George Vondriska

Fundamentals of Furniture Making

George Vondriska

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  • In-depth Instruction; over 173 mins
  • On-demand video access anytime
  • Bonus downloadable PDF resources
  • Access to class Q&A
Meet your instructor, George Vondriska, and learn what tools and techniques he'll use in class, as well as how many board feet of material are required for the woodworking project you’ll complete.
George’s preference is to start furniture-making projects with the most visible piece. That means gluing up the top first. The legs are also made from glued-up stock using a book-matching technique that makes them seamless.
The strength of mortise and tenon joinery begins with the joint being correctly sized for the project. Learn standard rules for dimensioning this joint that you can apply to this table and other woodworking projects. Consistency in laying out the joint locations is key to a square and stable project. George provides his time-tested secrets for uniform layout.
Mortises on the router table, and tenons on the table saw: This approach provides a winning combination for cutting the mortise and tenon joint. What if, once cut, the joint is too tight or too loose? No sweat. Everyone runs into an “oops” every once in a while, and George will provide the fix for you.
Solid wood tops must be allowed to seasonally expand and contract. This can be accomplished by incorporating tabletop fasteners in your project; a must to prevent splitting later. Learn about correctly installing these versatile fasteners. A great tip for making a thick top appear lighter is undercutting the edge. A shop-made jig provides what you need to make this cut on the table saw.
You’ll be amazed at how a simple router bit can transform the look of the rails on your furniture projects. Easy to set up on the router table, this cutter adds detail that really enhances the overall design of the table.
Lighten the look of your furniture by using a tapered rather than straight leg. Learn the rules of thumb for how to lay out an attractive taper, and how to make a custom table saw jig for safely and accurately cutting the taper.
Many furniture projects are too complex to assemble all at once. Ease of assembly is about staging, and considering which parts to assemble first. George provides the guidance you need to determine a logical assembly sequence. He also provides tips on making sure the project is square.
George wraps up this class with a reminder to use the processes and skills you learned in making this project table to create a wide variety of new furniture pieces that you’ll enjoy for years.
Learn more about the class and learn some history of George's furniture making.
Learn how George got started in woodworking and about his experience as an instructor.
 
 
11 Lessons
2  hrs 53  mins

Description

Tables, chairs and other forms of furniture rely heavily on mortise-and-tenon joinery, which is at the heart of this class with George Vondriska. From scaling the joinery to suit your project to producing a perfectly fitting joint, you’ll learn the mortise and tenon joint inside and out, along with other great tips for making rock-solid furniture.

Additionally, furniture projects often require solid wood tops, made using edge-to-edge glue-ups. Learn the tricks behind jointing perfect edges, getting great color and grain matches in your top, and allowing solid wood tops to expand and contract seasonally.

In this class you’ll learn about:

• Project design
• Edge-to-edge glue ups for strength and beauty
• Mortise and tenon joinery
• Tapering legs
• Adding decorative accents to furniture projects

George is a firm believer in the adage that form should follow function, and he’ll show you how to add simple details to furniture that take it from boring to beautiful. For example, a simple router bit makes a significant difference in the look of the table rails. Undercutting the edge of the top gives it a lighter look. A slight taper on the legs reduces their bulk. Fundamentals of Furniture Making provides video instruction that makes each of these details easy to do.

In addition to step-to-step video instruction, this class provides you with downloadable resources and helpful information, including a printable woodworking plan for the table you’ll build in your own shop while following along with George’s techniques, and source references for any specialized tools used.

George Vondriska

Formally trained in technology education, George Vondriska has been teaching woodworking since 1986. He has been the managing editor of Woodworkers Guild of America since 2007. In addition to classes at his own Vondriska Woodworks School, George teaches at woodworking shows across the country and has taught woodworking for the Peace Corps, Andersen Window, Northwest Airlines and the Pentagon.

George Vondriska

Bonus materials available after purchase

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