We have reduced the price for the Carpentry Workshop taking place next weekend: individuals pay $150; students with valid ID pay $100 and organizational groups of three or more pay $125 per person. Sign up now as space is limited. Registration closes on Wednesday, October 7.
Tag Archives: Carpentry workshop
Historic Trades Carpentry Workshop
Conservation at Menokin
October 9-10, 2015
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Students will learn about material preparation and historic precedent: hewing, sawing, riving building materials.
Students will have an opportunity to rive and dress shingles, lath. Students will learn about layout of timber framing, will use traditional chalk line, squares, chisels, saws, mallets and augers to cut mortise and tenon joints, and will assemble some framing.
Students will learn about joinery, and see a demonstration of the bench work of the joiner’s trade. Students will have an opportunity to work with planes, layout tools, chisels and mallets, rulers and gauges, and try their hand at making simple moldings.
We will provide all materials and tools. If students wish, they are welcome to bring any personal antique tools with them they would like to talk or learn about.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS
MATT WEBSTER
Matt Webster is Director of the Grainger Department of Architectural Preservation for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. He oversees the preservation of over 590 original and reconstructed structures in Williamsburg’s Historic Area. Matt previously served as director of Preservation at Drayton Hall in South Carolina, as well as Director of Restoration at Kenmore in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
GARLAND WOOD
Garland Wood as master carpenter leads Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Trades carpenters. Over the last thirty years this team of tradesmen and women have made the materials and framed and finished over 40 buildings in Williamsburg’s Historic Area, while presenting the trade to the curious public.
TED BOSCANO
Ted Boscano is a journeyman joiner at Colonial Williamsburg, having first trained under Garland Wood as an apprentice carpenter. Ted’s interest in finish work led him to pursue bench work, and he now leads the Williamsburg’s Historic Trades joiner shop in the traditional production of windows and doors, molding and furniture.
SCHEDULE
FRIDAY – October 9
- Arrival and check in: 8:30 – 8:55 AM
- Workshop starts: 9:00 AM
- Lunch break: 12:30 – 1:00 PM (A light lunch is provided
- Workshop ends: 5:00 PM
SATURDAY – October 10
- Menokin VC opens: 7:45 AM
- Workshop starts: 8:00 AM
- Workshop ends: 12:30 PM
Menokin Carpentry Workshop Nailed It!
What better way to spend a rainy, Northern Neck weekend than in a wood shop, surrounded by antique (and yes, some electric) tools, aromatic shavings and fun people?
A group of 15+ gathered at Menokin on an early October weekend to learn some tricks of the trade in restoring and recreating wooden features of old buildings. Instructors from Oak Grove Restoration shared helpful information such as choosing the right wood for the job, the history of wood and why the old stuff is better than the new stuff, and which tools do what.
Plenty of hands-on activities had students carving, scraping, smoothing, sharpening and drilling. Enjoy the pictures!
Stayed tuned for information about our next workshop, which will probably be in the Spring.
Instructors Larry Singleton and Patrick Handler opened the session with instructions on wood splitting and how to replace the handle of an implement.
The shaping of the handle involved using a draw blade. This is a learned skill.
When words fail, use the white board.
Shaping and chiseling.
Knowing how and when to sharpen a chisel is important.
Participants were encouraged to bring their own tools in for sharpening.
Tree rings.
Exploring the constructions timbers from Menokin.
Instructor Hank Handler explains that – while hand tools are fun and interesting to use….
……
…power tools get the job done fast!
Splitting woods involves placing the blade on the log…
…then whacking the handle to split it.
More draw blade trials.
The hand lathe is a great way to smooth off the side of a board to a nice, even finish.
Hank, the chisel whisperer, explains the fine art of “feeling the wheel.”
You have to wait until the sparks fly in just the right direction to know that you’re getting close.
Larry, the purist, brought out stones and leather strops for his sharpening instructions.
Students claimed a spot at the work bench to put their chiseling skills to the test. The assignment involved….
Carving out a space on a board…
….that this hinge will fit into…
…..using these tools.
Pay close attention to the light in the brim of Hank’s cap.
Next stop. How to repair a window.
Routing out the wood to assemble the new parts of the sash.
Hank offered a consultation on an engineering and restoration project in Washington. Yes, that is an iPad. And yes, he knows how to use it.
Course evaluations were completed at the end of the weekend.
Register Now for the Carpentry Conservation Workshop
Conservation at Menokin CARPENTRY WORKSHOP
October 12 – 13, 2013
COURSE DESCRIPTION
- Old growth and Second growth
- Wood quality
- Grading lumber
- Specific woods for specific jobs
- Skills and knowledge gained: a comprehensive understanding of unique qualities of wood species and their use in traditional building
Day 2: Traditional Tools and Methods
- Traditional woodworking tools
- How to make repairs to beams, splices, scarf joints, Dutchman etc.
- Window design, restoration, and maintenance
- Door design, restoration, and maintenance
- Skills and knowledge gained: a preliminary
knowledge of traditional wood working tools and their uses; an understanding of the traditional design of wood windows and doors, how to restore them, and tips for routine maintenance
Conservation at Menokin: Pre-register for Carpentry Class
Conservation at Menokin
CARPENTRY WORKSHOP
October 12 – 13, 2013
Martin Kirwan King
Conservation and Visitor’s Center
4037 Menokin Road l Warsaw, VA 22572
Conservation and Visitor’s Center
4037 Menokin Road l Warsaw, VA 22572
Instructors from Oak Grove Restoration
Hank Handler – President
Patrick Handler – Vice President
Hank Handler – President
Patrick Handler – Vice President
During more than thirty-five years in business, Oak Grove Restoration Company has evolved from a high-quality woodworking shop into a full-service general contracting and consulting company specializing in historic preservation and the careful conservation of irreplaceable historic architectural fabric. Their diverse client base includes state and local governments, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Park Service, private homeowners, historic sites, and house museums.
Oak Grove has worked at Menokin for many years, starting with the return of the
interior paneling to the property in the 1990s, and continuing with the stabilization and catwalk system that exists today. They are part of The Menokin Project Team.
Course Description
Day 1: History of Wood
- Old growth and Second growth
- Wood quality
- Grading lumber
- Specific woods for specific jobs
- Skills and knowledge gained: a comprehensive understanding of unique qualities of wood species and their use in traditional building
Day 2: Traditional Tools and Methods
- Traditional woodworking tools
- How to make repairs to beams, splices, scarf joints, Dutchman etc.
- Window design, restoration, and maintenance
- Door design, restoration, and maintenance
- Skills and knowledge gained: a preliminary
- Knowledge of traditional wood working tools and their uses; an understanding of the traditional
- Design of wood windows
Get Your Name On The Registration List now by sending us an email at menokin@menokin.org. Please be sure to include your full name and a phone number.
Once the registration information is finalized, we will contact you to see if you are still interested and would like to confirm with a paid registration.