I love taking classes – it’s a week (or day or weekend) to do one thing: participate in a woodworking class. The only other time I get to do that is when I’m teaching; and while that’s rewarding, it isn’t nearly as relaxing (and I rarely get to build a thing when I’m teaching – I’m too busy trying to ensure the students succeed…plus most of my tools usually end up in student hands).

I always get the most out of classes by following along with the instructor and trying things in their preferred manner (same with woodworking books and articles, for that matter). Though I might already know (and even teach) how to achieve a given result, I still do my best to buy into whatever method/technique/tool the instructor is selling. I might learn something new. It might be better than what I already know. It might be something I can offer to future students as an alternate approach. I also find it endlessly useful to know multiple methods in the absence of certain tools, like when I forget to pack my coping saw for a class in dovetails and I just can’t cope.

Take Chris Becksvoort’s dovetail waste removal method for example. While I usually prefer to remove most of the waste from the pin and tail sockets with a fretsaw or coping saw, if it’s a narrow space, I find Becksvoort’s method of popping it out from the end a fast alternative. With a lot of waste to remove, I’m faster with a coping saw (as long as I get within about 1/16 in. of the baseline), but when there’s just a little, it’s as fast and fun for me to pop it out. But I never would have known that if I hadn’t tried.

The above is my rather long-winded way of wondering: Why take a class if you’re not willing to learn something new?

It’s vexing to get a student who refuses to try anything beyond what they already know – and I used to spend a lot of time trying to convince said naysayers to try out a new tool or technique. Now, on day one I tend to coerce/cajole/make fun of that person (in a nice way), in hopes they’ll give in. Sometimes it works.

If it doesn’t, well. I tried, and that person isn’t willing. But hey – I don’t know their reasons. Maybe they’re taking a class because they don’t have the machinery for prep, and a class is a good way to have the stock ready and waiting. Or maybe it’s just a week or weekend away from their norm. As long as everyone has a good time and doesn’t get hurt, it’s good. But still, the old aphorism about horses and water comes to mind: You can lead one to water, but you can’t make him think.

	Do what’s difficult You can watch ’em make chairs till the cows come home. But doing it? That’s another thing entirely.
	Keep it safe, keep it simple, and don’t forget the bourbon Whether you’re teaching Shakespeare or Shaker furniture making, the lessons are mostly the same.
	Learning how to saw by hand Practice makes perfect when it comes to sawing precise lines.