Eastern Massachusetts Guild of Woodworkers upcoming events

Open Board Meeting: September (September 09, 2026)

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 23:00:00 GMT

September Open EMGW Board Meeting

Throughout the year, our board will discuss group priorities, upcoming events, and other group logistics in an open forum. These meetings will be open to any interested members and the zoom link will be provided just prior to each call.

Cape Cod Group: Workshop Noise and Hearing Protection (September 18, 2026)

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT

The September 18, 2026 meeting at 10:00AM will be a session at Walt Henry's shop at 464 Bay Lane, Centerville, MA 02632. The topic is an open discussion on Workshop noise and hearing protection. Consider binging a folding chair. You can obtain more info from Walt Henry walthenry00@gmail.com.

Harvesting Timber and onsite Sawmilling (September 19, 2026)

Sat, 19 Sep 2026 13:00:00 GMT

David Gillerin will demonstrate how he harvests timbers on his property and mills them with his on-site Sawmill.

Agenda:

- coffee, tea and pastries/donuts that I will provide with brief discussion highlighting the history of the farm

- walk along the main trail showing trees in what the forresters describe as a second growth forest (if desired)

- demonstration of the running mill showing how I load logs and mill for flat sawn, rift and quartersawn faces

Carving Green Oak (October 10, 2026)

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Peter Follansbee is a renowned American traditional woodworker whose career spans over four decades, focusing on 17th-century oak furniture from England and New England. He lives in Kingston, Massachusetts, in an early 19th-century house, and operates a small, unplugged workshop that reflects his hands-on approach. He has been writing a blog since 2008. It is about a few things; his specialty in reproductions of 17th-century oak furniture, the use of hand woodworking tools, carving wooden spoons & bowls – and other pursuits involving hardwoods “riven” or split from a log. He first began learning these techniques in 1978 when he began a career as a historic carpenter at Williamsburg and Plymouth Plantation.

Peter will share his techniques in hand riving, planning and shaping green oak, a wood he has mastered in 50 years of practice. Join us at Artisan’s Asylum in Alston to watch a master at work.

Early Life and Training

Follansbee’s woodworking journey began in 1980 when he attended John (Jennie) Alexander’s second chairmaking course at Drew Langsner’s Country Workshops in Marshall, North Carolina North House Folk School. He continued studying there in the 1980s and 1990s, learning techniques such as Windsor chairmaking, timber framing, basketry, coopering, and spoon-and-bowl carving He also worked with Jennie Alexander, Curtis Buchanan, and Jogge Sundqvist, becoming her student, research partner, and friend

Career Focus

From the mid-1980s onward, Follansbee dedicated himself to 17th-century joinery, inspired by both English and New England traditions. His work includes carved oak furniture, chests, chairs, boxes, and cupboards, using traditional methods such as drawbored mortise-and-tenon joints, frame-and-panel construction, and hand tools like planes, chisels, gauges, awls, and mortise boring tools He often works from riven green oak logs, splitting and planing the wood himself.

Work at Plimoth Plantation

From 1994 to 2014, Follansbee served as the joiner at Plimoth Plantation, a living history museum depicting early 17th-century life in Plymouth. There, he produced period-style furniture using riven green oak and period hand tools

Publications and Teaching

Follansbee has authored and co-authored several books, including Make a Joint Stool from a Tree: An Introduction to 17th-Century Joinery (with Jennie Alexander) and Joiner’s Work (2019). He has written articles for American Furniture and Popular Woodworking, and is a sought-after instructor, teaching workshops in the U.S., the U.K., Sweden, and Australia

Legacy

His work is held in collections such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Chipstone Foundation’s Milwaukee Art Museum Follansbee is celebrated for preserving and teaching traditional woodworking skills, emphasizing craftsmanship, historical accuracy, and the use of hand tools over modern machinery

Angled Joinery for Traditional Chair Construction by Matt Wajda (November 14, 2026)

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Matt Wajda is a a 2001 graduate of the Cabinet & Furniture Making program at North Bennet Street School, and for many years taught as a part time instructor there both in the full time and continuing education programs. He joined the full-time furniture making program faculty in 2017. He founded River City Woodworking in 2000, which produces high-end furnishings and millwork for residential and commercial clients, is a long-time member of the Guild of New Hampshire Woodworkers, and a contributor to Fine Woodworking Magazine's video series.

Matt has been a favorite presenter to our group for the past eight years and we welcome him back again. He had previously presented to us about constructing and veneering a coopered door, the technique of bricking a table apron, and creating rule joints and finger joints. This time, Matt will be continuing his series on chair making (October 2020 - "Construction of a Side Chair" and September 2025 - "Shaping Curved Parts for Traditional Chairs") with a discussion and demonstration of the complex joinery that makes chair making difficult - the varieties of angled mortise and tenon joints. Based on past presentations, Matt is always willing to talk about any aspect of traditional furniture building.

Lowell Makes is located at 130 Western Ave, Lowell, MA 01851. Bring a chair and $2 for coffee if you want. Following the presentation, an informal group will gather to find lunch and conversation together.

Open Board Meeting: December (December 02, 2026)

Thu, 03 Dec 2026 00:00:00 GMT

December Open EMGW Board Meeting

Open Board Meeting: March (March 03, 2027)

Thu, 04 Mar 2027 00:00:00 GMT

March Open EMGW Board Meeting

Traditional Woodcarving with Dan Faia (March 13, 2027)

Sat, 13 Mar 2027 14:00:00 GMT

Dan will share an overview of the various types of traditional woodcarving - from incised carving to carving in the round. The presentation will include tools, equipment, work samples, and a relief carving demonstration.

Dan Faia has been a professional woodcarver & furnituremaker since 1994. In addition to his commission work, Dan teaches extensively. He currently operates a studio and small group workshop program in Sanbornville, NH. Dan’s portfolio ranges from furniture to architectural elements and woodcarvings. He has published numerous articles in a variety of periodicals, and has participated in presentations or exhibits for organizations such as Colonial Williamsburg, Concord Museum, MFA-Boston, and Old State House-Boston. Dan is a SAPFM Cartouche Award recipient and a juried member of the League of NH Craftsmen.

To learn more about Dan, view a gallery of his work, and browse his current workshop schedule, please visit http://www.danielfaia.com/

Open Board Meeting: June (June 02, 2027)

Wed, 02 Jun 2027 23:00:00 GMT

June Open EMGW Board Meeting