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New listings for woodworking schools are being released about now. We, the editors at Popular Woodworking magazine, are making announcements about gigs we have coming in 2008. Here’s my proclamation.

Just after July Fourth holiday, I’ll be teaching a class at Marc Adams School of Woodworking (MASW) in Indiana on building a Massachusetts Block Front chest. The exact dates are July 21-25, 2008.

The Block Front is a highly sought after piece of furniture in the antiques world. There are a few design features found in the Massachusetts version of the chest that are not found in Block Fronts built in other furniture centers, namely Newport, R.I. The chest features a moulded top shaped to follow the contour of four graduated blocked drawers all on a conforming step-moulded skirt with matching bracket-style feet and a center dropped pendant.

If you appreciate 18th- and early 19th-century furniture, especially the New England designs, the Massachusetts Block Front Chest should rate high on your list of “Have To Builds.” It was on my list for years. It’s such a great project I included it as one of the projects in my latest book “Building Period Furniture” (Popular Woodworking Books).

You’ll discover a number of new woodworking techniques and make a piece that is both a challenge to build and a triumph to finish. If you have the opportunity, join us in July at MASW. I’m looking forward to a great week.

— Glen D. Huey


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