Woodworking in America
Join us for an exclusive event where passionate woodworkers of every skill level come together, forging connections with like-minded enthusiasts, premier tool and product manufacturers, and experience immersive learning sessions.
Gary Rogowski started woodworking in 1974 with a radial-arm saw and his dad’s old hand planes. He now runs his own woodworking school The Northwest Woodworking Studio in Portland, Oregon and has produced numerous articles and videos for Fine Woodworking, including The Complete Illustrated Guide to Joinery. Gary’s school opened in 1997 and he holds year-round classes for novice to mastery level students.
Gary Rogowski started woodworking in 1974 with a radial-arm saw and his dad’s old hand planes. He now runs his own woodworking school The Northwest Woodworking Studio in Portland, Oregon and has produced numerous articles and videos for Fine Woodworking, including The Complete Illustrated Guide to Joinery. Gary’s school opened in 1997 and he holds year-round classes for novice to mastery level students.
Alexis grew up in a family of builders and artists. While designing and building her own house and working alongside her dad, a long time woodworker, she embarked on a career of building fine furniture. She apprenticed with many talented and successful woodworkers before starting her business in Bozeman in 2019. Alexis builds custom fine furniture and teaches classes at Montana State University and the Port Townsend School of Woodworking as well as at her own shop. Alexis is a founding member and the president of the Bozeman Woodworking Guild created to help develop the local woodworking community and encourage and support local craftsmen focusing on novice woodworkers.
Alexis grew up in a family of builders and artists. While designing and building her own house and working alongside her dad, a long time woodworker, she embarked on a career of building fine furniture. She apprenticed with many talented and successful woodworkers before starting her business in Bozeman in 2019. Alexis builds custom fine furniture and teaches classes at Montana State University and the Port Townsend School of Woodworking as well as at her own shop. Alexis is a founding member and the president of the Bozeman Woodworking Guild created to help develop the local woodworking community and encourage and support local craftsmen focusing on novice woodworkers.
As a maker Shea is passionate about keeping Appalachian heritage alive through the trades and arts.
Shea spends his days helping clients pick out lumber, sanding custom furniture orders, sipping scotch with a book, or watching his daughter play with her cat. His active social media presence and involvement in his local community are ways he welcomes all people to know and experience beauty in their everyday lives.
As a maker Shea is passionate about keeping Appalachian heritage alive through the trades and arts.
Shea spends his days helping clients pick out lumber, sanding custom furniture orders, sipping scotch with a book, or watching his daughter play with her cat. His active social media presence and involvement in his local community are ways he welcomes all people to know and experience beauty in their everyday lives.
Woodworking in America 2025 Schedule
More details coming soon!
- Thursday, Oct. 9
- Friday, Oct. 10
- Saturday, Oct. 11
- Woodsmith Shop & Studio
From 3 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 9, you’ll have the chance to attend an open house tour of the shop and studios for Woodsmith, ShopNotes, and the Woodsmith ShopTV show. Meet the staff and get a behind-the-scenes look at upcoming projects and issues.
Location: 2143 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312
- 4-H Exhibits Building, Iowa State Fairgrounds
- Classroom A
- Classroom B
- Classroom C
- Classroom D
- Vendor Education Stage
More details coming soon.
The class will cover the five steps for successful gluing. From dry assembly to waiting for the glue to dry. Wood glues can affect the wood as it is being assembled and being prepared in advance will eliminate costly joint failures and frustrating disassembly. The discussion will focus on the steps needed to use wood glues with ease, what to watch out for when the glue hits the wood and why failures occur. We will also cover some frequently asked questions and why there are so many different wood glues. Bring your gluing questions as this is a discussion, not just a presentation.
The lathe is a wonderful tool with many uses in a shop. its ability to control motor speed makes it great for, sharpening, honing, sanding and shaping. This demo shows some of the tricks and techniques I have used in my 40-year career as a production woodturner. Stance, technique, sharpening, and strategies for executing are some of the topics that will be covered. I will cover how to easily make cylinders, tapers, reproduce shapes, and creating perfect tenons every time. Join me for a clear concise fast-paced demo on why the lathe is one of the most important tools in your shop.
Wood movement is one of the most tricky things to navigate when building fine furniture. Join Alexis Dolese, who will talk and demonstrate how to process wood safely and efficiently while accounting for wood movement. She will also demonstrate skills for gluing up slabs, attaching tops with wood movement in mind, and working with curved parts to keep things as stable as possible. So you can build projects with confidence.
Japanese planes are often surrounded by an air of mystery, which is unfortunate, because understanding Japanese planes is surprisingly straightforward. This talk will cover how Japanese planes work, an overview of how to set up a Japanese plane, how they are used in real life, and the surprising similarities they have with western planes. And even if you don’t use Japanese planes, there will be good tips on using hand planes in general, including an easy approach to manage tearout, and how to use a chipbreaker.
More details coming soon.
More details coming soon.
The purpose of this one-day block of instruction is to introduce students to saw selection, use and maintenance through proven traditional sawyering techniques that have endured throughout the centuries, back when communication moved at the speed of a horse or a sail. Much of the information below has been forgotten when generations of woodworkers following the WWII era gravitated toward power tools. This one-day class will empower the student to know how to select and use handsaws, exercise proper form when sawing, and how to maintain/clean these saws.
More details coming soon.
In this presentation, Dave Richards shares his step-by-step process for using SketchUp to develop furniture designs—from initial concept through to a detailed 3D model and fully dimensioned shop drawings using LayOut. Ideal for woodworkers looking to streamline their workflow, this session offers practical insights into turning ideas into build-ready plans with precision and efficiency.
Dave Richards is a seasoned SketchUp expert with 22 years of experience and over 15 years as a dedicated SketchUp trainer. He specializes in teaching woodworkers how to effectively use SketchUp and LayOut to elevate their craft. Dave has contributed to Fine Woodworking Magazine, creating project plans, video courses, an ebook, and blog posts focused on applying SketchUp for woodworking. In addition to his teaching work, he offers freelance furniture design and produces detailed shop drawings for professional woodworkers, helping them bring their designs to life with precision and efficiency.
More details coming soon.
If there had been a Critter Cam on the front door of my new small shop when I moved in, oh what a tale it would tell. I had moved from a 10,000 sq. ft. shop into a 600 foot one. [I am not good at math.] This shop is my fifth ‘final’ one. Setting up each has been a joy and a job that never seems finished.
The Setting Up Shop lecture is my take on the important things for a furniture-making space. See the caveat right there means I can leave out a table saw, although I have one. This talk will free you up to think about your own space in a new light.
What are the shop monuments that should be set and left in place? What are the things you can tear down and put away? How do you lay out a new shop if you’re not sure what you’ll build? And how do you dig yourself out from the tiny paths all your tools and wood and jigs and forms have created for you now?
I will discuss Shop Flow, Concepts of Woodworking, Hand Tools & Machines, and Strategies for Building. This chat will offer you a template for laying out a new shop or managing one that is impossible now to move through.
More details coming soon.
Wood movement is one of the most tricky things to navigate when building fine furniture. Join Alexis Dolese, who will talk and demonstrate how to process wood safely and efficiently while accounting for wood movement. She will also demonstrate skills for gluing up slabs, attaching tops with wood movement in mind, and working with curved parts to keep things as stable as possible. So you can build projects with confidence.
The purpose of this one-day block of instruction is to introduce students to saw selection, use and maintenance through proven traditional sawyering techniques that have endured throughout the centuries, back when communication moved at the speed of a horse or a sail. Much of the information below has been forgotten when generations of woodworkers following the WWII era gravitated toward power tools. This one-day class will empower the student to know how to select and use handsaws, exercise proper form when sawing, and how to maintain/clean these saws.
In this presentation, Dave Richards shares his step-by-step process for using SketchUp to develop furniture designs—from initial concept through to a detailed 3D model and fully dimensioned shop drawings using LayOut. Ideal for woodworkers looking to streamline their workflow, this session offers practical insights into turning ideas into build-ready plans with precision and efficiency.
Dave Richards is a seasoned SketchUp expert with 22 years of experience and over 15 years as a dedicated SketchUp trainer. He specializes in teaching woodworkers how to effectively use SketchUp and LayOut to elevate their craft. Dave has contributed to Fine Woodworking Magazine, creating project plans, video courses, an ebook, and blog posts focused on applying SketchUp for woodworking. In addition to his teaching work, he offers freelance furniture design and produces detailed shop drawings for professional woodworkers, helping them bring their designs to life with precision and efficiency.
More details coming soon.
More details coming soon.
Japanese planes are often surrounded by an air of mystery, which is unfortunate, because understanding Japanese planes is surprisingly straightforward. This talk will cover how Japanese planes work, an overview of how to set up a Japanese plane, how they are used in real life, and the surprising similarities they have with western planes. And even if you don’t use Japanese planes, there will be good tips on using hand planes in general, including an easy approach to manage tearout, and how to use a chipbreaker.
More details coming soon.
The class will cover the five steps for successful gluing. From dry assembly to waiting for the glue to dry. Wood glues can affect the wood as it is being assembled and being prepared in advance will eliminate costly joint failures and frustrating disassembly. The discussion will focus on the steps needed to use wood glues with ease, what to watch out for when the glue hits the wood and why failures occur. We will also cover some frequently asked questions and why there are so many different wood glues. Bring your gluing questions as this is a discussion, not just a presentation.
More details coming soon.
More details coming soon.
The lathe is a wonderful tool with many uses in a shop. its ability to control motor speed makes it great for, sharpening, honing, sanding and shaping. This demo shows some of the tricks and techniques I have used in my 40-year career as a production woodturner. Stance, technique, sharpening, and strategies for executing are some of the topics that will be covered. I will cover how to easily make cylinders, tapers, reproduce shapes, and creating perfect tenons every time. Join me for a clear concise fast-paced demo on why the lathe is one of the most important tools in your shop.
More details coming soon.
If there had been a Critter Cam on the front door of my new small shop when I moved in, oh what a tale it would tell. I had moved from a 10,000 sq. ft. shop into a 600 foot one. [I am not good at math.] This shop is my fifth ‘final’ one. Setting up each has been a joy and a job that never seems finished.
The Setting Up Shop lecture is my take on the important things for a furniture-making space. See the caveat right there means I can leave out a table saw, although I have one. This talk will free you up to think about your own space in a new light.
What are the shop monuments that should be set and left in place? What are the things you can tear down and put away? How do you lay out a new shop if you’re not sure what you’ll build? And how do you dig yourself out from the tiny paths all your tools and wood and jigs and forms have created for you now?
I will discuss Shop Flow, Concepts of Woodworking, Hand Tools & Machines, and Strategies for Building. This chat will offer you a template for laying out a new shop or managing one that is impossible now to move through.
- 4-H Exhibits Building, Iowa State Fairgrounds
- Classroom A
- Classroom B
- Classroom C
- Classroom D
- Vendor Education Stage
More details coming soon.
More details coming soon.
The purpose of this one-day block of instruction is to introduce students to saw selection, use and maintenance through proven traditional sawyering techniques that have endured throughout the centuries, back when communication moved at the speed of a horse or a sail. Much of the information below has been forgotten when generations of woodworkers following the WWII era gravitated toward power tools. This one-day class will empower the student to know how to select and use handsaws, exercise proper form when sawing, and how to maintain/clean these saws.
More details coming soon.
If there had been a Critter Cam on the front door of my new small shop when I moved in, oh what a tale it would tell. I had moved from a 10,000 sq. ft. shop into a 600 foot one. [I am not good at math.] This shop is my fifth ‘final’ one. Setting up each has been a joy and a job that never seems finished.
The Setting Up Shop lecture is my take on the important things for a furniture-making space. See the caveat right there means I can leave out a table saw, although I have one. This talk will free you up to think about your own space in a new light.
What are the shop monuments that should be set and left in place? What are the things you can tear down and put away? How do you lay out a new shop if you’re not sure what you’ll build? And how do you dig yourself out from the tiny paths all your tools and wood and jigs and forms have created for you now?
I will discuss Shop Flow, Concepts of Woodworking, Hand Tools & Machines, and Strategies for Building. This chat will offer you a template for laying out a new shop or managing one that is impossible now to move through.
In this presentation, Dave Richards shares his step-by-step process for using SketchUp to develop furniture designs—from initial concept through to a detailed 3D model and fully dimensioned shop drawings using LayOut. Ideal for woodworkers looking to streamline their workflow, this session offers practical insights into turning ideas into build-ready plans with precision and efficiency.
Dave Richards is a seasoned SketchUp expert with 22 years of experience and over 15 years as a dedicated SketchUp trainer. He specializes in teaching woodworkers how to effectively use SketchUp and LayOut to elevate their craft. Dave has contributed to Fine Woodworking Magazine, creating project plans, video courses, an ebook, and blog posts focused on applying SketchUp for woodworking. In addition to his teaching work, he offers freelance furniture design and produces detailed shop drawings for professional woodworkers, helping them bring their designs to life with precision and efficiency.
More details coming soon.
Details coming soon.
Wood movement is one of the most tricky things to navigate when building fine furniture. Join Alexis Dolese, who will talk and demonstrate how to process wood safely and efficiently while accounting for wood movement. She will also demonstrate skills for gluing up slabs, attaching tops with wood movement in mind, and working with curved parts to keep things as stable as possible. So you can build projects with confidence.
Japanese planes are often surrounded by an air of mystery, which is unfortunate, because understanding Japanese planes is surprisingly straightforward. This talk will cover how Japanese planes work, an overview of how to set up a Japanese plane, how they are used in real life, and the surprising similarities they have with western planes. And even if you don’t use Japanese planes, there will be good tips on using hand planes in general, including an easy approach to manage tear-out, and how to use a chipbreaker.
The class will cover the five steps for successful gluing. From dry assembly to waiting for the glue to dry. Wood glues can affect the wood as it is being assembled and being prepared in advance will eliminate costly joint failures and frustrating disassembly. The discussion will focus on the steps needed to use wood glues with ease, what to watch out for when the glue hits the wood and why failures occur. We will also cover some frequently asked questions and why there are so many different wood glues. Bring your gluing questions as this is a discussion, not just a presentation.
The lathe is a wonderful tool with many uses in a shop. its ability to control motor speed makes it great for, sharpening, honing, sanding and shaping. This demo shows some of the tricks and techniques I have used in my 40-year career as a production woodturner. Stance, technique, sharpening, and strategies for executing are some of the topics that will be covered. I will cover how to easily make cylinders, tapers, reproduce shapes, and creating perfect tenons every time. Join me for a clear concise fast-paced demo on why the lathe is one of the most important tools in your shop.
We’ll be hosting a live recording of Fine Woodworking’s podcast, Shop Talk Live, with audience Q&A.
More details coming soon.
The purpose of this one-day block of instruction is to introduce students to saw selection, use and maintenance through proven traditional sawyering techniques that have endured throughout the centuries, back when communication moved at the speed of a horse or a sail. Much of the information below has been forgotten when generations of woodworkers following the WWII era gravitated toward power tools. This one-day class will empower the student to know how to select and use handsaws, exercise proper form when sawing, and how to maintain/clean these saws.
In this presentation, Dave Richards shares his step-by-step process for using SketchUp to develop furniture designs—from initial concept through to a detailed 3D model and fully dimensioned shop drawings using LayOut. Ideal for woodworkers looking to streamline their workflow, this session offers practical insights into turning ideas into build-ready plans with precision and efficiency.
Dave Richards is a seasoned SketchUp expert with 22 years of experience and over 15 years as a dedicated SketchUp trainer. He specializes in teaching woodworkers how to effectively use SketchUp and LayOut to elevate their craft. Dave has contributed to Fine Woodworking Magazine, creating project plans, video courses, an ebook, and blog posts focused on applying SketchUp for woodworking. In addition to his teaching work, he offers freelance furniture design and produces detailed shop drawings for professional woodworkers, helping them bring their designs to life with precision and efficiency.
Japanese planes are often surrounded by an air of mystery, which is unfortunate, because understanding Japanese planes is surprisingly straightforward. This talk will cover how Japanese planes work, an overview of how to set up a Japanese plane, how they are used in real life, and the surprising similarities they have with western planes. And even if you don’t use Japanese planes, there will be good tips on using hand planes in general, including an easy approach to manage tear-out, and how to use a chipbreaker.
More details coming soon.
The class will cover the five steps for successful gluing. From dry assembly to waiting for the glue to dry. Wood glues can affect the wood as it is being assembled and being prepared in advance will eliminate costly joint failures and frustrating disassembly. The discussion will focus on the steps needed to use wood glues with ease, what to watch out for when the glue hits the wood and why failures occur. We will also cover some frequently asked questions and why there are so many different wood glues. Bring your gluing questions as this is a discussion, not just a presentation.
More details coming soon.
More details coming soon.
Details coming soon.
The lathe is a wonderful tool with many uses in a shop. its ability to control motor speed makes it great for, sharpening, honing, sanding and shaping. This demo shows some of the tricks and techniques I have used in my 40-year career as a production woodturner. Stance, technique, sharpening, and strategies for executing are some of the topics that will be covered. I will cover how to easily make cylinders, tapers, reproduce shapes, and creating perfect tenons every time. Join me for a clear concise fast-paced demo on why the lathe is one of the most important tools in your shop.
If there had been a Critter Cam on the front door of my new small shop when I moved in, oh what a tale it would tell. I had moved from a 10,000 sq. ft. shop into a 600 foot one. [I am not good at math.] This shop is my fifth ‘final’ one. Setting up each has been a joy and a job that never seems finished.
The Setting Up Shop lecture is my take on the important things for a furniture-making space. See the caveat right there means I can leave out a table saw, although I have one. This talk will free you up to think about your own space in a new light.
What are the shop monuments that should be set and left in place? What are the things you can tear down and put away? How do you lay out a new shop if you’re not sure what you’ll build? And how do you dig yourself out from the tiny paths all your tools and wood and jigs and forms have created for you now?
I will discuss Shop Flow, Concepts of Woodworking, Hand Tools & Machines, and Strategies for Building. This chat will offer you a template for laying out a new shop or managing one that is impossible now to move through.
Wood movement is one of the most tricky things to navigate when building fine furniture. Join Alexis Dolese, who will talk and demonstrate how to process wood safely and efficiently while accounting for wood movement. She will also demonstrate skills for gluing up slabs, attaching tops with wood movement in mind, and working with curved parts to keep things as stable as possible. So you can build projects with confidence.
