Category: Woodworking Classes

6. Mike “Peter” Siemsen of the Mike Siemsen School of Woodworking.

One of the great unsung heroes of the hand-tool movement is Mike Siemsen. If Roy Underhill ever decides to retire, Mike gets my vote to be the new Woodwright. Mike’s whip-smart, has the personality of a carnival barker (in a good way), and has the hand skills to back it all up.

If you’ve attended WIA in past years, you’ve probably been assaulted by Mike in the Marketplace as he tried to goad or guilt you into participating. This year, Mike is a speaker and will be presenting a session called “The Thrifty Woodworker.” Mike told me a bit about it when we attended the Handworks show in May. Don’t miss it.

Sign up for Woodworking in America, Oct. 18-20 – or Mike will build a coffin, throw you in it and parade you around the Marketplace.

— Christopher Schwarz

7. The third Peter – Peter Follansbee. (Hmmm, it seems the theme of this year’s WIA is “Peters in Woodworking” – Peter Ross, Peter Galbert and Peter Follansbee are all speaking).

I hope you know Peter Follansbee from his book “Make a Joint Stool from a Tree” (now offered with free shipping from Lost Art Press). But if you haven’t heard Peter in a classroom/lecture situation, you are only getting half of the picture of the man.

His quick and dry Massachusetts wit and deftness with an axe is worth traveling to see. This year Peter is demonstrating 17th-century carving (I’ll be sitting in on that) and is giving the keynote at the big WIA banquet on Friday night.

Sign up for Woodworking in America, Oct. 18-20. Thirty Peters agree.

— Peter Schwarz

8. Peter Ross, the blacksmith wunderkind of Colonial Williamsburg, will be speaking at WIA. Peter makes some of the finest historic tools, and locks and hinges and hardware I’ve ever seen. He’s going to be talking at WIA on lots of subjects where the blacksmith’s art crosses paths with that of the woodworker – including fixing tools that have been overheated and some of his insights into historic tools.

Peter should know. He was one of the few craftsmen at Williamsburg to inspect and record all of the contents of the Benjamin Seaton tool chest during its U.S. tour. His work and drawings are in the newly revised “The Tool Chest of Benjamin Seaton” book. It is a must-have for history and tool nerds. (Nerd alert: I’m going to ask Peter to sign mine.)

Prying Peter out of his shop in North Carolina is a major coup for WIA. Don’t miss this.

Continued tomorrow.

Sign up for Woodworking in America, Oct. 18-20. Monkeys will not fly out of your bum.

— Christopher Schwarz

9. Chairmaker Peter Galbert will be teaching classes there. We are currently editing a book on chairmaking by Peter that is fantastic – he is drawing all the illustrations. Peter also should have some of his ingenious Drawsharp jigs at WIA that make it easy to rehab a drawknife. Check out Peter’s chairs on his site. Really, really good stuff.

Continued tomorrow.

Sign up for Woodworking in America, Oct. 18-20. Your cat will thank you.

— Christopher Schwarz