COUNTRY WORKSHOPS ...The woodworking school that focuses on traditional craftsmanship with hand tools. Started in 1978 by Drew Langsner. Country Workshops is located just off the Appalachian Trail in the mountains of western North Carolina, about one hour's drive north of Asheville. Visitors are welcome. [Click here for maps]
In many Country Workshops woodworking classes, instruction begins by splitting a freshly felled hardwood log, a traditional method sometimes called green woodworking. Air-dried, milled lumber is also used when appropriate.
Project work is often done with a drawknife and spokeshave while seated at a shaving horse. We also teach the skills of wood turning, wood bending, carving and hewing with axes and adzes. Tool safety is an integral part of each course.
In our woodworking classes hands-on experience and theory are combined in courses built around the making of carefully selected projects. The summer woodworking school is taught by guest instructors with classes limited to 10 students. Fall-winter-spring courses, which we call tutorials, are taught by Drew Langsner. Tutorials are limited to 4 students.
Our woodworking school has proven valuable to woodworkers of all abilities beginners, amateurs and professionals. Most classes last 5-6 days, but we also offer a few weekend courses. Tuition may be tax deductible for established professionals. We are a non-profit 501 (c) (3) educational organization. Contributions are deductible.
The Country Workshops Store -- Specialty hand tools. Where you can purchase a high quality drawknife, inshave, hewing axe, hollowing adze and other tools plus woodworking books and videos. We also sell Tom Donaheys contemporary version of a shaving horse, which we call a shaving mule.
Country Workshops International Craft Tours. Going back to 1991 (when we visited Norway and Sweden with Jogge Sundqvist as our tour guide). Our 2008 tour will be in Japan, and will be based in Kyoto and the surrounding countryside.
Woodworking instruction includes:
Post-and-rung chairmaking. Ladderback Chairmaking is taught as a summer workshop and an off-season tutorial by Drew Langsner. This class goes back to 1979 when it was originally taught by John Alexander. Make a Post-and-Rung Rocking Chair is a summer course with Tom Donahey.
Windsor chairmaking classes with Drew Langsner. We offer both American Windsor Chairmaking and Rustic Windsor Chairmaking courses, both in a tutorial format limited to 4 students. Our Rustic Windsor course has also been taught by John Brown, author of Welsh Stick Chairs. Drew also teaches tutorials in making a Rustic Windsor Settee and a Windsor Stool.
Japanese Woodworking is a summer course taught by Carl Swensson. The 2008 class project will be a folding shoji screen.
Furniture Making for Beginning Woodworkers with furniture maker Marilyn MacEwen. Marilyn is the author of Woodworking 101 For Women, a new publication from Lark Books.
Carving Bowls and Spoons, a class in treenware (such as dough bowls and ladles) with Drew Langsner. This is our longest running course, going back to 1978 when it was taught by Wille Sundqvist. Jogge Sundqvist is also one of our guest instructors, in addition to be our craft tour guide in Sweden.
Make a 17th Century Carved Box is a new summer woodworking class, taught by Peter Follansbee, the master joiner who works at Plimoth Plantation.
Country Workshops also offers several weekend courses, usually during spring time.
Willow Basketry is taught by Louise Langsner. Louise is best known as our hostess, cook and gardener. She has been making baskets, originally with white oak, going back to 1974.
Make A Windsor Stool is weekend workshop with Drew Langsner.
You can learn more about our instructors at our Country Workshops Instructors. To see some of our instructors work go to the Instructors Gallery.
To receive a printed bulletin, contact us by phone (828 656 2280) or e-mail Drew Langsner
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