Chuck Bender - Woodworking

Make a Boston Blockfront Chest – Hands-on Class
2021-01-07 08:30 - 16:30, 2021-01-08 08:30 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | Acanthus Workshop, 62 Indian Trail Rd., Jim Thorpe, PA, 18229, United States
The Boston Blockfront Chest is a distinctly American form. Not only are the drawer fronts stepped (or blocked) to form symmetrical concave and convex surfaces, but the top, base molding, and feet are blocked as well.
Boston Blockfront Chest
This 5-day class begins with case construction. You’ll learn how to form the blocked drawer blades that separate the four blocked drawer fronts. With the case together, you’ll move on to forming the drawer fronts to match the blades. The week wraps up with the creation of the base molding and feet.

3D Cutting Board With Alex Snodgrass – Hands-on Class
2021-04-24 09:00 - 16:30, 2021-04-25 09:00 - 16:30, 2021-08-21 09:00 - 16:30
Make a 3D Cutting Board with Alex Snodgrass here in the Acanthus Workshop. Just in time for the upcoming holiday season, you can learn how to make a beautiful, mystifying end-grain cutting board.
3D Cutting Board with Alex Snodgrass
This hands-on class begins by teaching you how to tune a bandsaw to make perfect cuts. Once learned, this skill makes future bandsaw use a breeze. You will then progress through the techniques required to make the cutting board: how to make dead-on straight cuts on the bandsaw, how to make accurate angled cuts on the bandsaw, and how to plane, sand, glue, and clamp the cutting board.
Using only three woods, walnut, cherry, and maple, you’ll work under Alex’s direction to make a beautiful and functional cutting board that you’ll take home. More importantly, you’ll go home with the knowledge and experience to be able to set up a bandsaw to make accurate cuts regardless of what you’re making. Oh, and you’ll be able to easily repeat the construction process to make enough 3D cutting boards for all your friends and family.

Make a Line & Berry Inlaid Document Box – Hands-on Class
2021-05-03 08:30 - 16:30, 2021-05-04 08:30 - 16:30, 2021-05-05 08:30 - 16:30, 2021-05-06 08:30 - 16:30, 2021-05-07 08:30 - 16:30
Document boxes were an essential part of nearly every 17th and 18th Century home. Often they were used as a portable home safe. Although many were plain, others were showcase pieces for their owners. Our Line & Berry Inlaid Document Box falls into the latter category. Your box will undoubtedly be the focal point of any room.
Line & Berry Inlaid Document Box
Because document boxes were made over a long period of time, you have a few options when making your box. You can make the box with William & Mary ball feet, or mitered or dovetailed bracket feet.

Make a Wharton Esherick Book Stand – Hands-on Class
2021-06-07 08:30 - 16:30, 2021-06-08 08:30 - 16:30, 2021-06-09 08:30 - 16:30, 2021-06-10 08:30 - 16:30, 2021-06-11 08:30 - 16:30
Wharton Esherick was an artist and studio furniture maker before virtually everyone else. His work is often sculptural with light, flowing lines. The 1956 Book Stand is no exception.
Wharton Esherick Book Stand
Don’t be fooled by the simplistic appearance of this book stand, the construction is a challenge. In this 5-day class, you’ll create your version of this Wharton Esherick masterpiece. From the curved and rounded dovetails to the sculpted shelves with through-tenon construction, this little project packs a powerful woodworking punch.

Some of the skills learned in the Book Stand class are:

Project design
Through mortise-and-tenon joinery
Sculpted furniture parts
Curved dovetails

Make a Pie Crust Table – Hands-on Class
2021-07-12 08:30 - 16:30, 2021-07-13 08:30 - 16:30, 2021-07-14 08:30 - 16:30, 2021-07-15 08:30 - 16:30, 2021-07-16 08:30 - 16:30
Appealing to the carver in many woodworkers, the pie crust table epitomizes the mastery of craftsmanship. In this week-long class, you’ll make your own version of one of the most elegant pie crust tables in existence.

Pie Crust Table
While the original upon which this adaptation is modeled is approximately 24″ in diameter and 28″ tall, your project can be altered to suit your needs. If you want to make the top 36″ in diameter, we’ll scale the project to match. If you want to carve acanthus leaf instead of shells on the knees, then that’s what you’ll do. The beauty of making a project of this kind in such a small class is room for customization.

Finishing from Pristine to Patinated – Hands-on Class
2021-07-26 08:30 - 16:30, 2021-07-27 08:30 - 16:30, 2021-07-28 08:30 - 16:30, 2021-07-29 08:30 - 16:30, 2021-07-30 08:30 - 16:30
Do you have a pile of projects sitting in your shop that is complete except for the finish? Or are you stuck in the rut of making pieces that deserve a great finish, but you revert to rubbing on a bit of oil and call it done because it feels safe and comfortable? It’s time to kick up your skills in my Finishing from Pristine to Patinated class.
Pristine to Patinated
Everything from surface prep to finishing the finish is covered in this five-day class. We’ll begin by taking a project you bring along and properly prepare all the surfaces for the type of finish you want in the end. Then it’s time to adjust the color, which is achieved by using dyes, stains, chemical treatments, and pigmented topcoats. Patination and aged finishes are also be covered in this week-long class.

Build a Stickley Tile-top Tea Table – Hands-on Class
2021-08-09 08:30 - 16:30, 2021-08-10 08:30 - 16:30, 2021-08-11 08:30 - 16:30, 2021-08-12 08:30 - 16:30, 2021-08-13 08:30 - 16:30
Furniture from the Arts and Crafts period, like this Stickley Tile-top Tea Table, are both stylish and functional. Traditionally, furniture of this period was made in quarter-sawn oak, but this project would look great in just about any wood.

Stickley Tile-top Tea Table
You’ll be copying a rare example of Stickley design. While the original size is roughly 20? X 25?, you can modify the size to suit your needs. The beauty of making a project of this kind in such a small class is room for customization.
