Boxmaking at Sturt Summer School

[Zoot]

After 4 years of trying to get into Roger Gifkins boxmaking course at the Sturt Summer School, I got a place in the course this January and would have to say that it blew me away!

I started life as a chippy so basically know my way around timber and tools and the like, but the precision that we learnt during the course was incredible. We all made 2 or 3 boxes using Roger's dovetail jig and the results were well received at home. I haven't taken any pictures yet, but will post them when done.

I know a number of other course participants are members of this forum, but I only know one moniker ... prolific poster, Zed.

Cheers,
Zoot

[Groggy]

Was that particular class featured in a magazine article recently?

[Zed]

c'mon then show us yer pics. I pity you meeting Zed; I understand he's an intolerable twit....:rolleyes: fantastic ww'er though....:rolleyes:

I understand that he had the hide to actually USE the machining facilities at Sturt during the course and upset a few people with the noise!! how dare he!!! doesn't he know that WWing machinary is for coveting and looking rather than using ????:mad:

[Zoot]

Now Zed, you're not being sensitive or something!

So that I don't make any noise at Sturt, I have now bought a jointer and a sander/linisher ... working up to a decent bandsaw!!

Cheers,
Zoot

[Zoot]

Groggy,

Not that I am aware of ... Zed did a Windsor stool making class ther in the 2005 Summer School and wrote an article for one of the magazines. He was threatening to write an article about our boxmaking class, but he is probably too busy changing nappies and posting to this forum!!

Cheers,
Zoot

[Groggy]

Groggy,

Not that I am aware of ... Zed did a Windsor stool making class ther in the 2005 Summer School and wrote an article for one of the magazines. He was threatening to write an article about our boxmaking class, but he is probably too busy changing nappies and posting to this forum!!

Cheers,
ZootThat's the article I was thinking of, I think it went into the Wood mag IIRC.

[Zed]

IIRC.

???????????????????????????????????????????????:confused:

[Groggy]

???????????????????????????????????????????????:confused:IIRC = If I Recall Correctly

[Carry Pine]

Here lies the rub ( as old people used to say). Do you enrol in one of those year long Sturt Woodwork courses and make stuff that nobody likes, take your chances (you have more chance of winning Lotto) of getting into the boxmaking summerschool and make boxes step by step that all look the same like the guy next to you or do the one- day router course that's being offered in capital cities by a guy who talks down to you like you know zilch? There must be something between reading magazines and making those annoying little mistakes in the workshop.

[RufflyRustic]

,...... make stuff that nobody likes, ......make boxes step by step that all look the same like the guy next to you ......


Carry Pine, I don't know what has happened to you to make you feel like this, or even if you are talking 'tongue in cheek'. So I'm going to take your comments above at face value. Please correct me if I've interpreted incorrectly.

I respectfully disagree and offer another point of consideration.

It's not that you are building 'whatever the same' as or 'what won't sell', it's all about learning, about method, procedure, improving your skills and abilities and being able to apply what you have to learned to building other projects, ones that you do like, that are different to everyone else's and and someone, somewhere will like, including you.

Please someone correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't any school about learning, and the sometimes vain hope that you'll apply what you've learnt to your life?:confused:

cheers
RufflyRustic

[AlexS]

Here lies the rub ( as old people used to say). Do you enrol in one of those year long Sturt Woodwork courses and make stuff that nobody likes.
Yep, it's amazing how people can learn to make stuff that no one likes, and then keep making it and selling it. Those customers must just keep buying stuff they don't like.:rolleyes:

Glad you enjoyed the course, Zoot, sorry you would have had to put up with monkeyman though.:D

[bennylaird]

Did Zed refrain from throwing poo?

Back on track, sort of, any Gifkins courses going on down here in Vic. I am just doing the same old thing, draws, with mine but would like to make something fancy with some crepe mytle I just picked up. Was going to do a faily stright forward jewelry box.

[Ivan in Oz]

Here lies the rub
< SNIP >
and make boxes step by step that all look the same like the guy next to you.
Does it REALLY matter when you are hours or Hundreds of Miles away from each other?:confused:

Anyway, any nice box looks good to me ATM ;) :D
My skills have taken a large DIP:( :eek:

[Zoot]

Here lies the rub ( as old people used to say). Do you enrol in one of those year long Sturt Woodwork courses and make stuff that nobody likes, take your chances (you have more chance of winning Lotto) of getting into the boxmaking summerschool and make boxes step by step that all look the same like the guy next to you or do the one- day router course that's being offered in capital cities by a guy who talks down to you like you know zilch? There must be something between reading magazines and making those annoying little mistakes in the workshop.

I have been working with timber most of my life ... carpentry apprentice of the year in about 1964!!! Not bad for a 40 year old!! The thing that blew me away during the Boxmaking course was the accuracy that we all had to learn (and I mean learn) and yes we all made similar boxes, but they were selected by Roger Gifkins so that we learnt new skills with each box and the techniques can be adapted to boxes of your own design.

I would like to be able to do a full year course, but we have cows to grow on the farm so it is out of the question and I don't think you could replicate what we learnt in 6 days at a one day router course. My suggestion to you would be to register your interest in the Boxmaking course with the people at Sturt Gallery ... there's a chance that you would get in faster than my 4 years!!

Cheers,
Zoot

[Zoot]

Did Zed refrain from throwing poo?

Back on track, sort of, any Gifkins courses going on down here in Vic. I am just doing the same old thing, draws, with mine but would like to make something fancy with some crepe mytle I just picked up. Was going to do a faily stright forward jewelry box.

I would have to say that Zed added some colour to the course ... he is what you call a go go person and wanted to finish 3 boxes on the first day!

As far as Gifkins courses are concerned, check on his website ... www.gifkins.com.au ... he has a new model of his jig due to be released shortly with an aluminium extrusion in the middle rather than laminated MDF.

I demo'd my jig to a friend who has just retired as a manual arts teacher and he was gobsmacked at how easy it was and he thinks it would be much better than trying to teach kids how to use a traditional dovetailing jig.

Cheers,
Zoot Esq.

[Carry Pine]

Sorry if I sounded a bit negative Zoot. Will just need to get over the personal thing about teachers' idiosyncracies. The courses that I've done at Sturt have all been beneficial in the long run... and the great thing is that you learn so much from the other students. Have you ever been to the Orange Club in the Southern Highlands?