for you - and if you like, one or two friends. Instruction takes place in David's shop located in the picturesque hill country between Chicago, Rockford, Milwaukee, and Madison - an hour and fifteen minutes from downtown Chicago. His versatile wood and metal shop is tucked away on a small working farm. For travelers there are bed and breakfasts nearby in historic Woodstock, Illinois (where Groundhog Day was filmed) or numerous hotels and resorts around Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
to your own interests and customized to your level of experience and your schedule. David works with novices, advanced amateurs, and working professionals. His only requirement is that you have some experience with cutting tools and have a good instinct for your personal safety. Do you need someone to walk you through the setup, the tuning and the use of your handplane? Are you ready to try your hand at dovetails - the old fashioned way? Perhaps you need some time to finish up that furniture project with a master craftsman at your side. Cabinet scraper preparation and use? Curious about MIG or TIG welding? Small boatbuilding? Hammer veneering? Developing your big Idea? Illustrating your big Idea? Drafting on a computer? These are just a few of the skills and technologies David has used in his own legendary work in wood and metal. More ideas for study below.
David's students can expect a level of mentoring and challenge reminiscent of an old world apprenticeship. At the same time, David is known for his patience, his humor, his love for the craft, and his respect for students. David knows when to keep it simple and when to let you in on some of the mind-bending possibilities. David knows when to hover close by and when to leave you alone. His approach emphasizes hand skills - and downplays gadgets. David savors processes that are deeply satisfying and he doesn't bother with the shop equivalents of instant coffee or bicycle training wheels.
It's a cozy shop, built in the round on the foundation of an old, 30-foot diameter grain bin. David still uses the 18" bandsaw he built of birch, maple, and aluminum 30 years ago. David's studio is a broad fusion of new and old tools - and of woodworking and metalworking tools. His philosophy from the beginning has been to favor the tools that will do the best job, support the most elegant process, that have the greatest versatility, and take up the least amount of space. Sometimes this is a hundred year old rosewood handled cabinet scraper, sometimes a long-bed 8" power jointer, and sometimes a TIG welder. David is proof that you can work at the highest levels of this profession without a lot of space or expensive machinery.
- $85 per hour
- $70 per hour for a block of 3 or more hours
- $65 per hour for 10 flex hours (Flex hours can be used anytime over a one year period.)
- Weeklong intensive: $1950. Seven hours of instruction a day. One hour for lunch and breaks. Any five days in a week. Your schedule. Lunch included. Reservation required - $500 non-refundable deposit.
- Rate for two students: the individual rate plus 25%.
- Rate for three: the individual rate plus 50%
- Supply and preparation fees apply based on your chosen project.
All students must certify that they have experience with cutting tools, power tools, and an instinct for personal safety. All students must sign a comprehensive liability release and provide proof of health insurance.
Most tools will be supplied. Some techniques require specialized tools that require "tuning" and soon become an extension of your own hands. Such tools you should bring - they include handplanes, scrapers, spokeshaves, and chisels. All shop work requires basic safety equipment such as eye and ear protection - bring your own. All other tools will be provided. David will consult with each student about what tools or supplies they will need to bring for their chosen area of study. If you are interested in a basic list of personal hand tools every woodworker should have, here is the list of tools David requires for full-time apprentices.
Orth Furniture & Sculpture
20817 Bunker Hill Road
Marengo, IL 60152McHenry County [Nearby Illinois counties: Lake, Cook, Kane, DuPage, Boone. Nearby Wisconsin counties: Rock, Walworth, Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee, Waukesha, Jefferson.]
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David Orth
Phone: 815-943-4099
Cell: 708-288-5199
Fax: 360-937-6485
E-mail: davidorth@OrthFurniture.com
Web site: www.OrthFurniture.com
Suggested skills and study projects
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