Class Syllabus:

Here is a breakdown of some of the skills that will be taught over the two days:

• Cut veneer to make tight seams both along and across the grain.
• Understand good veneer taping form.
• Quickly make consistent width narrow strips for bandings.
• Use simple jigs to improve the repeatability of rhythmic veneering.
• Anticipate the pattern opportunities from various orientations of sequential strips of veneer.
• Apply glue to minimize the likelihood of a poor bond, and (probably) learn how to fix a poorly bonded piece of veneer.
• Insert inlay pieces into your box’s lid design.
• Consider the costs and benefits of different glue types. Use a vacuum press to apply even pressure over a large surface.

About the Instructor:

Dave Heller is a Canadian furniture maker, who now lives in Charlottesville, Virginia. He is a former Chemical Engineer, turned full-time furniture maker. Dave’s specialty is Marquetry, veneering, and advanced inlay work. His favorite furniture style is Art Deco, which he builds out of his local studio. Dave is a member of The Society of American Period Furniture Makers (SAPFM) and occasionally writes articles for the society and gives demonstrations at their events. You can learn more about Dave, and see his furniture in this recent article that we published.

Below are a few of the videos that we released with Dave at the Wood & Shop Traditional Woodworking School.

Materials Fee:

The class material fee is $40 (if you have your own veneering saw), and $50 if you don’t (Dave will buy you a $10 veneering saw). The fee is payable to the instructor before or on the day of the class. Students may opt to use extra special material, which may cost them a little more.

How to Get Here & Where to Stay:

The address of the school is 5700 Buffalo River Rd. Earlysville, Virginia 22936 (Google Maps here). The school is convenient to quite a few hotels, stores, and restaurants, and is only 8 minutes from the Charlottesville airport. Many more details are listed on the school’s main page here.

Class Policies, Liability Waiver, & Cancellations:

No students under 18 years of age are allowed. A PDF document with the full class policies and a liability waiver will be sent in the order confirmation email. All students are required to sign and return this document prior to attending the class. Anyone can cancel a class up to 2 weeks prior to the class for a full refund (minus a $25 fee that covers credit card processing fees and administrative work). Cancellations under two weeks before a class begins will be given a refund (less $25) if we can find someone else to fill the slot. If we have to cancel a class for an unforeseen emergency, inclement weather, or low number of registrations, a full refund will be given to students.

DAVE’S COVID-19 REQUIREMENTS: Dave has specifically requested that all students in his classes be fully vaccinated for Covid-19. He will not require masks, but he will require that proof of vaccination be emailed to him at least one week before the class starts.

Student Tool Discounts:

After you’ve registered for a class, you are eligible for a discount from Lee Valley (Veritas) and Taylor Toolworks. Lee Valley offers a 15% discount, and a discount form PDF will be available for download in your Wood and Shop dashboard after your purchase. For a 10% discount from Taylor Toolworks fill out this form and upload a photo or screenshot of your class order email (under the “Student ID” section). The discounts may not be available after the end of the class, so try to place your orders before then.