Green Wood

$345

with Eric Goodson

Calendar Nov 21, 2026 at 8:30 am, runs for 1 week

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

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Eric Goodson

Spoon carving is a wonderful introduction to the world of Slöjd, or Scandinavian handicraft.  Using fresh wood and just a few hand tools, students will learn to carve convex and concave shapes and address changing grain direction.  Special attention is paid to teaching safe and efficient ax technique, along with about a dozen different knife “grasps” commonly used in all sorts of carving projects. We will also explore topics like wood selection, grain orientation, the subtleties of spoon design, finishing oils and paints, and decorative techniques like chip carving and kolrosing.  No experience is required, and so long as you can open a jar of spaghetti sauce, you have sufficient hand 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. 

Shaker Tripod Table

$1,100

with Steve Brown CF '90

Calendar Nov 30, 2026 at 9 am, runs for 1 week

Dates: Monday, November 30 - Friday, December 4 (5 meetings)

Hours: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Instructor: Steve Brown CF '90

Teaching Assistant: TBA

Price: $1,100 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. 

Often referred to as a “Candle-stand,” this Shaker design is one of the simplest versions of the classic tripod table form. Students will turn the column on the lathe and join the graceful S-curved legs to the column’s base. The circular top is attached by tenoning the column into a batten, which is screwed to the top. The top’s edge will be molded with a subtle profile, created with a router. Students will be using both hand and power tool techniques.

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+ 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. 

Payment plan available: $150 deposit plus 13 payments of $67.85, paid weekly. Final payment of $67.95.

Introduction to Veneer

$475

with Brad Wolcott CF '12

Calendar Dec 5, 2026 at 8:30 am, runs for 1 week

Dates: Saturday, December 5th & Sunday, December 6th (2 meetings)

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Brad Wolcott CF '12

An introduction to using veneer for fine furniture. Topics to be covered include veneer selection, glue options, pressing techniques, and work process. Students will leave the class with the skills necessary to incorporate veneer into their own work.

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+ 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. 





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