DECEMBER 2008 NEWSLETTER

DOWN ECONOMY TUTORIAL TUITION DISCOUNTS
Save 15-20% Now

Those who are familiar with Country Workshops’ fall and winter tutorials know that our standard tuition represents an outstanding value. Tutorials are limited to just 4 students. Tuition includes materials, use of specialized tools, a private room, and special meals prepared by Louise Langsner. Drew Langsner is the instructor for all of our fall-winter tutorials.

At this time of year our winter tutorials are usually almost fully enrolled. Because of the recession economy, some of our 2009 winter tutorials are currently without any registrations. Tuition discounts are now available for these select courses:

As a further incentive ... If you register for 2 or more of these tutorials, or recruit a friend to register with you, we will deduct an additional 5% from the standard tuition for each enrollment. Also, to make things easier, the deposit for these tutorials has been reduced to $250, with the tuition balance due 4 weeks before the course begins. Please note: The minimum enrollment to run each listed tutorial at the discount tuition is 2 registrations. Our cancellation policy, found on the Country Workshops Web site applies.

To sign-up, or ask any questions, e-mail us or phone 828 656 2280.

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CW Instructor Spotlight CARL SWENSSON Teaching Japanese Woodworking July 20 - 25 Carl Swensson’s wide interests in woodworking include furniture design and construction, making shoji screens, post-and-rung chairmaking, and architectural work. Carl studied Japanese woodworking with Makoto Imai, a master tea house builder from Japan. In 1993 and 1995 Carl worked in Japan on the timber framing and entrance doors for a small shrine at a Buddhist temple in Tokyo. Carl’s woodworking has been the subject of feature articles in “Fine Woodworking,” “Home Furniture,” and “Woodwork Magazine.” He has taught courses at Country Workshops since 1983. Click here to learn more about next summer’s Japanese Woodworking class with Carl Swensson. Click here to see a few examples of Carl’s work. E-mail Carl at: carlswensson@yahoo.com

Master Class Tip ADJUSTING A SHAVING HORSE Those of us who enjoy green woodworking -- especially when making chair parts -- invariably depend on our shaving horses which are generally used in combination with a drawknife or spokeshave. Many of us, it turns out, have never really thought about how these mechanisms actually work at their best. Shaving Mule and chair front post with jaw open. The work support is raised so that the jaw engages at a low, jambing angle. At first it appears that the swinging head swings downwards to pin the work at hand to the support platform. Tests readily show that there is a great deal of range in effectiveness depending on what point of an arc the head is at when it makes contact with the work piece. If the head makes contact at close to 90 degrees, the work is held down, but not very well. (You can sometimes pull it loose.) In contrast, when the head makes contact at a low angle it tends to jamb the work in place, holding it by friction and much more securely. In other words, the head should be arching towards the user as it makes contact. It should not be moving downwards in a circular path. The lesson here is to always take a moment to lower the swinging head (on dumb head shaving horses) or to raise the ratcheted work support (on our shaving mules) so that there is minimal lever swing before the work piece is engaged. Try it. With this simple technique there is also the benefit that you don’t have to extend your foot far forward; a much smaller leg extension actually does the better job.

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To contact us by:
E-mail: click here
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Phone: 828 656 2280 (9 AM to 6 PM, eastern time, any day)
Address: 990 Black Pine Ridge Rd.; Marshall, North Carolina 28753