Preparing for Presentations

After two years of mostly inactivity teaching-wise I’ve got several now on the calendar, all more or less in the vicinity.  Over the next couple weeks I will be diligently preparing for my presentation at the SAPFM Mid-Year in Fredericksburg VA, on the topic “The colonial craftsman’s finishing kit,” with a special emphasis on locally available materials.  If you are there you can come and see it, if not, not.

For this presentation I am creating a set of sample boards to reflect the information I am presenting.

No sooner do I return home from that than I will be assembling all the materials for the three-day Historic Woodfinishing Workshop near Charottesville VA.  I’ve done this workshop several times and have settled on a well-defined syllabus to leave the students with greater confidence in the finishing process.

Over Labor Day weekend my friend Tim, for whom I built the ginormous workbench a couple years ago, will be hosting an 18th century craft shindig at his place just a few miles form here.  He has asked me to demonstrate historic wood finishing and tordonshell work.  Ought to be a boatload of fun.

It’s the best of all worlds in a way.  I get to teach and interact with talented people in a range of skilled trades without having to even travel!