Chuck Bender - Woodworking

Finishing from Pristine to Patinated – Hands-on Class
2026-06-16 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-17 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-18 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-19 09:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking, 249 Spencer St, Manchester, CT, 06040, United States
Do you have a pile of projects sitting in your shop that are 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 covered in this week-long class.

Build a Morris Chair – Hands-on Class
2026-06-22 09:00 - 16:30, 2026-06-23 09:00 - 16:30, 2026-06-24 09:00 - 16:30, 2026-06-25 09:00 - 16:30, 2026-06-26 09:00 - 16:30 | Acanthus Workshop, 62 Indian Trail Rd., Jim Thorpe, PA, 18229, United States
In the Morris Chair class, you’ll make a version of Gustav Stickley’s most significant contribution to the Mission Furniture style.

Morris Chair
The five-day Morris Chair class begins with full-scale shop drawings. You’ll dive immediately into the joinery.

Build a Cantilevered Chair
2026-07-12 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-07-13 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-07-14 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-07-15 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-07-16 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-07-17 09:00 - 17:00 | Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking, 249 Spencer St, Manchester, CT, 06040, United States
Build a Cantilevered Chair

July 10 – 15, 2026

09:00 AM – 05:00 PM

Manchester

Session information

Description

George Nakashima was one of the most influential studio woodworkers of the twentieth century. In this class, we take inspiration from several cantilevered chair designs to make a chair of our own that makes a visual statement.
Chairs can be some of the trickiest projects to build because of the angular joinery. While the construction of this chair is fairly straightforward, there is plenty to test the skills of woodworkers of any skill level. Whether you’re still perfecting woodworking skills or you’re a seasoned veteran, this project is a great gateway into chairmaking. Unlike Queen Anne and Chippendale chairs, where compound-angle joinery abounds, cantilevered chairs are single-angle and easily created using modern power equipment. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t any handwork for those hand-tool enthusiasts. The seats and spindles are shaped and finished by hand.
The first two days (October 28 & 29) of this class are spent working on the design of the chair, understanding chair mechanics, and creating the structural joints. The second two-day session (November 18 & 19) focuses on saddling the seat and attaching the spindles and crest rails.
The spindles for the back will be turned by a local woodturner but you will have the opportunity to learn how this is done. The class is broken up into two weekends so you will have plenty of time between sessions for any handwork and practicing that you will want to do. This class is 4 full days.
You can make your chair in walnut or cherry.
Please select appropriate material fee when checking out
Sign up today—space is limited!

Make a Philadelphia Footstool – Hands-on Class
2026-07-20 09:00 - 16:30, 2026-07-21 09:00 - 16:30, 2026-07-22 09:00 - 16:30, 2026-07-23 09:00 - 16:30, 2026-07-24 09:00 - 16:30
In the Philadelphia Footstool class, you’ll make a version of an 18th-century rarity. John Elliot is credited with making the original footstool on which you’ll base the project.

Philadelphia Footstool
The five-day Philadelphia Footstool class begins with full-scale shop drawings. You’ll dive immediately into the joinery and carving the cabriole legs.

Build a Thomas Affleck Card Table – Hands-on Class
2026-08-03 09:00 - 16:30, 2026-08-04 09:00 - 16:30, 2026-08-05 09:00 - 16:30, 2026-08-06 09:00 - 16:30, 2026-08-07 09:00 - 16:30 | Acanthus Workshop, 62 Indian Trail Rd., Jim Thorpe, PA, 18229, United States
In the Affleck Card Table class, you’ll make an 18th-century Chippendale masterpiece. With its shaped sides and serpentine front, this card table epitomizes elegance. You’ll add pierced, carved corner brackets and gadrooning to kick this project up to the next level.

Affleck Card Table
The five-day Affleck Card Table class begins with full-scale shop drawings. You’ll jump into the joinery, forming the sides and front, and creating the carved elements throughout the remainder of the week.

Build a Stickley Inspired Plant Stand – Hands-on Class
2026-09-14 09:00 - 16:30, 2026-09-15 09:00 - 16:30, 2026-09-16 09:00 - 16:30, 2026-09-17 09:00 - 16:30, 2026-09-18 09:00 - 16:30 | Acanthus Workshop, 62 Indian Trail Rd., Jim Thorpe, PA, 18229, United States
In the Stickley Plant Stand class, you’ll make a beautiful, timeless classic. Gustav Stickley helped define and popularize Mission furniture.

Stickley Plant Stand
The five-day Stickley Plant Stand class begins with full-scale shop drawings. You’ll then jump into the mortise-and-tenon joinery to create a piece to last generations.

Students need to supply one 8? X 8? or 10? X 10? ceramic tile.
