Hand Tool Rodeo
Saddle up to a workbench at the Hand Tool Rodeo and discover how you can power up your woodworking with tools that are decidedly unplugged. Hand tools have been around for centuries but these days they're often pushed aside in favor of their more flashy corded cousins. Here the power comes from the finesse of the relationship between tool and wood.
Topics covered in this 1-hour class are:
Plane Talk: Bench Plane, Block Plane, Smoothing and Scraping Plans. It can be just plane confusing! Learn the different uses for each type of plane and which ones can replace power tools.
A Fine Finish: Hand Tools prep a different kind of surface – one that brings out the natural beauty of the wood leaving a surface perfect for natural finishes.
Turn on and Tune-up: Hand tools work best when they're sharp. Learn what to do and, more importantly, what not to do, to keep your planes working their best. Learn how to sharpen to reduce chatter and soup-up your own planes.
Educators (on a weekly rotating schedule):
GRAHAM BLACKBURN was born in London and has lived in the United States since 1960. Since publishing his first book in 1974, he has written and illustrated numerous books on many aspects of building and woodworking. He is a frequent contributor to various magazines including Fine Woodworking, Popular Woodworking, and Woodwork (of which he was also editor-in-chief). He owns and operates his own custom furniture making shop. He currently runs Blackburn Books, which recently published his sixteenth book: Traditional Woodworking Handtools: A Manual for the Woodworker.
ROLAND JOHNSON first became interested in wood when he was in high school and worked at a lumberyard. As Roland grew, so did his interest, and in 1976 he started refinishing furniture, building furniture, and repairing and building all kinds of other stuff. Nearly 30 years ago, Roland planted hundreds of trees in an old gravel pit, turning it into a wooded retreat where he has built his home and shop. Contributing editor for Fine Woodworking since 2002, Roland is a frequent writer of tool-test articles for the magazine. His fascination with motors and gears goes beyond woodworking, however — he's also an enthusiastic hot-rodder who likes to restore old cars, and is the author of Automotive Woodworking (Motor Books International, 2002). Roland is also the founder and president of the Central Minnesota Woodworkers Association. Today, he divides his time between writing, building stuff for himself and his clients, and keeping his 40-acre homestead in Minnesota humming. If you don't find him in the woodshop, try the garage.
WILLIAM NG is a world-class furniture maker and woodworker. William is skilled in all facets of fine woodworking, from classic Japanese joinery to tuning up handtools. He comes from an engineering background and uses a similar approach in his woodworking. Precision, accuracy and efficiency are emphasized in his teaching. His sense of humor, combined with his passion for woodworking makes for an enjoyable learning experience. William is an instructor and the director of the William Ng Woodworks School of Fine Woodworking.
Hand Tool Rodeo Handplane Giveaway with Roland Johnson
Enter to win a Stanley Bailey No. 4 Smoother, refurbished by Roland Johnson
Come watch Roland Johnson restore a handplane during the Hand Tool Rodeo! The Stanley Bailey No.4 smoothing plane will be restored to better-than-new working condition over the course of the weekend and raffled off to a lucky winner at the end of the show. To enter the raffle simply attend any session of the Hand Tool Rodeo and fill out an entry form. You don't have to be present to win and the plane will be shipped to your home address. Good luck and enjoy the show!
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