Nakashima Inspired Coffee Table Workshop

A modern natural-edged coffee table with a Japanese flavour!


Melbourne Guild of Fine Woodworking
Melbourne Guild of Fine Woodworking
53k
5.0 (4)

11 x 3 hours Class size 1 to 8 guests     $1,300

Melbourne
•
Craft
•
Woodworking
Presented for the very first time is this ‘Nakashima Inspired’ Coffee Table. For those who are unfamiliar with the ‘Nakashima’ name, here is a brief introduction:
George Nakashima was a first-generation Japanese/American, born in 1905, who after graduating from university as an architect, became an internationally renowned and incredibly influential furniture maker. He is considered to be within the US, one of the original Godfathers of the ‘Studio Furniture Movement’. His work still provides immense inspiration to up-and-coming furniture makers around the world.
Personally, I feel this is due to his innate ability to highlight in the simplest way the incredible natural beauty that exists in timber. You can see this clearly in so much of his work.
Four very simple principles are always at play:
  • Simplicity
  • Craftsmanship
  • Proportion
  • Material – i.e. the natural beauty of timber
Guided by these principles, we present to you our 11-week ‘Nakashima Inspired Coffee Table’ course. This course will start with an exciting opportunity to choose your slab from a large collection of salvaged timbers at The Guild. All of these timbers have been salvaged from in and around Melbourne. Several weeks will be spent preparing your tabletop. For example, removing bark from the natural edge, filling small cavities with clear epoxy, and perhaps securing a crack with a butterfly joint. Once the top has been prepared, you will start work on the walnut base, which involves some lathe work and some challenging but very manageable joinery associated with the back and front angled leg.
Your ‘Sensei’ – Mike Blood, like myself, has been immensely influenced by George Nakashima and his aesthetic over the years. Mike has decades of experience teaching furniture making and is incredibly patient. He is the perfect instructor to guide you through this exciting new project.
Mike is proud and excited to teach this timeless piece to a willing audience. We look forward to seeing you at this very special ‘Nakashima Inspired Coffee Table’ course!
Alastair Boell
Director – Melbourne Guild of Fine Woodworking
Knowledge required
Beginners welcome
 
What you'll get
Take home your beautiful Nakashima-inspired coffee table.
 
What to bring
Sketchpad for taking down notes.
*Tabletop will be an extra price (between $50 - $150) depending on what slab you choose. These slabs have come from salvaged trees from in and around Melbourne.
Session repeats

This class series runs over 11 consecutive sessions, at the same time every week.

Location

Melbourne Guild of Fine Woodworking - 14 Cottage Street, Blackburn VIC

10 minute walk from Blackburn Station

Nakashima Inspired Coffee Table Workshop location
More about this class

This class is new, and is covered by ClassBento's money-back guarantee.

Your teacher

Melbourne Guild of Fine Woodworking
Melbourne Guild of Fine Woodworking

53k
5.0 (4)

The Melbourne Guild of Fine Woodworking (The Guild) was founded by Alastair Boell in 2007. After graduating from the world-renowned North Bennet Street School, Boston, USA, Alastair felt that there was a great need in Australia for an educational facility that focuses on traditional skills.
The Guild is conveniently located in Blackburn and provides three different course formats:
  • Our open courses offer ongoing morning, afternoon and evening woodworking classes for students of any level to undertake a project of their own desire.
  • Our weekly project-based courses are geared towards beginners or anyone interested in a more structured class where everyone works on the same project once a week and where the start and finish dates are set.
  • Our intensive project-based courses are for those who would like to immerse themselves in a project and have it completed in the shortest possible time. These courses range from a one-day course to an eight-day course.
Our student-teacher ratios are very low which enables each student to get some one-on-one instruction time from our highly qualified instructors.
Our facilities include a fully equipped machine room, four classrooms with workbenches, numerous hand tools, hardware, finishing products and a variety of exotic salvaged timbers. We also offer onsite milling with our own mill and an in-house workshop milling service. For those interested in ‘Commission’ work, we have a gifted community of furniture designers/makers on the call.
The Guild is committed to preserving and advancing craft traditions in furniture making. We are also committed to promoting greater awareness and appreciation of craftsmanship. In our classes, we emphasise the skilful use of hand tools and power equipment and informed use of appropriate materials and proportions.
We are passionate about what we do and want to share information, ideas and skills with our extended woodworking community.
We promise to do our very best to provide you with endless opportunities in a stimulating and supportive community. We invite you to take your place at the Melbourne Guild of Fine Woodworking!

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V48I01Z33L 34c052b7f77f35dccea660a6ce51910d production Melbourne VIC AU melbourne