Masterclass: Table Concept to Completion in Four Days

Description

We are excited to announce this immersive learning experience for aspiring furniture makers! This is an intermediate level class designed to aid aspiring furniture makers in the development and execution of their furniture designs using CNC. You will make a piece from scratch and take it home with you!

In this course we will examine techniques and practices for creating replicable furniture pieces using traditional woodworking equipment and CNC. We will begin with a series of design problems, where students are tasked with designing an occasional table. The design will use a limited set of materials, and must be carefully thought through in such a manner that it can be rapidly created with a limited set of traditional woodworking tools and CNC. This class will help to streamline your design thinking to aid you in making efficient decisions that will improve your craft and the speed of your workflow.

*please note, this class is intended for students at an intermediate level. You must attend all days consecutively with the group, this is a fast paced course with no make up days or rescheduling.

Day 1: Design and Prototyping

• concept & scale
  • a discussion of outcomes
  • planning & time management
  • keeping designs grounded
• materials & supplies
  • setting parameters to meet the goals
    • committing to the materials plan
  • consumables & supplies
    • estimating
    • preparation
• Lunch
• Mock ups
  • practical shop drafting
    • drawing to scale
  • cut & glue
    • methods for rapid protoyping
• Critique

Day 2: Production

• Final drawings
  • scaled shop drawings
  • CAD & CAM
• Prepare work areas
  • setups, jigs & fixtures, tooling
  • warm up CNC
• Layout & Material Prep
  • organizational strategy
  • selecting for grain
  • rapid production techniques
    • rough cutting
    • final dimensioning
• Lunch
• Material Prep
  • flat sanding
  • joinery
  • final detailing
• Assessment
  • evaluating time management
  • assessment of progress
  • planning for Day 3

Day 3: Assembly

• dry fitting
• clamping and gluing strategies
• final assembly
• Lunch
• final sanding & cleanup

Day 4: Finishing & Critique

• techniques for spraying lacquer
  • spraying basics
    • compressed air requirements
    • air, volume, & pattern
    • avoiding runs, fish eyes, & irregular surfaces
    • set & cure times
  • spraying the base coat
  • surfacing between coats
• Lunch
• Tear Down
  • resetting workspaces
  • resetting equipment
• Final Critique
  • assessing your performance
  • identifying areas in need of improvement
  • evaluating individual successes
  • discussion of the final pieces