Past Classes
KANNA SETUP & TUNING – BRIAN HOLCOMBE – MAY 18, 2025
With Brian Holcombe
May 18, 2025 – Sunday
11am – 2pm PT / 2 – 5pm ET
$80 non-members
$64 members (use the discount code in the latest newsletter at checkout)
Please note that we have been considering releasing these classes at a future date via streaming and/or download. By signing up for class, you are agreeing to be recorded and included in these future recordings.
Kanna Setup & Tuning
In this class, we will focus on preparing the blade and chip breaker utilizing the technique of ura-dashi. Ura-dashi, also known as tapping out, allows us to form the back of the plane and chip breaker flat. This is followed by detailed step by step of sharpening by hand, without fixtures, using water stones.
The class will also cover the process of bedding the blade followed by installing the chip breaker and tuning the dai sole for finish planing.
Have your own plane and tools ready — you can ask questions during the class.
LETTING THE ROOTS OF JOINERY BLOOM – JAY VAN ARSDALE – APRIL 27, MAY 11 & 25, 2025
With Jay van Arsdale
April 27, 2025 – Sunday
May 11, 2025 – Sunday
May 25, 2025 – Sunday
11am – 2pm PT / 2 – 5pm ET
$300 non-members
$240 members (use the discount code in the latest newsletter at checkout)
Please note that we have been considering releasing these classes at a future date via streaming and/or download. By signing up for class, you are agreeing to be recorded and included in these future recordings.
Letting the Roots of Joinery Bloom
Joinery is the composition of interlocking shapes and patterns. Learning how to compose and make these basic fundamental shapes let’s the roots of joinery bloom into a wide variety and range of applications. These solutions can be applied and used in joinery construction of any scale.
Explore the primary sources and how they can come together to extend each unique function into new combinations for different strengths and possibilities-
discover the qualities defining their traditions shapes and technical uses-
learn to work from the inside out- become more clear about fabrication processes and wood grain conditions
*insights cut like a sharp edge
recognize the simple functional values -so they can grow into other things that work in different ways
build self confidence with fundamental objectives +with other ways of seeing and thinking about these hard facts
*Knowledge only really grows by doing the actual work without the past-the future is all guess work
Class #1=basic concepts and procedures of lay out and visualization
+defining common areas -center line -appropriate proportions
+5 reductive processes with nomi and ryoba
+over view of fundamental configurations- m&t- lap and bridle joinery
Class #2=variations of housed lap joints & bridle type splicing
Class #3=dovetail adaptations- housed, tapered and splined and other odds and ends
*ongoing assignments for each will be offered and advised
Cut Your Own Kanna Dai – Jason Forster & Lucas Benjamin – June 21 & 22, 2025
With Jason Forster & Lucas Benjamin
June 21 & 22, 2025 – Saturday & Sunday
9am – 5pm PT
Richmond, CA (San Francisco Bay Area)
Limited to 12 participants
$300 non-members
$240 members (use the discount code in the latest newsletter at checkout)
Please note that we have been considering releasing these classes at a future date via streaming and/or download. By signing up for class, you are agreeing to be recorded and included in these future recordings.
Cut Your Own Kanna Dai
Join Jason Forster and Lucas Benjamin for a two-day workshop on cutting your own kanna dai!
Covered topics will include: layout, cutout, fitting the blade(s), and shaping the dai for use. This will be a hands-on workshop in which you will go through these steps alongside the instructors. You will be expected to bring your own kanna blade and chip breaker (or just a single kanna blade), a Japanese white oak dai blank, and at least one nomi (chisel) for cutting out the dai. If you’d like to use this workshop opportunity to practice on a piece that is not as precious as Japanese white oak, we can provide a dai blank from a domestic species.
If necessary, blades and Japanese white oak dai blanks can be purchased locally from Suzuki-Ya Tools (suzukitool.com), or Hida Tools (hidatool.com).
Timberframing Workshop One Week Intensive – Toby Hargreaves and Mia Norton – July 14-18, 2025
With Toby Hargreaves and Mia Norton
July 14-18, 2025 – Monday – Friday
9am – 5pm PT
Bonny Doon, CA
Limited to 10 participants
$1,500
Lunches and on site camping included
Please note that we have been considering releasing these classes at a future date via streaming and/or download. By signing up for class, you are agreeing to be recorded and included in these future recordings.
Timberframing Workshop One Week Intensive
Learn and practice Japanese style timberframe construction in the Santa Cruz Mountains with experienced instructors, Toby Hargreaves and Mia Norton. Students will work alongside professional timberframe carpenters and raise a 15’ x 20’ structure in a week. The workshop will include instruction and hands-on experience in tool use, sharpening, layout and cutout principles of Japanese timberframe joinery, and frame raising. Also featured will be a demonstration of advanced log layout and cutout. All experience levels welcome. On site camping is available and lunches will be provided. Limited to 10 participants.
Practical Sharpening – David Wood – June 28th, 2025
With David Wood
June 28, 2025 – Saturday
11am – 1pm PT / 2 – 4pm ET
$80 non-members
$64 members (use the discount code in the latest newsletter at checkout)
Registrations close on Friday, June 27th @5pm PT
Please note that we have been considering releasing these classes at a future date via streaming and/or download. By signing up for class, you are agreeing to be recorded and included in these future recordings.
Practical Sharpening
The foundation for pleasurable, efficient and accurate woodwork is effective sharpening. David will approach the subject of sharpening from a practical and professional perspective, one that woodworkers of varying skill levels can benefit from. This angle focuses on how to create truly sharp edges, reliably and in a reasonable amount of time, so you can get back to work.
David will lead participants through his personal sharpening process for Japanese-style plane blades and chisels, using waterstones and simple hand pressure. The principles involved in this approach are optimized for Japanese-style tools but can definitely apply to Western-style blades. He will discuss the benefits and downsides of different styles of stones and will address the many pitfalls in sharpening that can make the process frustratingly time-consuming. He will also provide a brief introduction to uradashi (for when the back hollow reaches the edge of your blade), as well as a primer in safe (for the blade’s temper) bench grinder usage. There will also be ample amount of time set aside for any questions related to individual sharpening challenges attendees want to bring up.
by Brian Holcombe
September 19th, 2020
11am - 1pm PST / 2 - 4pm EST
$75 non-members
$60 members (use discount code from newsletter)
Limited to 15 persons
Class recordings will be available to all participants for 2 weeks.
Links to zoom class will be emailed the day before class is scheduled.
Cutting Mortise and Tenon with Handtools
Learn to layout and cut mortise and tenon joint by hand using a saw and chisels. The basic mortise and tenon joint is the foundational joint of all woodworking, it can be made by hand using simple tools.
Please have a Japanese saw for crosscut and rip cut, a bench or mortise chisel 1/2" in width, a kebiki marking gauge, measuring tool, knife and a square.
By Andrew Hunter
October 3rd, 2020
11am - 1pm PST / 2 - 4pm EST
$75 non-members
$60 members (use discount code from newsletter)
Limited to 15 persons
Class recordings will be available to all participants for 2 weeks.
Links to zoom class will be emailed the day before class is scheduled.
Good woodworking starts with sharp tools. In this Zoom class Andrew will discuss and demonstrate what it takes to get sharp.
Starting with the basics, he will lay out the fundamentals of blade sharpening. Naturally, the focus of the class will be on sharpening Japanese tools with water stones, but western tools and methods will also be touched on.
With so many sharpening stones on the market it can be overwhelming deciding which stones to use. Andrew will discuss what to look for when buying new stones and cover the unique qualities of each type. No, he won't tell you which stone you should buy, but he will give you all the information you need to make an educated decision yourself.
He will not only share his personal sharpening routine, he will also discuss a variety of options ranging in experience levels - from sharpening guides to natural Japanese stones Andrew will cover all the bases.
With a limit of only 15 students there will be plenty of time for questions and discussion. Whether you are just starting out or you are a seasoned pro there is always opportunity for improvement, so please join in!
By Brian Holcombe
October 24, 2020
11-1pm PST / 2-4 EST
$75 non-members
$60 members (use discount code from newsletter)
Limited to 15 persons
Class recordings will be available to all participants for 2 weeks.
Links to zoom class will be emailed the day before class is scheduled.
This class will provide students with a basic understanding of how to prepare boards by hand using hand planes. This foundational skill set will feature the use of winding sticks, comparative measuring tools and scribes to joint, thickness and edge boards by hand.
Please have prepared a long and short hand plane, marking gauge, winding sticks and a straight edge. In addition you will need a setup for planing (planing beam or bench) which is stable and sturdy. Please also make certain that your planes are sharp and ready for work and please choose a board which is at least 6-7" wide, 24" long and of material that is easy to work with featuring mild grain.
By Dale Brotherton
October 17th
11-1pm PST / 2-4 EST
$75 non-members
$60 members (use discount code from newsletter)
Limited to 15 persons
Class recordings will be available to all participants for 2 weeks.
Links to zoom class will be emailed the day before class is scheduled.
Basic Joinery Techniques
In this class Dale will lead students through layout and cutting of Japanese post and beam construction joints starting with basic square-pinned Mortise and Tenon. Both entirely hand cutting and pre-drilling methods will be covered. Students are welcome to follow along with their own tools and wood stock:
- Two short pieces of minimum 2.5" up to 6" square material are recommended.
- At least one chisel 1/2" size for small stock, 3/4" for 3 1/2" stock, or 1" size for 4 1/2" and larger stock. Also, other sizes will be useful, if available.
- A 240mm to 300mm rip or ryoba saw and a 210mm to 240mm dozuki, crosscut or ryoba saw.
The knowledge gained from this course will be readily adaptable to any scale of project. Please join us for two hours of working with wood as it's done in Japan.
November 14, 2020
11-1pm PST / 2-4 EST
$75 non-members
$60 members (use discount code from newsletter)
Limited to 15 persons
Hands on class
Class recordings will be available to all participants for 2 weeks. Links to zoom class will be emailed the day before class is scheduled.
Tearout is a fact of life when using hand planes. In this class, you will learn how to manage and eliminate tearout when using hand planes.
Topics covered include:
- how to select and read a board to minimize tearout
- how to set up and use a chipbreaker and why that works
- techniques to use when planing a board.
Although this class is centered around Japanese planes, using these techniques with western planes will be discussed as well.
To enjoy the class, you will need your workbench, a board to practice on, and a plane (Japanese or western) with a blade that is well-sharpened.
By Brian Holcombe
December 5 & 12
11-1pm PST / 2-4 EST
$150 non-members
$120 members (use discount code from newsletter)
Limited to 15 persons
2-day hands-on class
Day 1: Focuses on preparing the blade and chip breaker utilizing the technique of ura-dashi. Ura-dashi, also known as tapping out, allows us to form the back of the plane and chip breaker flat. This is followed by detailed step by step of sharpening by hand, without fixtures, using water stones.
Day 2: Covers the process of bedding the blade followed by installing the chip breaker and tuning the dai sole for finish planing.
Have your own plane and tools ready--you can ask questions during the class.