Name: Shaping Clinic: Creating Identical Parts

Instructor: Kelly Parker

Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Age: 18 years old and above

Date: Sunday, March 30th – 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Class Description:

This 1-day hands-on clinic focuses on how to produce identically shaped, complex parts. Kelly’s work features parts that are heavily shaped and often feature compound curves. She will teach how to easily fabricate identical parts that cannot be created by pattern routing. Students will first create templates for the front, side, top and bottom of a part. These templates will be traced onto a rectangular ‘blank’ to guide the shaping process. Kelly will demonstrate how to rough out parts using the bandsaw and router table, then refine parts using a variety of rasps, card scrapers and profiled sanding blocks, while carefully working to layout lines. Students will have the opportunity to practice these techniques as they create a shaped table leg using the templates they created. If time allows students will be encouraged to design a leg and fabricate the necessary templates to create it. You will only be making a table leg in this class, not the entire table. 

Class Topics:

• Intro to layout tools: adjustable square, center-finder, drawing bows, French curves
• Intro to shaping tools: bandsaw, router table, Shinto rasp, cabinet maker’s rasp, card scraper, profiled sanding blocks, etc.
• Drawing, Cutting, Fairing, Using Templates
• Laying out blanks
• Working off of center and layout lines
• Shaping multiple parts in a consistent and repeatable manner
• Discussion of hard lines and soft lines

What to Bring:

– A desire to learn some new skills in a fun, safe and supportive environment. – A positive attitude to share in a community of craftmanship.
– Drinks and snacks (if desired).
– Measuring tape

– Pencil
– Combination (or speed) square

– Eye protection
– Hearing and dust protection (optional)

• A desire to learn some new skills in a fun, safe and supportive environment.
• A positive attitude to share in a community of craftsmanship
• Drinks and snacks (if desired)
• Pencil
• Combination (or speed) square
• Eye protection
• Hearing and dust protection (optional)
• Sketchbook
• If you have these tools feel free to bring them, or share the school’s limited collection
  • Steel Rule (hook rule)
  • Shinto rasp
  • Cabinet rasp
  • Wooden handscrew clamp

All material cost is included in the class fee.

Austin School of Furniture has the right to cancel this class at anytime if the minimum amount of students is not reached.

See our Refund Policy here