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The woodworking
seminars offered at Passion for Wood are Hendrik's only true source of
"group instruction". His seminars are offered in his own workshop,
just outside of Acton, Ontario. They run from September to June on most
Saturday mornings and offer an inexpensive glimpse into the world of fine
woodworking. |
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Topics like hand-cut dovetails,
mortise-and-tenon joinery, staining and finishing are only a few examples
out of almost 30 topics covered to date. Topics range from joinery methods
to wood science, finishing, machinery use and safety and everything else
in between. Some seminar topics only come around every couple of years,
while other more popular topics might be offered once or even twice per
year. If you are waiting for a topic that won't come up again for a while,
private instruction can be arranged to cover any topic of your choice
at any time.
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Gift
Certificates Available |
FAQ's
Special Seminar Programs
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Specialty
Seminars
Starting
and Running a Woodworking Business
Hendrik also offers an
annual all-day seminar on the topic of "Starting and Running
a Woodworking Business". When the demand is high, sometimes
a second date is offered. These are typically held in the summer
months. Hendrik goes into great detail about everything from insurance,
zoning, legal issues, retail sales tax, goods and services tax and
bookkeeping, and onwards to the more important questions like "What
is a reasonable start-up cost?", "When will I make some
real money?", "What will I build?" and "How
will I price my work?". Go to the Testimonials
page to read comments provided by those who have attended this seminar
in the past. Or go to the Books page to
purchase Hendrik's book, called "Starting and Running a Woodworking
Business". |
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Build
a Traditional Workbench
Private Seminar Series
Each year, Passion for
Wood holds a 6-part seminar series to help you build your own workbench. The sessions are held on 6 Saturday
afternoons spread out from September to the following April. Participants
embark on a detailed journey of guided self-learning, slowly building
their own workbenches at home over time. This is an annual event
launched each September for a new group of future craftsmen (and
women!). Contact Hendrik over the summer months to secure your space. |
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Here
is Hendrik's description of what
this seminar series is all about:
When
people attend my seminars or take one-on-one instruction with me,
one of the things they often comment on is how much they like my
workbench. Actually, they're more likely complaining about the fact
that they don't have a proper workbench. And a serious workbench
is a great starting point if you want to do some fine woodworking
or improve your current skill level.
Although you can buy a complete or partially completed workbench
from a store, it just isn't the same as building your own. Not only
is your hand-made bench likely to be of higher quality and made
of thicker lumber, but there is something very meaningful about
building your own. You'll be using and admiring your own workbench
for many years to come, so the pride you'll feel by building it
yourself is unmatched. And you'll always be able to tell people
that you built it yourself. It will undoubtedly get passed on through
the family in future years when you're no longer around.
It seems that a lot of people don't buy a workbench for this very
reason. They want to build their own. Yet, it is a daunting task
for most. It's a time-consuming and difficult job in many ways.
I know for a fact that an amateur woodworker can do it, although
some guidance might make the difference between accomplishing your
goal or not even trying it at all.
This is not your usual seminar where you learn about a handful of
techniques and then go home. This is a 6-part seminar series that
the same group of people will attend, slowly building their workbenches
with Hendrik's monthly guidance.
To read comments provided
by some past seminar participants, visit the Testimonials
page.
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FAQs:
| Q. |
What
are your seminar prices? |
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| A. |
Regular
half-day seminars are currently priced at $60, which already
includes the gst. Specialty seminars may be priced differently.
Prices are always clearly stated in every seminar notice
sent out. |
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| Q. |
How do I find out about the seminars you are offering
at any given time? |
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| A. |
I
keep a seminar emailing list and send out regular seminar
notices year-round. My list is not for sale or rent and
your personal information is considered confidential information.
Should you wish to be placed on my list, you need only
send me an email. To be removed from my list, simply ask
and it will be done promptly. |
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| Q. |
Are
your seminars any good? |
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| A. |
Read
the Testimonials section on this
website to hear what others have said. Come to one seminar
and see what it's all about. Over 85% of first time seminar
participants return more than once. And over 20% have
attended 10 seminars or more. |
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| Q. |
Can
I bring a camera or video camera to your seminars? It's
just for my own personal use, to help me remember what
you covered. |
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| A. |
Due
to on-going publishing contracts, I regret that recording
devices of any kind are not permitted in my workshop.
But you are encouraged to take notes, draw diagrams and
even take measurements of my jigs and fixtures. Some form
of hand-out is also provided at all seminars. |
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Special
Seminar Programs
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Multi
Seminar Rewards Program
Every
10th seminar is free! |
Seminars at Passion for Wood are designed to take you through a specific skills set from start to finish and show you how it's done in real time. The demonstrations aren't a matter of simply showing you a completed technique and talking about how to do it. The demonstrations are about showing you how it's done right there in front of you.
While DVDs, books and articles are great resources, there is no substitute for seeing the technique accomplished right before your eyes. You are able to see what works and what doesn't. You'll see the occasional mistake happen because this is "live" and no editing can be done. Hendrik will describe the sorts of problems and pitfalls you are likely to encounter along the way. And, you get to ask questions about what you are seeing right there as soon as they pop into your head.
The next best thing to hands-on private instruction is being able to see woodworking techniques performed by a professional woodworker right there in front of you. And with limited class sizes, you are able to get right in close to see all the action. It isn't like sitting in the 5th row of a larger venue where you might be 20 feet or more from the action. Try one seminar and you will be hooked. |
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