It can be hard to find just the right picture frame--especially for one-of-a-kind art--and custom frames are expensive. Solve that problem by learning how to build your own! We'll use the table saw, miter saw, and v-nailer to construct basic frames out of oak, maple, or cherry. Students should come to class with dimensions of the piece they want to frame, and we'll take it from there!
The materials fee for this class is $15 and is included in the class admission cost.
* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *
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Taught by Julie Arnold
The materials fee for this class is $25 and is included in the admission cost.
Taught by Jules Bunch.
Make a cutting board while learning how to use power tools. We will cover using the electric planer, ripping on the table saw, cross cutting on the miter saw, curved cuts on the bandsaw, and finishing. This is a great chance to get to know, or brush up on the most powerful tools in the shop. Take home your very own cherry or maple cutting board at the end.
The materials fee for this class is $20 and is included in the admission cost.
Email hello@fireweedwoodshop.org to request ASL interpretation for this course.
Taught by Aria Kampfer.
The table saw is a staple in any woodworker's shop! Fundamentally, the table saw is thought of as a way to size materials, but it can also act as a substitute for many other tools in the shop. In this class, students will learn through demos and hands-on practice a sample of some of the many ways the table saw can be modified to make special cuts. We will cover ripping vs. cross-cutting, dado set-up, tapering, spline jigs, cove cuts, and tenon cuts. Come to class with all your table saw questions: we will have allotted time to explore further table saw uses based on students' interests. This class is a great opportunity for people who want hands-on practice with the table saw OR to observe: any level of participation is supported! The materials cost for this class will go towards maintenance of the shop and jigs.
The materials fee is $10 and it is included in the admissions cost.
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Taught by Aria Kampfer
Join us for a special BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) centered class to practice the basics of Power Tools
This class is intended for BIPOC students.
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Taught by Meena Mangalvedhekar (@meenanew) Bio 1. Bio 2.
Open shop is a time for you to bring in any projects or crafts you are working on and have access to the tools and the space. While we will have an instructor on staff to help open shop run smoothly and make sure tools are being used safely, this is a self-directed work time NOT class time. Open shop is capped at 7 participants and needs 5 participants to run.
Registrants of open shop MUST have taken power tools 101 or be comfortable and experienced using power tools. Every attendee of open shop must register. Please no guests without registration!
NO GREENWOOD ON THE BANDSAWS.
NO LATHE USE AT OPEN SHOP. Instead please register for one of our Open Turning Sessions.
Please email hello@fireweedwoodshop.org if you have any questions about open shop or what tools are available to use.
* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status * _________________________________
Facilitated by Aria Kampfer
Taught by Meena Mangalvedhekar.
Open shop but for turning! This open shop is only for students with previous turning experience or those who've taken a turning class with Fireweed. Bowl blanks will be available for purchase but feel free to bring your own prepped wood if you've got a project you are working on. Instructor Abbey Dickhudt will be at the shop to make sure everyone is staying safe. This IS NOT a class. This is a time for self-directed work to make shavings, make mistakes, and ask questions. *Woodshop lathes accommodate limited size blanks. If you have any questions about the wood you want to bring or the lathes, please reach out in advance.
Registrants of open shop MUST have taken Bowl Turning or be comfortable and experienced using turning tools and the lathe. Every attendee of open shop must register. Please no guests without registration!
Please email fireweedwoodshop@gmail.com if you have any questions about open shop or what tools are available to use.
Facilitated by Abbey Dickhudt
Please email hello@fireweedwoodshop.org if you have any questions about open turning or what tools are available to use.
This hands-on class combines woodworking skills with an appreciation for local bird life. In this class, students will learn how to safely and confidently build a durable nest box designed for the Black-capped Chickadee, with the option to customize the design for a Bluebird instead. Under the guidance of your instructor, you will learn safe operation and best practices for essential shop tools, including the table saw, miter saw, and drill press. Step by step, you’ll cut, assemble, and finish your own functional birdhouse suitable for outdoor use. In addition to woodworking skills, we’ll spend time talking about birds—who they are, what they need, and how thoughtful design choices can support healthy nesting. You’ll learn about habitat, placement, and the specific differences between nest boxes for chickadees and bluebirds. Differences between chickadee and bluebird nesting needs. No prior woodworking experience is required. By the end of the class, you’ll leave with a completed nest box, new shop skills, and the satisfaction of creating something that supports local wildlife.
What you’ll learn: Safe use of the table saw, miter saw, and drill press Measuring, cutting, and assembling a wooden project Basics of nest box design and bird habitat Differences between chickadee and bluebird nesting needsWhat you’ll take home:A finished nest box, customized for either a Black-capped Chickadee or a Bluebird
The materials fee is $20 and included in the admission cost.
Taught by Jules Bunch
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In this 2-day course, each student will build a post-and-rung stool out of oak or ash and weave a seat from cotton Shaker tape. This class will focus on hand tools, using spokeshaves and drawknives to shape the posts and rungs. We will go over several methods of cutting the tenons on the rungs, and bore matching mortises in the posts. Our final step will be weaving the tops with a cushion filled with the wood shavings we make over the course of the project. The finished stool will be a beautiful and functional piece of furniture that will last for generations, and the skills learned in this class can be carried forward into future chair-making projects. Chair-making is a complex process, so come prepared for a weekend full of hard work and new knowledge!
The materials fee is $100 and included in the admission cost.
Taught by Mia Ingram and Jeanette Torkelson
This beginner-friendly class introduces students to the art of creating unique wooden boxes inspired by traditional eastern techniques. Through hands-on learning, students will explore how to design and assemble intricate sliding mechanisms that unlock hidden compartments.
The workshop begins with a collaborative demo followed by a warm-up where each student constructs parts of a simple box to understand the core techniques. Once the fundamentals are covered, students are encouraged to unleash their creativity and design their own secret, to be solved to open the box.
Along the way, the instructor will demonstrate advanced wooden mechanisms and decorative methods to inspire your designs. You’ll leave with a handcrafted puzzle box and the skills to continue exploring on your own.
The materials fee is $60 and included in the admission cost.
Taught by Meena Mangalvedhekar
The materials fee for this class is $10 and is included in the admission cost.
In this multi-session class each participant will make a coffee table, side table or bench that fits their space and needs. Each student will design their table, mill lumber, cut joinery including mortise and tenons and bridal joints, and sand and finish their tables. Students will use the tablesaw, band saw, miter saw, drill press, jointer and planer in this class, as well as chisels. Students can choose to build their table out of cherry, red oak, or walnut.
The materials fee is $70 for cherry or red oak and $115 for walnut. When selecting an admission cost, be sure to choose the one that includes the wood you want to use.
Taught by Stephanie Lunieski
~Power tools 101 is a prerequisite for this course~
Learn how to transform rough lumber into finished sizes while making a mitered box with splines. This class will cover how to use the jointer, planer, table saw, and miter saw to create parallel sides and perpendicular corners before building the box. Through box-making, we will learn how to make mitered corners and spline inserts with the table saw and dados with the router. There will also be a demonstration on how to make a homemade veneer press. This class is open to students of all levels of ability, and we will make accommodations for anyone with a disability.
The materials fee for this class is $25 and is included in the admission cost
The materials fee for this class is $60 for pine and $130 for cedar and is included in the class admission cost.
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Taught by Leah Van Tassel
Build a bench for your patio, garden, sauna, or anywhere else you want to sit and enjoy the outdoors! The dimensions of this bench are 47 inches long and 14 inches deep (this is the maximum size- you could choose to customize your bench length to fit your space). Students will use a miter saw to cut 4x4 beams of pine or cedar to size and a drill to assemble. Benches will be left unfinished.
The materials fee for this class is $60 for pine and $150 for cedar and is included in the admission cost.
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