Workshops

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April 15-16, 2023

Saturday-Sunday

Fee: $425.00

In this 2-day workshop, students will create a decorative candle box with angled dovetails. The project is designed to enhance hand skills and understanding of angled joinery. Topics and discussions will include: cutting both simple angled and compound angled dovetails; fitting and pinning the box bottom; and cutting and shaping the decorative scrolled back. 

Project completion may vary by student

Wood selection may vary 

App. Dimensions: 12” L x 6” W x 8 ½” H 

May 6-7, 2023

Saturday-Sunday

Fee: $425.00

*This workshop is currently full*

The elegant carved rim of the well-known stately pie crust tables captures the eyes and hearts of collectors and furniture makers. In this 2-day workshop, students will learn the process to carve the pie crust edge as they create a small circular tray. Topics and discussions will include: layout and design; patterns; securing and holding the work while carving; and shaping and detail techniques. 

Project completion may vary by student

Wood selection may vary 

App. Diameter: 8-10” 

Workshop model is in progress

May 18-20, 2023

Thursday-Saturday

Fee: $795.00

*Updated Schedule*

The tripod table was a popular and common form during the 18th and 19th Centuries. As the design aesthetic changed, the construction techniques stayed true even through today. In this 3-day workshop, students will create a Federal-inspired candle stand. Students may choose the shape of the top from the provided patterns (oval, round, square, rectangle, or similar variation). Topics and discussions will include: sliding dovetailed joints; sawing, fairing, and shaping legs; making and fitting a batten; sawing, fairing, and shaping the top; and construction and design variations. 

Project completion may vary by student

Wood selection may vary 

Turned column will be provided

 (unless pre-arranged for student to provide own column in advance) 

App. Size: 28 ½” H

Workshop model is in progress

Registration is limited to four students 

June 8-11, 2023

Thursday-Sunday

Fee: $795.00

*This workshop is currently full*

This 4-day workshop offers a strong foundation in the essential skills necessary for woodcarving. Students will take a deep dive into many of the techniques and processes in the art of decorative woodcarving. Students will carve traditional designs and complete exercises such as incised carving, carved moldings, relief carving, and applique carvings. These projects were developed to build knowledge, confidence, and good work habits for successful woodcarving. Topics and discussions will include: properties of wood technology; tool selection; care and sharpening of carving tools; proper stance and technique; and design and layout of woodcarving styles.

June 22-25, 2023

Thursday-Sunday

Fee: $895.00

This 4-day workshop is designed to build a strong foundation in the essential skills for furniture making. Hand tool woodworking is a satisfying craft that can easily be integrated into a machine efficient shop. Students will develop skills and knowledge as they chisel, plane, and shave through the projects and exercises. Topics and discussions will include: tuning and sharpening the basic tools of the cabinetmaker; wood technology; stock preparation and reference surfaces; layout and cutting of traditional joinery; and construction design for furniture. 

July 10-15, 2023

Monday-Saturday

Fee: $1795.00

Chair making has always invoked a sense of allure and mystery to many furnituremakers. Traditional chair designs are as functional and well-built as they are beautiful. In this 6-day workshop, students will create a Queen Anne-inspired side chair with its distinctive spoon-shaped splat, elegant posts, trapezoidal seat, and cabriole legs. Topics and discussions will include: creating and fitting curved elements; complex mortise and tenon joinery; decorative molding work; sawing, fairing, and shaping chair posts and cabriole legs with slipper feet; fitting, fairing, and shaping transition blocks; and construction and design variations. 

Project completion may vary by student

Wood selection may vary 

Upholstery supplies/instruction: not included

Workshop model is in progress

Registration is limited to four students

July 28-30, 2023

Friday-Sunday

Fee: $895.00

During the Chippendale Period in America, blockfront and serpentine-front chests, desks, bureaus, and many other forms of furniture were considered the pinnacle of design and style. This 3-day workshop was inspired by a rare Chippendale dressing box, circa 1760-1780, from the Christie’s New York Auction House. The overall design is an ideal project to learn the methods and processes for serpentine and blocked furniture. The rectangular case has ogee bracket feet and a serpentine molded front edge with a single serpentine/blocked drawer. Topics and discussions will include: project layout and procedure; cutting joinery; layout of case and drawer blocking; cutting, shaping, and fairing drawer and case; building and fitting a drawer; small bracket feet; and construction and design variations. 

Project completion may vary by student

Wood selection may vary 

Hardware: not included

App. Dimensions: 4 ¾” H x 16 ½” W x 8 ¾” D

Image: Christie’s Auction House, Oct 1984

Workshop model is in progress

Registration is limited to four students

August 4-6, 2023

Friday-Sunday

Fee: $695.00

This 3-day workshop is designed to tackle the more complex joinery of traditional furniture making. Students will learn practical strategies for layout and execution of housed tapered dovetails, tenons with angled shoulders, simple angled tenons, compound angled tenons, simple angled dovetails, and compound angled dovetails. Some brief review of the foundational skills will be covered as students explore the new challenges. Sharp tools and basic joinery knowledge are a must.

August 18-20, 2023

Friday-Sunday

Fee: $895.00

In this 3-day workshop, students will create a Chippendale side table that is inspired by an original period piece from Newport, Rhode Island, circa 1780, from Sotheby’s New York Auction House. The workshop table has molded Marlborough legs, integrated ogee rail brackets, a rectangular molded top, and a molded lipped dovetailed drawer. Topics and discussions will include: project layout and procedure; cutting and fitting table joinery; cutting, shaping, and fairing rail brackets; creating internal components for drawer operation; building and fitting a lipped drawer; molding table legs, drawer front, and top; back beveling legs; and construction and design variations. 

Project completion may vary by student

Wood selection may vary 

Hardware: not included

App. Dimensions: 27” H x 28” W x 18” D

Image: Sotheby’s Auction House, Jan 2002 

Workshop Model is in Progress

Registration is Limited to Four Students

September 16-17, 2023

Saturday-Sunday

Fee: $395.00

This 2-day workshop will provide a hands-on approach to learn a variety of ornamentation techniques for hand tool woodworking. Topics and discussions will include: making and using scratch stocks for moldings and inlay; molding planes; inlay processes (straight and curved stringing, bellflowers, berries); and carving patterns (straight and curved borders and edges, rope and bead molding, basket weave, making and using decorative punches). These decorative techniques may be incorporated into all forms of woodworking.

September 29-October 1, 2023

Friday-Sunday

Fee: $695.00

This 3-day workshop is a historical carving journey through some of the major periods of classical furniture. Students will learn about each period from books, photographs, and classroom discussions. Each student will create a sample carving from each featured furniture period based on historic examples from 1640 to 1840. Topics and discussions will include: 17th Century strap work and patterns; William and Mary crestrails; concave Queen Anne fan; Federal waterleaf; and regional specific/ design variations.

October 14, 2023

Saturday

Fee: $195.00

The carved pineapple motif is a well-recognized traditional symbol of hospitality in New England. This 1-day workshop is designed to explore a high relief carving. Students will learn how to read the pattern, securely hold the project while carving, develop techniques for shaping and forming the profile, and detail the finer elements. 

Project completion may vary by student

Wood selection may vary 

App. Dimensions: 9 ½” x 5 ¼” 

October 27-29, 2023

Friday-Sunday

Fee: $895.00

The classic styling of Queen Anne furniture has become one of the most recognized and popular forms in woodworking. In this 3-day workshop, students will create a Queen Anne inspired oval-top end table with cabriole legs. Topics and discussions will include: sawing, fairing, and shaping cabriole legs; carving leg transitions; shaping aprons and the oval top; and construction and design variations. Project completion may vary by student

Wood selection may vary 

App. Dimensions: 22” L x 18” W x 26” H 

Registration is limited to four students

November 4, 2023

Saturday

Fee: $225.00

The ball and claw foot is one of the most recognized forms of the Chippendale period. During this 1-day workshop, students will learn about regional variations of feet and will carve a ball and claw foot in the Philadelphia style. Topics and discussions will include: lumber selection; pattern development; cabriole leg shaping; and carving the ball and claw foot.

November 11-12, 2023

Saturday-Sunday

Fee: $395.00

The carved eagle has been a symbol of strength, courage, honor, and pride throughout history. The project for this 2-day workshop is inspired by the original works of John Haley Bellamy. The pattern has been designed for students to learn many techniques and procedures used in carving eagles. Topics and discussions will include: layout and design; methods to secure the work to be carved; shaping and modeling the profile; and fine detailing techniques. 

Project completion may vary by student

Wood selection may vary 

App. Dimensions: 14 ¼” x 6 ½” 

December 2-3, 2023

Saturday-Sunday

Fee: $395.00

This 2-day workshop is designed to cover the foundational skills for letter carving in wood. Students will develop knowledge through introductory exercises and practice. Using Roman style lettering as the guide, students will learn how to carve straight, curved, and combined letters and numbers with serifs. Topics and discussions will include: layout and design; tool selection; wood grain orientation; and the foundational techniques in letter carving. In addition to the practice exercises, students will create a “Welcome” sign. 

Project completion may vary by student

Wood selection may vary

"As a serious non-professional woodworker interested in fine furniture, I find workshops invaluable. I took several in 2022 from Dan Faia in Rollinsford, NH. The shop itself is perfect for workshops, and the small class size ensured individual attention. Dan packed a lot into the allotted time, but the pace was reasonable, with time to complete the work. What makes Dan's workshops stand out is that he is a professional educator as well as a professional furniture maker, and his explanations and demonstrations of complex joinery and carving techniques were straightforward and clear. Most importantly, what I learned stayed with me after I returned to my own shop. I'll be back and developing more skills in 2023!" 

“I took two private instruction days and a class with Dan in 2022 and they were really good and really enjoyable. I learned a lot and enjoy Dan’s style of teaching. I’ve already signed up for another class in 2023 and if I lived closer, I’d be there for every class." 

"I am thrilled that Dan has set up shop in Rollinsford. I first met him when I took a class at North Bennet Street School and jumped at a chance to take his workshop on the Queen Anne Table. His technique for teaching and his demeanor in teaching style are perfect for an amateur woodworker like me that tries to soak up as much knowledge of history and technique from the instructor as I can. I love the way the table turned out and know that with Dan’s help, I created a piece that will last for generations. I look forward to taking many more workshops from him in the future." 

 "The shop is well equipped, organized, comfortable, and pleasing to the eye. I have attended two workshops and each felt bespoke and tailored, not labored or reproduced content. Thus, I have registered for two more in 2023."

"What I learned many years ago is the need for good mentorship. I participated in two workshops last year with specific personal and professional goals in mind. When you’re involved in a solitary vocation or hobby (like woodworking) it is helpful to get another perspective, it is an investment in yourself. Attending Dan’s workshops helped me to re-focus, learn some new skills, refine some existing ones and drop some bad habits. What I enjoyed most was the atmosphere and experience in the shop. The groups are kept small enough to allow Dan to support all skill levels of woodworkers (beginner, intermediate, and advanced) in achieving personal success, without sacrificing the ability or quality of the instruction. 

The preparation and legwork done prior to the workshops I attended was perfect (the hallmark of a true educator). I did not want a workshop where the bulk of the project is prepared for you and it basically becomes an assembly session (what is the point of that). Dan ensured the preparation for a workshop set the student up for success, while allowing the student to push beyond their boundaries. For me, I gained knowledge that will be applied in my shop. Every woodworker (regardless of skill level) needs to sharpen their skills on a routine basis, and every woodworker should have a mentor that will push you and provide critical guidance. Dan is that kind of an educator. I’ll be attending more in the future." 

 "Dan's classes offer expertise in a wide range of classical woodworking techniques, approaches, and execution. Whether you are an experienced professional or a weekend hobbyist much can be learned from his workshops. Dan is a gifted teacher who takes each individual student's ability to the next level. His approach is even handed, caring and thoughtful- you would be hard-pressed to find a better instructor. Challenge yourself and take a class, you won't regret it."

"I am an amateur woodworker with a goal to improve my skills and learn from those who are Master’s in the profession.

As a Professional Craftsman, Educator and SAPFM 2023 Cartouche Award recipient, Dan offers classes for skill building and 

project based content promoting education to novice through advanced woodworkers.  

His style is encouraging and calm in a small group or individual based instruction.

The other students in the class were also encouraging to everyone.  

Any shop time is good fun, Dan makes it better."

“Dan helped me work at levels I never expected…”