Learning At Home

LEARNING AT HOME TO MAKE SHAKER OVAL BOXES

The Home Shop and Home Shop Books have resources for craftsmen who wish to learn at home. It does not take a full woodworking setup to make this historic craft of the Shaker Community. What is needed: information, supplies, and bench materials.

INFORMATION: Demonstration of the process is available. Our web site ShakerOvalBox.com gives you ARTICLES you can download for free. They include a variety of subjects John Wilson wrote for Popular Woodworking Magazine. To see John making oval boxes and trays you turn to the SPECIAL OFFER DVD ($32.75) from the Home Shop. It contains three items: the VIDEO shows the process, the CLASS BOOKLET the steps, and the PATTERN PACKET gives you 75 pages of drawings and text to support you in your journey as a craftsman.

John has also published three BOOKS important to your learning. Shaker Oval Boxes Vol I ($34.95) shows 75 examples of oval boxes, many of them made by the Shakers. Shaker Oval Boxes Vol II ($39.95) is the how-to source. Shaker Oval Boxes Vol III ($39.95) is the context of your craft – history, markets, and materials. All are postpaid and sent with invoice for your check after arrival. Call us 517-543-5325 or email ShakerOvalBox.com to place your order.

SUPPLIES: The business of the Home Shop is to provide all the supplies you will need to make oval boxes. Check out OUR CATALOG, both the 4-page standard and the 12-page expanded one on our web site. There you will find forms, bending stock, boards, tacks and pegs for putting them together. The 3 OVAL BOX KIT ($35.00) gives you bands, boards and tacks, plus foam-board cores and shapers to get started.

BENCH MATERIALS: Once you know what to do and have materials for boxes, there are several items needed for construction. Check out the GETTING STARTED SPECIAL on page 4 of the catalog. It gives you a $50 discount on the basic bench materials. First off is a hot water tray that sets on an electric hot plate you provide. While steam bending is an option, Shakers and a majority of craftsmen today use a simple and effective hot water tray. Then there are five sizes of oval boxes, tacks and pegs, forms and patterns, plus the DVD special offer all at a sizeable discount.

We want you to be successful starting out. Attending a class is one way to do this. See our SCHEDULE OF EVENTS for times and places. Learning from a sharing box maker neighbor is another. If doing your own learning at home is your option, we know the information, supplies and bench materials outlined in this bulletin will prove helpful.

John Wilson & Eric Pintar

The Home Shop & Home Shop Books