How I spent my summer vacation
I
spent the week of June 17, 1996 at the
Marc Adams School of Woodworking. I took "Making a wooden hand
plane" taught by Monroe Robinson.
Please note the following:
- Monroe Robinson is returning to teach in
1999. I wrote on the comment card
that I would take any class Monroe taught- even basket weaving, he's
that good.
- Marc is phenomenally good at marquetry.
Be sure to check out his
videos
The School
The building is quite impressive. Power tools as far as the eye can
see. It is about one quarter the size of a Home Depot. They have a lot
of Jet and Delta tools. They even have a pre-production Dewalt scroll
saw. Everyone in the marquetry class drooled over it. It won't be
out for a least a year. Not to ruin the surprise, it's yellow. If all of
the fluorscent lights are on in the shop
it draws over a hundred amps.
Update: rumor has it that the Dewalt saw *is* now available.
The Teacher
The class was taught by Monroe Robinson who has appeared in Fine
Woodworking nine times. Each time was for something completely
different:
- on trussed log bridge, #33 p78-81 (reprinted in Woodshop
specialties)
- on bandsawing veneer, #58 p44-45 (reprinted in Modern woodworking
techniques)
- on dovetail extension slides, #65 p33 (reprinted in Modern
furniture projects)
- on carcase doweling, #70 p69-73 (reprinted in Modern woodworking
techniques)
- reviews TTAC dowels, #70 p112-114
- on round-bottom planes, #81 p80-83
- on vacuum pumps, #99 p72-75
- on preparing a scraper #114 p 53 -55
- on scrapers - #123 April 1997 p82-85. Monroe is on the cover!
- on his environmentally conscience lumber business - #124 p81-83
He is also in the (now defunct) Summer 1996 Home Furniture issue (page 62).
He has started an environmentally conscience lumber business.
He harvests only fallen red wood trees without damaging the
surroundings.
I also heard that he has a video on scrapers though I haven't seen it
advertised anywhere.
Monroe build a plane along
with us. His made shavings
of .0015" (one and a half thousandths). Chick here
to see some of the 40 planes Monroe has made- including the one
he wants cast in bronze.
The plane
We built Krenov style planes as Monroe attended Krenov's school
(College of the Redwoods).
Details of the plane's construction are
here.
Also see Fine Woodworking issue 126 and
check out http://www.crfinefurniture.com/ (a site of former and current students).
Planes are available in
kit form
from Ron Hock. Ron also sells the blades your plane will need.
Planes our class made.
Accomodations
I stayed at the Oak Haven Bed & Breakfast about a mile from the school.
I would highly recommend the place to anyone addending the school.
(See the school's web page for details.)
Update: Oak Haven will be closing at the end of July 1997
There is another nearby B & B "The Candlestick" in
Greenwood 317-888-3905.
More on my pattern making adventures
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