Event Detail



 

Minnesota Woodworkers Guild presents:

Beginning Hand Tools: Tool Tote Build

Taught by Maria Petrova and Phil Winger of Sheer Craft

 

Mondays & Wednesdays, July 8-22, 6-9pm

 

 

  Registration is OPEN  

 

 

This class series has been designed by Maria Petrova and Phil Winger for Guild members to become familiar with various aspects of hand-tool use at Sheer Craft in the South Como neighborhood. The series is centered around the construction of a tool tote used by Roy Underhill on his television show The Woodwright’s Shop (photo below). Building this tote is an excellent way to learn a number of skills with hand-tools, and at the end of the journey, the take-away is a useful, attractive way to encourage further hand-tool use. We like that open tool totes can be easily customized to hold whichever tools you envision using. We intend to add a couple embellishments to this design to train additional hand-tool skills, and as a nod to curved work (i.e. boatbuilding).

 

Day 1
● Layout, crosscut end pieces and sides (learn how to cut accurately with a hand saw).

● Face plane and crosscut side pieces (learn how to set and use a bench plane to surface
a board).
● Plane a 10-degree bevel on the top and bottom edge of all four pieces of the box using a
bench plane. (Learn how to plane a bevel on the edge of a board)


Day 2
● Mark and cut the end pieces with a handsaw to the appropriate miter angle.
● Plane the end-grain of the end pieces to the scribed layout lines (learn how to set a low
angle block plane).


Day 3
● Cut rabbet joints in the end pieces, with some practice on scrap to become comfortable
with paring across the grain. (Learn how to pare with a chisel and a rabbet plane).
● Dry fit and tack box together temporarily. Trace the bottom and cut 10-degree bevels on
all faces. Plane to the line and drop in place.


Day 4
● Tool Sharpening (principles and practice, students invited to bring a chisel or plane
blade)
● Laying out and cutting mortises in the ends (chopping a mortise)


DAY 5
● Shaping the handle (how to use a brace and bit, how to use a spokeshave)
● Final assembly (hammer and nails)

 

Integrated skills/tools:
Layout of Miters (bevel gauge, combination square)
Crosscutting (Japanese saw, western miter saw)
Planing a bevel (bench planes, bevel gauge)
Face-Planing (bench planes, straightedge)
Planing end-grain (low angle block plane, shooting board)
Cutting a rabbet joint (saw, chisel, and/or rabbet plane)
Sharpening Edge Tools (diamond stone, combination waterstone)
Laying out and cutting a mortise (chisel, mallet)
Sawing and shaping the handle (ripsaw, bench plane, Japanese saw, brace and bit, chisel, rasp,
spokeshave)
Beveling the bottom to a tapered fit (Bevel Gauge, bench plane, block plane)
Assembly/fastening (drill, hammer)

This class has space for six participants.

FEES:

  • Guild Members $470 (class fee of $340 plus material fee of $130). 
  • Non-members $515 (class fee of $340 plus material fee of $130 and Guild membership $45) 
  • Need-based scholarships available. Please email education@mnwwg.org.


LOCATION:
Sheer Craft, 1017 Front Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55103