Whew – the WIA Schedule is Done

Today, we finalized the schedule for Woodworking in America 2014 (Sept. 12-14 in Winston-Salem, N.C.), and I’m cleaning up the last details – new bios for the speakers, double-checking all spellings and that sort of thing. By Tuesday, I’ll have it off to the conference staff, so they can start building the web site and prepare for registration to open. As of today, the site is projected to be live (that is, there will be far more information than the date and place) on or around March 15, with registration opening two weeks later. (Please don’t hold me to that…but that’s the plan.)

We haven’t yet “leaked” all the speakers, but so far, we’ve announced:

1) Roy “the Woodwright” Underhill
2) Wilbur Pan
3) Matt Cianci
4) Phil Lowe
5) Drew Langser
6) Frank Klausz
7) Don Williams

And here’s one more: 2014 SAPFM Cartouche Award winner W. Patrick Edwards (8).

Here’s a little something to entertain you while you wait:
Below, I’ve pasted the descriptions for one session from each of the above. Match up the numbers before their names (after in the case of Patrick Edwards) with the letters below.

A) Gilding  – When it comes to adding visual pizzazz to a project there’s not much that can compete with the incorporation of gold leaf. In this presentation, ????? ?????  covers the basics of preparing a substrate, or “ground,” the selection of leaf materials with special emphasis on the painstaking steps necessary for gilded perfection in true gold leaf, and “laying” the leaf on both oil-size and water gilt surfaces. Other special techniques such as japanning and maki-e will be demonstrated. Caution: Your designs and projects may never be the same!

B) Historic Marquetry Processes – This class from ???????  features demonstrations and examples of historic marquetry methods including “tarsia certsonia, “tarsia geometrica,” “tarsia a toppo,” tarsia a incastro” and the “Classic Method.”  A full discussion of each process will include numerous examples as well as a detailed list of the tools required.  Specific focus will be on the two types of marquetry which are most commonly found on furniture, the “Boulle” process and “Piece by Piece.”

C) ??????’s Favorite Joints – The challenges of joinery are two-fold; what joint is appropriate and how can I make it? ????? ????? shares his experience in both areas, and shows his favorite joints for common (and not-so-common) projects and methods that any woodworker can use to produce solid furniture that is built to last.

D) Japanese Chisels & Japanese Saws for the Western Woodworker – At first glance, Japanese chisels and saws seem quite different from Western chisels and saws, so woodworkers often take a pass on using them in their shops. If so, they are really missing out. In this talk, ????? ?????? will teach you how and why Japanese chisels and saws are made the way that they are, what makes them different from western tools, the surprising similarities between Japanese chisels and saws and their western counterparts, and how to use them to great advantage in your shop.

E) Saw Sharpening 101 – Learn how to evaluate what needs to be done to make your saws work correctly, then discover the  four critical steps to sharpening any handsaw: setting (which might not be needed), jointing, filing and stoning. With a little practice, you’ll be able to quickly get your saws tuned up so you can get back to using them.

F) Making the Roubo Bookstand – Plate 331 of André Roubo’s 17th-century opus “L’Art du menuisier” features a clever folding bookstand made from one solid plank of wood. Here, ???? ???? shows you the precise layout and cutting necessary to create the wooden hinge, then separate the leaves with an authentic French frame ripsaw.

G) Orthographic Drawing – A great way to start any project is with a plan. In this class ?????? ?????? explains how to draw three views that gives you a half-front and full side and full plan view of any project. Working from an orthographic drawing allows you to calculate angles for joinery and gives you full size patterns for all the parts including ones with curves. Join ??? for this indispensable class as he teaches you these universal drawing techniques.

H) Carving Tools for Green Work – Green wood works differently than air- or kiln-dried lumber – and that means sharpening your tools in a different way. Here, ????  ???? will demonstrate the tools he uses for green woodworking and help you understand how they work in relation to the wood. And, he’ll show you not only how to sharpen them, but tell you why and how his edges work. You’ll leave this class with a clear understanding of how steel and green wood interact – and how to do it in your own shop.

Stay tuned for more (and visit woodworkinginamerica.com to sign up for the conference newsletter).

— Megan Fitzpatrick

p.s. Follow me on Twitter @1snugthejoiner, the magazine on Twitter @pweditors and the conference on Twitter @WIAconference for 140-or-fewer-character updates