William Ng School of Fine Woodworking

G&G Inspired Night Stand with Darrell Peart (10/28/13 – 11/2/13)

William — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 02:47:19 +0000

This three-drawer nightstand project, which is heavily inspired by Greene & Greene, offers the challenge of precision drawer construction and fitting as well as the opportunity to practice and perfect several traditional G &G details. All the hardware for this project, including the drawer runners and stops, will be shop-made as part of the project.
Many topics will be covered during this seven-day class. The atmosphere will be relaxed and easy with plenty of opportunity for side discussions on Greene & Greene and woodworking in general.

Some of the subjects covered will be:

Drawer construction
drawer fitting and hanging
G&G bread board ends (including ebony spline)
ebony plugs
cloud lifts
G&G finger-joints
Krenov style Block & Dowel Pull

G & G Inspired 8 Legged Table with William Ng (10/21/13 – 10/26/13)

William — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 23:37:21 +0000

This is one of our more popular classes. This beautiful table is well proportioned, with simple elegant lines that will grace any home. It can be used as a hall table, sofa table or an entry table. Imagine what your guest will say when they are welcome into your home and met with this stunning piece of furniture. The table will be constructed using African Mahogany and Ebony. Wood will be prepared and rough milled to speed up the process. This will free up valuable time for learning different skills and techniques. We will cover wood movement, bread board, joinery, wood selection, exposed Ebony spline, Ebony inlay, leg indent detail, square ebony plug, dovetail drawer construction, hand fitting drawers for piston fit, glue up procedure to make sure all 8 legs hit the floor the same time, hand tool techniques such as sharpening and proper use of chisels, card scrapers and hand planes. Come prepared to challenge your skills. There’s a lot of woodworking and learning in these six days.

Krenov Inspired Cabinet with Yeung Chan (10/13/13 – 10/19/13)

William — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 03:42:57 +0000

Master woodworker James Krenov is one of the most influential woodworker/teacher of our time. His respect for wood, attention to detail, and his philosophy to woodworking has been well respected and admired by woodworkers all over the world. In this seven day, hands on class, Yeung Chan who studied under James Krenov will show you many of these incredible details while building this beautiful cabinet. You will not only learn to install knife hinges, (many of us are so intimidated by it) but will MAKE YOUR OWN custom brass knife hinge for those special needs. Yeung will also cover wooden spring latches (which have mystify many of us), knobs, handles, wooden shelving pins and many other details that make “Krenovian” style furniture so special. The highlight of the class will be learning how to read the grain, and how to cut wood. After learning this, almost every student said they will never look and cut wood the same again, an epiphany that will change your woodworking life. This information alone is worth the price of admission!!

Blacker House Inspired Chair with William Ng (10/5/13 – 10/12/13)

William — Sun, 06 Oct 2013 06:27:16 +0000

This is perhaps the most difficult class we offer at our school. This class is not for the faint hearted. This chair will challenge every areas of your woodworking skill. We will be dealing with angles, proportion, chair design, choosing wood grain, Sculpting of the crest rail using a 4-1/2″ angle grinder, Inlay technique for the back slat of the chair, Scribing technique for hand fitted joinery, machine joinery, angled mortise & tenons, compound angles, hand skills include (chisel, hand planes, card scrapers, spoke shave, rasps, etc.) Many of the Greene and Greene elements will be covered such as leg indents, angled ebony splines for the arm and crest rail, “Chinese brackets” and tons of ebony plugs. You will also learn many of the work methods, “trick of the trade”, how to think ahead and how to developed Jigs. On top of the wealth of knowledge and skills you’ll received from the class, you get to take home in my opinion one of the most beautifully designed chairs ever.

Boxes, Joinery, & Jigs……OH MY! (9/23/13 – 9/27/13)

William — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 22:48:38 +0000

Box making ……… sounds simple, yet, it can be one of the most complex areas of woodworking because it offers endless opportunities for self expression in design and technique. Box making demands precision and accuracy in order for joinery, lids, hinges and other hardware to fit correctly. In this class we will cover box making tools, jigs and fixtures to aid in cutting small accurate pieces, materials, re-sawing, joinery, hinges and hardware. We will also look at box interiors such as dividers, trays and drawers, and exteriors such as lids, bases, inlays and other decorating ideas. Boxes make great gifts, and will be cherished for years, sure to become heirlooms.

Fundamentals of Fine Woodworking with William Ng (9/16/13 – 9/20/13)

William — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 07:45:13 +0000

The secret to fine woodworking can be found in the pursuit of the fundamentals. With high-tech machines and power tools, these fundamentals can be overshadowed. In this class we will learn the values of design, drawings, mock-ups, sharpening, care and use of hand tools, tuning up a bench plane, layout, measuring tools, wood technology, choosing and preparing lumber, joinery (including hand cut dovetails and the mortise and tenon), safe machine and power tool operation and how to apply a hand-rubbed finish. We will practice these skills by building a beautiful keepsake box. This class is not just for beginners but for all those who want to build a more solid woodworking foundation.

The Art of Marquetry with Matthew Werner (9/9/13 – 9/13/13)

William — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 06:03:07 +0000

Create designs in wood! Marquetry is the art of creating imagery by
cutting and fitting thin pieces of wood together. These designs are then
veneered to a solid core to be used in making furniture or decorative
panels.

This will be a 5-day class. No prior experience with marquetry is necessary, although students should be familiar with basic woodworking techniques. Through lectures, demonstrations and hands-on practice, students will learn marquetry techniques, and be able to practice them by creating a small project. Our focus will be on the double-bevel technique using resawn veneers. This class is an opportunity to explore an ancient art form that has many contemporary applications.

Instructor:
Matthew Werner studied Fine Woodworking at the College of the Redwoods
with Jim Krenov. He has worked full-time as a furniture-maker and designer
for over a decade, after leaving a prior career in the natural sciences.
His specialty is marquetry inspired by nature.

Making a Wooden Handplane with William Ng (9/6/13 – 9/8/13)

William — Sat, 07 Sep 2013 05:49:52 +0000

Using a finely tuned wooden hand plane you make yourself is probably one of woodworking’s ultimate experiences. It offers a great sense of satisfaction and is a reflection of fine craftsmanship. Plane making has been an honored tradition with the Eastern Masters, and is gaining huge popularity here in the states. In this three day class we will look at the history of hand planes and its design. We will learn about the materials used, such as metal, wood, and glue. The main emphasis will be on sharpening, grinding, adjustment, care and use of the tool. Each student will make their own personalized hand plane using a Hock blade, and an adjustment mallet. At the end of the class you will be amazed at how well these hand planes perform. Some students say these wooden planes are just as good if not better than the expensive metal ones.

Making Custom Cabinets with William Ng (8/12/13 – 8/16/13)

William — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 18:12:53 +0000

In this class, we will cover different methods and techniques for cabinet construction. These methods can be applied to building kitchens, vanities, entertainment unit, build-in, home theaters or just a stand alone cabinet. We will build a cabinet using face frame, finish ends with frame and panel. We will cover topics such as door making from raised panels to grain matching, drawer construction using dovetail joinery, box joint or lock joints, hardware options and installation. If you are planning to remodel your kitchen or start a cabinet business, this class will definitely help get you on your way.

Period Furniture Carving with Boris Khechoyan (8/5/13 – 8/9/13)

William — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 05:53:49 +0000

This class is designed to familiarize the student with the tools and techniques of woodworking. The student will learn the basic techniques of perspective, proportions, and symmetry. Every project begins with an understanding of how to visualize the finished work and thinking in 3 dimensions. This class offers a creative mixture of lecture, demonstrations, and hands-on experience. It is designed to expose the student to the various types and purposes of wood and the tools designed for each. We encourage students to bring their own project to class, or work on one of the projects provided.