David Marks Bentwood Lamination Class

[Jay Knoll]

Hi everyone

I had a chance to attend a class taught by David Marks at the Orlando Woodcraft store, on Bentwood lamination.

It was a great day, David is a generous teacher and an overall great guy, if your local Woodcraft store happens to offer this course, I would recommend it. Based on the day, I would go to any other courses David was offering.


Jay

[John Miliunas]

Lucky guy you are, Jay!!! I'd love to meet, much less take any class from David!!! Maybe one of these years....

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Congrats Jay! I'm envious!

[Mike Waddell]

Hi Jay -

Glad that you enjoyed yourself with David at the Woodcraft. I haven't had a chance to take a course at Woodcraft with David, but it seems like a very inexpensive way (comparitively) to spend some time with a true craftsman.

For you and others that haven't had a chance yet, taking a two - three day course with David at his shop in Santa Rosa is inexpensive compared to many of the other courses I have seen. In addition, David is one of the most down to earth guys you will ever want to meet and encourages open dialogue between everyone in the class.

Highly recommended!

Have a great weekend...

Mike

[Mark Rios]

David Marks is giving a class at the Dublin, Ca. Woodcraft store here in CA. sometime soon. But the class costs $120 or $150, something likethat. I wasn't aware that the classes were that expensive. Is that just because he's "David Marks"? The classes are , 1) Bandsaw Veneers, and 2) Router inlays.


EDIT: I just checked and I was wrong. The cost of the class is $90. Max class size of 25. I'm sure, from what you folks say, that the class will fill. That's $2250 for one day! Do they pay David Marks for giving the class or how does that work?

[Jim Becker]

Mark, the Woodcraft course are a bit less expensive than taking David's sessions at his shop up in Santa Rosa, but either way, it can be worth the time and money. He's a good teacher by reputation and enjoyable to be around. While I haven't personnally taken a course from him, I did have the opportunity to chat with him year-before-last at the AAW Symposium in Orlando. (He's also an excellent turner) That was a real treat.

[Jay Knoll]

It all depends on what you think you'll learn -- as David says, experience is what you have when you don't need it!

It was worth it to me to get to spend a day away from "ordinary life" and soak up some different knowledge. The class size was limited to 12 people, so there was ample time to learn from David personally and to ask questions. It was really eye opening to watch him "dial in" the bandsaw before we started cutting veeners. That alone was a huge lesson for me.

I didn't ask him about the economics of the relationship between Woodcraft and him. But lets face it, he should be paid for his time and the store deserves to make a profit on their space and the money invested in equipment. This was a working class, we just didn't watch him do his thing.

Sure, there is the allure of someone who is widely known, but if you look at his website, or some of the of the other places where his work is published and you quickly come to the conclusion that "the guy knows his stuff".

Would I pay the same for "joe blow" -- heck no! But considering that I went to a place that was well equipped, all the materials for the practice piece were provided, lunch was served (ok subs and soft drinks on a workbench) and all I had to bring was a bag full of clamps I think it was money well spent.

[Mark Rios]

Well, I hope that they pay him well. I'm sure that they make more than a few dollars in sales. Maybe even a new bandsaw or two. I've met the owner of the store in Dublin (this one's a franchise) and he and the rest of the staff are really, really nice and seem to try to go out of their way for the customer.

I'm not sure that I'll be veneering or doing router inlays anytime soon but the bandsaw experience would be valuable to me if there was much of it. And the mexican food place next door is out of this world; WITH a pastry shop inside.

Hmmmmmmm.....decisions, decisions...........

[Mark Singer]

I took his design class with Ryan and Sascha...it was well worth it....Ryan and I are bot design profesionals and felt that David really knows his stuff. The lecture was interesting and I was quite impressed with his projects and techniques....it was a valuable day....

[Barry O'Mahony]

Met David at a Woodworking show in Portland a couple of years ago. He was demostrating one of his patina techniques. We didn't know he was going to be there; something of a surprise to turn the corner and realize, "look, it's David Marks in the flesh!". Nice guy, made a point out of shaking my then-7-yrs.-old son's hand when he told him how much he enjoyed watching Woodworks on TV. One of these years I'd like to go to Santa Rosa and take a class.

On a somewhat related note, my wife happened to be in the room when I was watching the episode on the Drum Coffee Table I had recorded recently, and put in a request for two of them: one for us, one as a housewarming present for her brother. I ordered a copy of the plans from David's website, and looks like I need to go get some bubinga.

[tod evans]

i`m one of the folks who believes learn what you can from everybody you can. allthough i`ve never had the chance to study under a "pro" i`m certainly not adverse to the idea. several years ago i hired an architectual student from the local college to help out in the shop and it was a learning experience for both of us, to this day i still learn tricks from others such as folks on this forum and the welder nextdoor. so to me anyway knowledge is worth the cost.......02 tod

[Jay Knoll]

Mark

I mentioned SMC to David and he recalled that he had met you. Said you were a great guy, but we all know that! Oh well, doesn't hurt to repeat it!

I suggested that he join SMC, maybe a few others should hit his web site and ask him to wade it. I don't know how much time he spends online so we might not get a lot of participation but who knows?

Jay

[Mark Singer]

i`m one of the folks who believes learn what you can from everybody you can. allthough i`ve never had the chance to study under a "pro" i`m certainly not adverse to the idea. several years ago i hired an architectual student from the local college to help out in the shop and it was a learning experience for both of us, to this day i still learn tricks from others such as folks on this forum and the welder nextdoor. so to me anyway knowledge is worth the cost.......02 tod

Thats how you can continualy give "02tod" and never run out of pocket change

Seriously that is the way to really learn and how i have approached just about everything....its all there if you watch , listen and ask.

[Mark Singer]

Mark

I mentioned SMC to David and he recalled that he had met you. Said you were a great guy, but we all know that! Oh well, doesn't hurt to repeat it!

I suggested that he join SMC, maybe a few others should hit his web site and ask him to wade it. I don't know how much time he spends online so we might not get a lot of participation but who knows?

Jay

I think he does visit the site occasionaly ...he thanked me in an email for my kind words on a post I made....When I took his class at the Woodworking Show he said he was just getting into computers and was learning...that was about a year or so ago...what I really like about him is he takes what seems to be a difficult project and breks into simple steps so it is much more manageable by every woodworker....that comes with experience and he has plenty of that!

[Jim Becker]

David's son apparently does a lot of his Internet communications, based on some email I received awhile back. But I suspect he and many others do drop in at SMC and other forums, at least in the background.