Welcome!

We are an active group of men and women in Upstate NY, dedicated to the enjoyment of woodworking. We offer lectures and workshops by renowned woodworking personalities and local professionals, an extensive lending library of books and videos, online special interest group forums, and more...

We welcome everyone interested in the craft, professional or hobbyist, to join the company of more than four hundred enthusiasts - carvers, turners, furniture makers, boat builders... - and challenge you to take your woodworking skills to a new level.

January 15, 16, 17




Robin Lee of Lee Valley tools will address the Rochester Woodworkers
Society at St. John Fisher College (signs will be posted on campus) on
Friday evening January 15 at 8:00PM (woodworking pre-meeting display
starts at 7:00PM).  Rob is the leader of arguably the most innovative
woodworking tool manufacturers of the past century.  Come listen to
Rob describe Lee Valley's success in creating some of the worlds
finest and innovative hand-tools.   On Saturday and Sunday January
16/17, specialists from Lee Valley will showcase their Veritas tools
at CP Rochester auditorium at 3399 Winton Road South, Rochester,
14623, from 9:00AM to 4:00PM on Saturday and 9:00AM to 2:00PM on
Sunday.

Veritas® Tools (the research, development and manufacturing division
of Lee Valley) continues to be one of the most innovative hand-tool
design firms in the world, producing unique and high-quality products.
 Lee Valley Tools has been meeting the needs of serious woodworkers
and gardeners for over 30 years as one of the leading mail-order and
retail suppliers of woodworking tools, gardening tools and cabinet
hardware.

The public is welcome to participate and learn more about Lee Valley
Tools and Rochester Woodworkers Society.  Admission is free, and
special discounted memberships will be available for the Rochester
Woodworkers Society for $20 for the remainder of  the 2009/2010
season.

Hands-on workshops: 

HAND PLANE 201 Sharpening & Repairing Woodworking Planes

Goal: Understanding iron sharpening and to complete one iron that you
can shave with.  Reference material includes: Leonard Lee "Sharpening".

Overview: This workshop will focus on sharpening (forming, sharpening,
& honing)and repairing hand planes. The process is applicable to all
cutting tools.  Instructor: Alan VanDeMoere, Limited to five students,
Location: Alan’s house, Dates: January 11 & 13th 6:30 – 8:30, Cost:
$25 ($20 if registered two weeks before class).

Outline:
   - Cutting Iron bevels
   - Plane bed angles
   - Mouth opening and chip formation
   - Overview of sharpening materials: ceramic, water stones,
diamond plate, oil stones
   - Detailed process of Veritas MarkII w/ water stones and micro bevels
   - Repairing a Stanley handle (tote), or knob
   - Cambered cutting edges and when to apply them
   - Scraper sharpening (time permitting)

HAND PLANE 301 Hand Plane Usage and Specialty Woodworking Plane

Goal: Know when to use what plane and prepare for finish a simulated
table top by cutting vs. sanding. Reference material includes: Garrett
Hack "The Hand Plane Book".

Overview. This workshop will focus on what functions different planes
do and to prepare for finish a simulated table top by cutting vs.
sanding. Instructor: Alan VanDeMoere, Limited to five students,
Location: Alan’s house, Dates: February 8 & 10th 6:30 – 8:30, Cost:
$25 ($20 if registered two weeks before class).

Outline:
   - Scrub plane, or in our case using power tools to establish
dimensioned parts
   - Jack plane, jointer plane applications and specialty set ups
   - Cutting end grain and the shooting board
   - Block planes,  their traditional applications
   - Smoothing plane and how they are set up a great surface
   - Scraper plane, scraper blade, when the smoother fails
   - Difficult wood management, grain direction, and the dreaded "tear out"
   - Relationship between: cutting angle, mouth opening, iron
sharpness, cutting iron support, and the material being cut
   - Winding sticks
   - Wooden planes (matched),some folks like the feel
   - Molding planes, a couple of things that you must know
   - Rabbit plane, router plane and their applications
   - Flattening/preparing a simulated table top for finish


HAND PLANE 401 Using Hand Planes to True Up Rough Cut Lumber. This day
long hands-on workshop will demonstrate hand plane usage that is
needed to develop a true face, true edges and show face. Each
participant will true up a piece of rough cut lumber. Instructor: Jim
Altemus, Limited to ten students, Location: CP Rochester Date: March
6th, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Cost: $25 ($20 if registered two weeks before
class).



Hands-on Wood Finishing. This is a three part hands-on workshop on
Saturday mornings that will demonstrate all the steps to successfully
finish your wood projects. We will cover: Preparations (sanding,
scraping, planing, fillers), Coloring (water and oil stains and dyes),
Top coats (Danish, tung and linseed oils, varnishes, brushable
lacquers and shellac), and the final steps of tinting, toners, and
rubbing out. This workshop will not cover spray finishing.
Instructor: Ken Turner, Location: CP Rochester, Dates: January 23, 30
and February 6th 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM, Cost: $40 ($35 if registered two
weeks before first class).

  Special Interest Groups: