Carpentry for Newbies in Sept

• 8:30am Site Open

• 9am-noon Morning Session

• noon-1pm Break for lunch. Participants bring their own lunch

• 1-4pm Afternoon Session

Topics:

• Intro to Rough Carpentry: What does carpentry involve. Primarily it involves working with wood, but also other materials, especially materials that are often joined to wood (e.g. metal, sheetrock, composite materials, etc.) to make functional items.

• All about wood. Types of wood.  Standard dimensions. Wood Grain.

• Using Hand Tools 

• Plumb, Level, Square

• Measuring  (Measure twice, cut once) and Marking

• Cutting, notching, drilling, shaping wood

• Types of Carpentry: Rough Carpentry, Finish or Trim Carpentry, Cabinet making/Furniture Making

• Connecting wood: Nails. Screws. Bolts,  Joinery. Glues and adhesives

• Basic Powertools (Circular Saw, Power Miter Saw, Electric Drill and driver)

• Electric Tools vs. Battery Powered Tools vs. Hand Tools

• Carpentry Safety

Project: Build Sawhorses

Skills involved: 

• Measuring

• Cutting

• Drilling

• Nailing

• Screwing wood together

• Working with lumber

• Efficient use of lumber

• Building from an existing pattern

Topics:

• Basic Finish Carpentry

• Joining wood together

• Ways to minimize wood splitting or splintering

• Sanding

• Finishes: Paint, oils, stains, natural finishes, etc.

• Wood Grain and how to work with the grain

• Ripping vs. Cross cutting

• Tools for shaping wood: chisels, planes, routers, etc.

• Methods for holding wood while working with it: Vices, clamps, tape

• Different types of wood and what type to use where. Why you might choose different wood species for different projects. Soft woods. Hard woods, etc.

• Buying wood. Recycled wood. Making your own lumber.

• Engineered wood:  Plywood, OSB, MDF, particle board, LVLs etc.

• Efficient work spaces  (Work table, saw horses, lighting, ventilation, etc.)

• More advanced power tools:  Table saw, Router, Planer, etc. 

• Safety while working 

• Cutting larger sheets of material (plywood, luan, OSB)

• Use of Chalk line

• Connecting dissimilar materials together

• Working alone. Working with a partner/helper

Project: Make a bookshelf

Skills involved: 

• Accurate measuring and cutting.

• Cutting at angles. 

• Shaping wood. 

• Wood finishing. 

• Finish Nailing. 

• Glueing. 

• Tools for holding wood. 

• Squaring.

• Use of plywood backing. 

• Reading construction drawings. 

• Making changes to construction drawings. 

• Drilling. 

• Adjusting based on materials available. 

• Substitutions. 

Topics:

• Building Structures (e.g. Shed, wood storage area, covered space, deck, house, etc.)

• Protecting wood from the elements 

• Basic parts of a structure: footing, foundation, floor system, walls, roof, etc. 

• Making Patterns 

• Intro to Building Codes and Zoning laws

• Nailing (or screwing) requirements

• Laying out a larger project

• Ways to increase work efficiencies

• Repair work (Tools for removing wood: pry bars, saws, specialty tools)

• Maintenance

• Remodeling

Project: Build a Deck

Skills involved:

• Layout

• Building Codes

• Reading construction plans

• Cutting lumber

• Working with Pressure Treated Lumber

• Working with connectors (nails, screws, bolts, joist hangers, etc.)

• Hammering

• Drilling

• Screwing

• Footings

• Posts

• Floor System

• Safety Glasses

• Hammer

• Tape Measure (at least 20’ tape measure)

• Speed Square

• Carpenter pencil

• Utility Knife

• Chisel (¾” or 1” wide) (Optional)

• Small pry bar (Optional)

• 6 in 1 screwdriver (Optional)

• Dust Mask (Optional)

• Tool Belt (Optional)

• Construction Gloves (Optional) 

• Ear Protection (Optional)

• Workshop happens regardless of weather. If it is raining, we will do inside work or activities. If weather is very warm, we will do the more physical parts of the workshop in the mornings when it is cooler, so the schedule each day will remain flexible to adjust to weather conditions.

• Overnight Camping available at $10/night

• Basic hand tools required by each participant  (See list provided with the course outline)

• The workshops cover knowledge and hands-on experience.

• Number of Participants capped at 12.

• This workshop is not eligible for use with a season pass.

• Youth, under 18, may not attend free with an adult. Instead, they should be registered independently.

• Deep River Folk School Carpentry and Woodworking Workshops

• Other Folk Schools or Education Programming: Greenwood Wrights’Fest, Piedmont Earthskills Gathering, Holistic Survival School, Wild Abundance

• Books  (See book table during workshop)

• YouTube Videos (quality is quite variable)

• Construction Shows (e.g. “This Old House”)

• Community College Classes (Quality varies)

• Carpentry Groups or Clubs

• Mentors or Skilled Friends and Acquaintances

• Volunteering (e.g. Habitat for Humanity)

• Doing Projects and Learning by Doing

• Doing Construction or Carpentry work for pay (work experience)

If you need to make incremental payments, we can coordinate that with you. Please email Morgan at deepriverfolkschool@gmail.com to request a partial payment schedule.

We are limited in our ability to offer work-trade and scholarship for this program, but please email Harvey if you would like to pursue that possibility. harvey.harman@gmail.com