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The Association of Woodworking & Furniture Suppliers will offer several skill courses on handcrafted furniture as part of the educational program for AWFS Fair 2011.
Jeff Miller of J. Miller Handcrafted Furniture in Chicago will offer two sessions. A half-day session, "Designing and Building Chairs," will offer insight into chair construction and joinery for those who may be intimidated by the challenges that chairs pose. In "Mastering Furniture Design Fundamentals," Miller will explore each phase and process involved in design, from seed idea to finished piece.
Phil Lowe, founder of the Furniture Institute of Massachusetts, will present sessions on advanced joinery and ornamental inlay. The joinery class will demonstrate complex techniques such as slot dovetails, angled dovetails for drawer construction that is not square, angle tenons used in chair construction, and mortise and tenons for curved parts. The inlay class will show how to embellish furniture with various Federal furniture techniques such as stringing, banding, bellflowers and fans, as well as demonstrating simple tools designed for inlay stringing and a process known as sand-shading.
A course called "CAD/CNC for the Custom Furniture Maker" will be taught by Leland Thomasett of Taghkanic Woodworking in New York, which will explore using CAD/CAM software to design furniture, create fixtures and cut parts. A session on "Photographing your Furniture Like a Pro" will share tips on how to take a great finished shot, including information on composition, background, lighting, and how to utilize a personal digital camera for great shots.
The Furniture Society will hold its annual conference in conjunction with the 2011 AWFS Fair, providing on-site activities for attendees at the group's AWFS booth. The 2011 College of Woodworking Knowledge will offer seminars in eight different tracks from more than 50 industry experts who will deliver the presentations. AWFS Fair 2011 will take place July 20-23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.