KINGSTON- The Hudson River Maritime Museum’s Wooden Boat School is pleased to announce a new lineup of classes for November and December. Taught by professionals in the field of woodworking and carpentry, the Wooden Boat School offers a variety of introductory and advanced courses for adults interested in expanding their skills in woodworking, boat building, and traditional crafts. The class lineup of workshops include Adirondack Backpack weaving, Rope Wreath making, and an Introduction to Chair Caning, among others.
Registration for all classes is now open at www.hrmm.org/adult-classes.
The Wooden Boat School’s woodworking programs are perfect for adults who want to work with their hands and learn new skills. Participants will work on-site in the museum’s wood shop to create take-home projects with the help of skilled instructors. Some courses require some woodworking and/or machine tool experience.
Build an Acoustic Guitar
Nine Session Workshop
Sundays, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., starting October 22, 2023
October 22 & 29, November 5, 12 & 19, December 3, 10 & 17, and January 7
Experience Level: Basic
Have you ever wondered how acoustic guitars are made? Want to enhance your playing skills with a custom-built instrument? Join experienced woodworker and luthier Bill Sterling in this start-to-finish acoustic guitar kit build, which includes everything but the tuners and strings. Beginners are welcome.
Build a Picture Frame
Friday, November 3, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. & Saturday, November 4, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Students must have experience with the table saw, chop saw, and bandsaw.
In this course, you will learn how to cut, assemble and finish wooden picture frames to your specifications using a sturdy and beautiful technique called corner spline joinery. Frames made without fasteners in this way become durable, long-lasting heirloom pieces. In addition, you will be able to cut your own mats and professionally mount artwork, photographs, or mementos in the frames. These fine art frames are intended to be wall-mounted, and will include turnbuttons that allow the media to be changed or adjusted, thereby making these great gifts for people to add their own photos or art.
Hands-On Wooden Boat Restoration
Experience Level: Basic
Each month, the museum highlights the restoration efforts on one boat in our collection by offering the public a hands-on seminar working on one aspect of the restoration.
Hands-On Wooden Boat Restoration-Rascal
November 7, 14, 21 & 28, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
In the Month of November, participants will work on replacing planks on our 1950s racing sloop “Rascal.” Be a part of this exciting team effort to get the Rascal out on the water once again, as you soak up decades of wooden boat knowledge and experience from Master Shipwright, Wayne Ford. The history of this unique boat, with her distinctive West coast design, is unknown, but her speed and grace are unmistakable, even when hauled out in our yard. Join us for as many of these Tuesday sessions as you like, whether just one or up to four.
Hands-On Wooden Boat Restoration-Penn Yan Car Topper
December 5, 12, 19
For the month of December, we focus on recanvassing one of two Penn Yan Car Topper rowboats in our collection. The canvas will be stretched, stapled to the hull and cut, with a coating applied later. The work will take place indoors in our woodworking shop. The canvas will be stretched, stapled to the hull and cut, with a coating applied later. The work will take place indoors in our woodworking shop. Nestled in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, the Penn Yan Boat Company’s popular model was introduced in 1936. Designed to be light and narrow enough to fit on top of most cars of that era, Penn Yan marketed it as being easily lifted by two people.
Adirondack Backpack Weaving
Saturday, November 11, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Experience Level: Basic
Learn how to weave the basic shape of the Adirondack Backpack with instructor Sue Muldoon. In the class, participants will learn techniques, including over/under weave, continuous weave, twining, shaping and rimming, while making a medium-sized pack about 11” tall that is perfect for daily use, farmers markets and more.
Square Rule Timber Framing 2
Friday, November 10 & Saturday, November 11, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Experience Level: Intermediate (should have completed Introduction to Square Rule Timber Framing)
This two-day course is designed for students who took Introduction to Square Rule Timber Framing. Participants will learn and assist in the construction of a square rule, post-and-beam timber frame structure on the HRMM campus. The group will assemble previously cut mortise and tenon joints and join the structural frames and add girts, rafters, and purlins to accomplish a finished structure. This course is suitable for both beginners and more advanced students wishing to strengthen their skills.
Power Tools Intensive: Build A Workbench
Saturday, November 18 & Sunday, November 19, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Monday, November 20, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Why buy a bench when you can build one? Building one’s own bench provides the opportunity to develop basic shop tool skills and to make a useful, portable, and personalized work surface for building future woodworking projects.
Setup and Care of Your Electric Guitar
Friday, December 1 & Sunday, December 3
Experience Level: Basic
Join veteran player and guitar repair guru Kevin Thomson for this two-day class that will cover all of the basics and best practices of how to set up your electric guitar to suit you, and how to maintain it.
Make a Wooden Block Plane
Friday, December 8, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Experience Level: Beginner
Join master shipwright and woodworker Wayne Ford to enhance your woodworking skills and create your own custom hand plane to add to your tool kit. You will start with a block of wood and mill out the various wooden parts to hold the plane iron and adjusting mechanism. The wooden body will then be shaped to your preference. By the end of the class, you will have a working hand plane to bring home to use in other projects.
Introduction to Chair Caning
Saturday, December 9, 2023, 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Experience Level: Basic
Join Janice Meltzer in a basic 7-step class in caning seats: using a stool kit, we will learn about soaking cane and weaving it in a traditional pattern. This process can be applied to applications like canoe seats as well as chairs. You will have the option of bringing in your own chair or canoe seat to recane.
Hand Tool Sharpening
Thursday, December 14, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Experience Level: Basic/Intermediate
Do you have hand planes, knives, chisels, or other tools that just aren’t cutting it? Learn how to put an edge back on your hand woodworking tools that is fine enough to shave hair. You will learn about the geometry of a cutting edge, various methods of sharpening tools, and get hands-on experience with the power grinder, low speed grinder, whetstone, and more while sharpening your tools.
Resin Jewelry
Sat., Dec. 16 & Sun., Dec. 17, 2023, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Experience Level: Intermediate
A multifaceted class on making jewelry using a variety of techniques. Students will have an opportunity to experiment with a scroll saw and lathe, mixing and pouring epoxy resin, and gluing up thin pieces of wood and hand turning wooden rings and bracelets. On day two, they will be able to design and create a piece of jewelry of their choosing.
FAMILY/GROUP BUILD CLASSES
This year the Hudson River Maritime Museum’s Wooden Boat School hosts a series of holiday-themed classes where you can create and build unique, handcrafted toys for your family and friends as well as learn some basic craft and/or woodworking skills along the way. No prior experience is necessary. It’s the perfect activity to do with some friends or as a family.
Holiday Group Build: Rope Wreath Making
Friday, November 24, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Braid rope to fashion a wreath using a complex braid that is based in the nautical tradition
And then decorate it to your taste. Your handmade holiday wreath will be made of natural jute fibers and makes a lovely gift, or just a unique decoration to stand out in your home. This is a short three-hour, basic level class, and the only skill you should bring to class is patience.
Holiday Group Build: Toy Boxes & Shapes
Saturday, November 25, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Join veteran woodworker Bob Boisvert for this one-day group/family style building class where you will make wooden boxes and/or colorful shapes. You can decide to make an enclosed box or shapes you can hang on a wall or display on a shelf.
Holiday Group Build: Toy Blocks
Saturday, December 2, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Level: Basic. Some basic woodworking experience is helpful but not necessary.
One ticket covers up to two people.
Toy blocks are some of the simplest yet most fun toys for kids, and make the perfect gift. Designed for pairs to work together, professional woodworker Kates Hawes will lead this one-day building class. You can make toy blocks all different or all the same, or a little of both: it’s up to you. You’ll learn how to lay out shapes with a square and bevel gauge; cut and shape them with the chop saw, band saw, and stationary sander; as well as fine tune the blocks with hand tools like chisels. You’ll finish by hand sanding and rasping, then paint them bright colors with non-toxic, child-safe milk paint. Beginners are welcome.
Group Build: Bird Feeder
Saturday, December 16, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Level: Basic
A special group woodworking class to build a bird feeder from scratch. Your feeder will provide an opportunity not only to help sustain bird populations but also to observe birds up close. Woodworker Wayne Ford will guide your family or group through this easy beginner project. Staff from the Maritime Museum will also tell you a little bit about common local birds.
For details about classes and registration , visit the Wooden Boat School online at https://www.hrmm.org/adult-
