Craft, Trade, & Manufacturing Courses

Scottsville, NY

Using Jigs to Advance Your Woodworking Skills (Working Out of Square)

Advanced

Creating shapes or joints in wood that are not flat and straight may seem daunting and beyond what you are comfortable with. There’s a surprisingly simple solution: build a custom support, often called a jig, that puts the piece in a “square” reference so your machine or hand tool can accommodate the irregular form. The next step may be clamping and assembling the shapes and joints. We’ll show you how to identify what’s needed to apply perfect pressure and how to fabricate clamping cauls, both specialized and cauls used repeatedly. This class will open new design and construction vistas.

Topics covered:

Learn how to choose the correct hand tool or machine for the task at hand
Tools and materials for making jigs, both shop made and purchased
How to secure parts in jigs for one-off or repetitive operations
Build a collection of reusable clamping cauls that will simplify assembling irregular shapes
How to analyze the direction for perfect clamping pressure
How to upgrade quick jigs so they last and last

This class will be limited to 12 students and will largely be demonstrations; however, feel free to bring a project idea and Michael can help you problem solve the fabrication.

Course Details

Location18 Maple St, Scottsville, NY 14546, USA

LevelAdvanced

Capacity16 students

instructor info

Michael Fortune

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Languages spoken: English

Canadian designer/maker, teacher and mentor Michael C. Fortune has become acclaimed for his innovative, but resolved, designs for one-of-a-kind objects in wood, commissioned residential furnishings, and items in limited editions. He is acknowledged for both his technical and design expertise, giving lectures and workshops across Canada, United States, New Zealand, Australia, and Brazil. Michael's work has appeared in numerous exhibitions worldwide and he has taught at many schools and craft centers including; Sheridan College School of Crafts and Design, Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, the Rochester Institute of Technology NY, Worcester Center for Crafts in Massachusetts, Anderson Arts Center, Colorado, Savannah College of Art and Design, Australian National University School of Art, and the Marc Adams School in Indiana where the fellowship program for advanced students has been named in his honor. Michael is the senior mentor for the Artist in Residence program (2018, 2020) at the Centre for Fine Woodworking in New Zealand. Fortune’s international career includes consulting for Trinidad and Tobago's Commonwealth Fund for Technical Assistance, working for sustainable source timber in Mexico aimed at supplying the expanding hotel industry within the country, and volunteering for Woodlinks, a joint Canadian/U.S. not-for-profit organization dedicated to revitalizing vocational training in secondary schools throughout North America. Michael is also assisting a new school in Puerto Rico that promotes use of timber salvaged after destructive hurricanes. In 1993, Michael was the first woodworker to receive the prestigious Prix Saidye Bronfman, Canada’s highest award in the crafts, and in 2007 he was the first Canadian to receive the Award of Distinction from the Furniture Society. He received the Mather Award in 2019 for his contribution to craft in Ontario. Michael Fortune has a clear vision of how fine craft can positively effect the culture and economy of Canada and the world beyond. http://www.michaelfortune.com/