Shieldback Chair – Hands-on Class
2022-07-28 09:00 - 16:30, 2022-07-29 09:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | Acanthus Workshop, 62 Indian Trail Rd., Jim Thorpe, PA, 18229, United States
The ultimate test of your woodworking skills – the Hepplewhite Shieldback chair. The angled rear legs and shaped seat come together with compound angled mortise-and-tenon joints. Combine the joinery with inlaid and flared legs, a carved back splat, and a molded crest and you’ve got a woodworking project tour de force.

Wharton Esherick Coffee Table – Hands-on Class
2022-08-01 09:00 - 16:30, 2022-08-02 09:00 - 16:30, 2022-08-03 09:00 - 16:30, 2022-08-04 09:00 - 16:30, 2022-08-05 09:00 - 16:30
Wharton Esherick is called the Dean of American Woodworkers. He was making what we call contemporary, or studio furniture long before those terms existed. This Wharton Esherick coffee table is an example of his eye for balance and design.

Wharton Esherick Coffee Table

We will be recreating this table during this five-day class. The curved legs pose a challenge with their through mortise and tenon joinery. Come see how traditional woodworking techniques can be applied to a table created by this woodworking pioneer in 1951.

Make a Newport Tea Table
2022-08-08 09:00 - 16:30, 2022-08-09 09:00 - 16:30, 2022-08-10 09:00 - 16:30, 2022-08-11 09:00 - 16:30, 2022-08-12 09:00 - 16:30
The Newport tea table is one of the most sculptural 18th Century pieces. In this week-long class, you’ll make your own version of one of the most elegant tea tables in existence.

Newport Tea Table
The original table, upon which our copy is based, was made in 1765 for Nicholas Brown of Newport, RI. A masterpiece in its own right, this table class begins with a full-sized drawing. The joinery, sculptural aprons, and top follow. Rounding out the week is carving ball and claw feet with pierced talons.

3D Cutting Board With Alex Snodgrass – Hands-on Class
2022-08-13 09:00 - 16:30, 2022-08-14 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.

Connecticut Flat Top Highboy - Hands-on Class Week 2
2022-09-19 08:30 - 16:30, 2022-09-20 08:30 - 16:30, 2022-09-21 08:30 - 16:30, 2022-09-22 08:30 - 16:30, 2022-09-23 08:30 - 16:30
To many woodworkers, the highboy (or tall chest) represents the pinnacle of furniture making. This is your chance to reach that summit. Join me for this 2-week class and build something extraordinary – a Connecticut-inspired Flat-top Highboy.
Flat-top Highboy
You’ll start the first week of the class at the top. That’s right, the upper case is where the project begins. We’ll dovetail the case, make and fit the fluted quarter columns, and even make the generous crown molding. Dovetailing and fitting the drawers is your homework before the next session.
Week two begins with lower-case construction. We’ll jump into making pad-footed cabriole legs, then roll through the mortise-and-tenon construction. The week finishes off with a bit of carving.

Build a Frothingham Lowboy
2022-10-10 09:00 - 16:30, 2022-10-11 09:00 - 16:30, 2022-10-12 09:00 - 16:30, 2022-10-13 09:00 - 16:30, 2022-10-14 09:00 - 16:30
The Benjamin Frothingham Lowboy class is the perfect skill builder for any intermediate or advanced woodworker. In the 18th century, the lowboy (or dressing table) was an essential piece of furniture in any fashionable home. Today, the form remains among the most desirable amongst antique collectors.
Frothingham Lowboy
The 5-day Frothingham Lowboy class begins with a full-scale drawing to include the design elements you find most appealing. You’ll then jump right into making the pad-foot cabriole legs. And by the end of the week, you’ll be carving the central fan that is sure to be the focal point of your lowboy.

Make a Pie Crust Table – Hands-on Class
2022-11-14 09:00 - 16:30, 2022-11-15 09:00 - 16:30, 2022-11-16 09:00 - 16:30, 2022-11-17 09:00 - 16:30, 2022-11-18 09:00 - 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.

Make Table Saw Jigs & Fixtures with Bob Van Dyke
2023-05-01 09:00 - 16:30
The idea of making jigs and fixtures for the table saw is always one that creates a lot of debate. Some people insist that they are not worth it and “just do it by hand,” while other people love coming up with intricate fixtures that do a specific job really well. Bob’s approach is somewhere in the middle- will the jig be useful enough to be used over & over again, and is it better than one that is easily purchased?
This class is NOT a beginning table saw class. Participants must have some working experience with table saws & routers.
Note: Because of the jigs designs, you must have a table saw with a Biessemeyer-type fence. Bench-top or “Job-site” saws will not work with these jigs. Please specify the table saw make and model you have when registering for this class. If you have any questions, please contact Bob Van Dyke directly.
In this hands-on class, participants make several different jigs & fixtures for their table saw, all of which become staple tools in their shop.
Everyone goes home with several essential jigs for their table saw!
