Replies

1. 
   Adrian | Sep 20, 2002 06:54pm | #1

   What do you want to do? That's the most important question....they all teach from a different perspective.

   cabinetmaker/college instructor. Cape Breton, N.S

2. 
   TimSams | Sep 22, 2002 01:08am | #2

   Jerry,

   I'm not a master, but I'll recommend Phil Lowe's school, Furniture Institute of MA. Phil taught for years at NBSS and has been in business as a period furniture maker for much longer. He's been running FIM for a while now and it's going well. The number of students is kept small and the instruction is very hands on. The proof is in the students: they do top notch work.

   Phil is one of the best teachers/doers I've ever met. He doesn't just know how to teach well, he produces outstanding work. Plus, he's not an ####, which can be something to worry about if you're going to a school run by a master.

   But as Adrian said, it does depend upon what you want to do. If you want to do modern furniture, you may want to consider another place, perhaps on another coast.

   Best of luck.

   Tim

   
   

   ---

   Edited 9/21/2002 9:12:31 PM ET by Tim Sams

1. 
   DP | Sep 24, 2002 05:12pm | #10

   I second the recommendation about Phil Lowe's school.  I've taken several of his summer workshops and can testify from personal experience that he is an outstanding teacher.  I believe that one benefit that you will get from him that you may not get elsewhere (I've heard this as a criticism of NBSS for example) is that he will, in addition to instruction in the craft, give you a good insight into what it takes to be a success in the business side of woodworking.

3. 
   BG | Sep 22, 2002 02:03am | #3

   Jerry,

   Just to let you know, the Rocklers and Woodcraft stores in the MA, RI, and NH area have many parttime employees attending those schools.  May be a call to the store would provide somone to talk to.  Good Luck

1. 
   Jimma | Sep 22, 2002 05:25pm | #4

   Check out the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship (don't remember the website) run by Peter Korn in Maine. They offer a wide variety of courses ranging from weekenders to a three-month intensive and have a quite varied roster of teachers.

1. 
   davamoore | Sep 23, 2002 05:42pm | #5

   http://www.woodschool.org = Center for Furniture CraftsmanshipHmmm... the garden or the workshop today?

1. 
   Jimma | Sep 23, 2002 07:52pm | #6

   Thanks. I didn't need it, I just couldn't offer it.

1. 
   withthegrain | Sep 23, 2002 10:28pm | #7

   Not sure this will really answer your question. But I saw Sam Maloof at a question and answer session for the SOFA show in Chicago. He said just buy the tools, take a few workshops. (The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Maine is a great place) and then start building. He seemed to think that experience is the best school. He said for all the money schools charge you could put together a good shop and then get your hands dirty.

   Dennis

2. 
   Jimma | Sep 23, 2002 11:56pm | #8

   Not sure why you posted the message to me, Dennis, but I do agree with you about the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship. I took their basic (two-week) program several years ago and never regretted a minute of it or the money. I think Maloof was thinking of bigger schools and bigger bucks. I've spent more on vacations than at CFC -- plus it was great fun and Peter is terrific. Regards -- Jim

3. 
   withthegrain | Sep 24, 2002 08:59pm | #11

   Sorry Jim I did intend to send to "all".

   Dennis

4. 
   davamoore | Sep 24, 2002 04:49pm | #9

   Jim, just FYI, I don't think either of these prior two posts (mine included) were directed to you personally.  When I want to join a thread, I usually just click "Reply" on the last post in the thread, which brings up the message reply box.  At the top of the box it says "From:  davamoore," and the "To: " defaults to the sender of whichever message I was reading when I clicked "Reply."

   Half the time I'm too lazy or forgetful to go to the top of the box and change the person's name to "All."  It gives the impression that I'm responding personally but often I'm not, I just neglected to change the addressee.  My bad... Usually, if I have a point for a particular person, I start my message by typing their name, as in "Jim, just FYI..."

   (In fact, before the switch to Prospero, there was no addressing of posts in a thread; they all went to everybody.  If you wanted to correspond personally, you did it by e-mail or by naming someone in your message.  I think that's partly why I forget about the addressing option; I was trained on the prior version of "Knots.")

   Anyway, no biggie, but hopefully this will keep you from thinking you're the target/beneficiary of every message addressed to you!

   David

   Hmmm... the garden or the workshop today?

   Edited 9/24/2002 9:51:47 AM ET by davamoore