Chuck Bender - Woodworking

Demilune Card Table at CVSW
2024-05-06 09:00 - 17:00, 2024-05-07 09:00 - 17:00, 2024-05-08 09:00 - 17:00, 2024-05-09 09:00 - 17:00, 2024-05-10 09:00 - 17:00, 2024-07-29 09:00 - 17:00, 2024-07-30 09:00 - 17:00, 2024-07-31 09:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) and 2 more dates | Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking, 249 Spencer St, Manchester, CT, 06040, United States
Build a Demilune Card Table at Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking

Build a Line and Berry Chest – Hands-on Class
2024-05-20 08:30 - 16:30, 2024-05-21 08:30 - 16:30, 2024-05-22 08:30 - 16:30, 2024-05-23 08:30 - 16:30, 2024-05-24 08:30 - 16:30 | Acanthus Workshop, 62 Indian Trail Rd., Jim Thorpe, PA, 18229, United States
The Line and Berry Chest is the ideal class to stretch your woodworking skills. It’s time to make a true masterpiece.

Line and Berry Chest
There’s a simple elegance to this Chester County line and berry chest, yet there’s plenty of drama. With raised-panel sides and arch-top drawers, this chest offers plenty of opportunities to expand your skills. Because the class size is limited, you can customize the class the way you want. Want to add bracket feet or add inlay to the side panels? No problem.

Make a Newport Kneehole Bureau
2024-06-10 09:00 - 16:30, 2024-06-11 09:00 - 16:30, 2024-06-12 09:00 - 16:30, 2024-06-13 09:00 - 16:30, 2024-06-14 09:00 - 16:30, 2024-08-19 09:00 - 16:30, 2024-08-20 09:00 - 16:30, 2024-08-21 09:00 - 16:30 and 2 more dates | Acanthus Workshop, 62 Indian Trail Rd., Jim Thorpe, PA, 18229, United States
The Newport Kneehole Bureau is a master-level project that will challenge even the most experienced woodworkers. From its beaded case to its blocked drawers and door, to the carved shells, every aspect of this piece is graceful, elegant, and precise.
Newport Kneehole Bureau
This 3-week (non-sequential) 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 second week focuses on feet, moldings, and preparing the project for final carving.
The final week is a carving class that focuses on the shells for the piece.

Build an Eli Terry Pillar and Scroll Wall Clock
2025-03-07 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-03-08 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-03-09 09:00 - 17:00 | Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking, 249 Spencer St, Manchester, CT, 06040, United States
Eli Terry, Native of East Windsor, Ct who apprenticed under Windsor clockmaker Daniel Burnap, pioneered using interchangeable wooden parts to produce the first ever affordable clocks in the early US. His “Pillar & Scroll” clocks went a step farther and featured standardized decorative pillars, a scrolled top, painted dial and a reverse painted (églomisé) glass decorative scene. Join Chuck Bender as we build a replica of these iconic shelf clocks. Everyone’s basic clock will be the same but the decorative elements- bandings, inlay, scroll work, etc- is only limited by your imagination! As an added treat we will visit the Yale Furniture study in West Haven, CT to check out their collection of originals. Due to the variety of options in accessing the works , the clock dial and the reverse painted glass panel, the materials fee will not include these items. We will assist everyone in procuring the necessary hardware but there is such a range of options and expense that these decisions are better left to each participant. Class will meet over two 3- day weekend for a total of six days of class time. The case will be made in mahogany unless you want to utilize a different species (please contact Bob Van Dyke bob@schoolofwoodworking.com.
This is a great opportunity to make an exceptional family heirloom. Chuck Bender is the recipient of the prestigious Sapfm Cartouche award for 2022. Sign up today. Class is limited to eight participants.

Doors and Drawers – Hands-on Class
2025-03-24 09:00 - 16:30, 2025-03-25 09:00 - 16:30 | Acanthus Workshop, 62 Indian Trail Rd., Jim Thorpe, PA, 18229, United States
The most challenging parts of many projects are the doors and drawers. Woodworkers find it difficult to figure out how much space to leave for their doors and drawers to function correctly. They either make things too tight, or far too loose. Join me for this 5-day class and never be perplexed again.
Doors and Drawers
We’ll start with a simple cabinet with a face frame. Inside that cabinet, you’ll make and fit a side-hung flush drawer, a bottom-runner-lipped drawer, and a side-mount bearing drawer (typical in modern kitchen cabinet construction). You’ll then make a raised-panel door with mullions for glass that will hang inside the face frame on butt hinges. You’ll cover everything from hand-cut dovetails to fitting butt hinges in one short week.
Some of the skills learned in the Doors and Drawers class are:

Proper tolerances for fitting drawers
How to gain butt hinges
Creating and fitting coped joints

Materials and hardware are not included in the class fee. You’ll be using poplar or similar material for the cabinet. Contact me after registration to work out the details if you’d like to use something more elegant.
