Aaron Fedarko & Owain Harris
August 7-11
Making and fitting drawers is an art in itself when done cleanly and efficiently. In this course, Aaron and Owain share their best practices for making the two primary drawer designs used in fine casework – inset and overlay – as well as the case components necessary to keep them running smoothly in their pockets. The course begins with an overview of the mechanics and construction of each drawer type, then delves into various details and refinements, including case mounting techniques such as traditional, side-hung, and center-guided options.
Each participant will have the opportunity to make several drawers with various joinery options and fit them to an existing case. Instruction covers everything from initial stock selection and preparation to getting a final piston-fit with a hand plane. Topics include cutting half-blind and through dovetails, sliding dovetails and splined miters with both hand and power tools. Additional time will be spent discussing options for drawer bottoms and stops, as well as strategies for designing and making custom wooden pulls.
Aaron Fedarko is an independent furniture designer/maker in mid-coast Maine. In 2007, after 16 years in the corporate world, he completed our Nine-month Comprehensive, participated in our Fellowship program, and set up shop as a furniture maker. In addition to ongoing commission work, Aaron has been a Lead Instructor for the Furniture Intensive since 2014. He also serves as an Artisan Mentor for Greenwood, a nonprofit organization that teaches woodworking skills and sustainable forest management to rural communities in Latin America. Aaron’s furniture has been featured in 500 Chairs (Lark Books, 2008) and 500 Cabinets (Lark Books, 2010). Aaron’s website is fedarkofurniture.com.
Owain Harris is a self-taught woodworker who operates a furniture studio in Gonic, NH, where he designs and builds custom furnishings for galleries and residential clients. He began his career in wood as a framing carpenter in 1997, and worked as both a finish carpenter and remodeler before moving into the shop full-time in 2008. Owain is a juried member of the League of NH Craftsmen and the New Hampshire Furniture Masters Association. His work has received multiple awards, including a Pinnacle Award from the International Society of Furniture Designers and a Veneertech Craftsman Challenge Award. Owain has been featured in numerous publications, including Fine Woodworking and NH Home Magazine. He currently serves as Chair Person for the American Furniture Masters Institute, the nonprofit organization that oversees the NH Furniture Masters and the Prison Outreach Program that teaches the craft of fine furniture making to inmates of the Maine men’s prison and both the NH men’s and women’s prison. His website is harriscabinetmaker.com.
Open to intermediate woodworkers.
