EDUCATION

Texas Woodworking Festival

Demonstrations, Classes, Lectures and More!
September 12th, 13th & 14th, 2025

Schedule

These educational sessions are available to EDU tickets and GA Add-on tickets only. Recorded sessions can be viewed after the event via the Digital Pass which is included with the EDU pass or purchased separately.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12TH – CONTENT CREATOR TRACK

Strategies on building a loyal following that will be invested in what you do, what you have to say, and what you create.

Are you an aspiring woodworking content creator or Youtuber? We have created a half day of classes just for you. Join TWF on Friday September 12th from 1:00pm to 6:00pm for 4 lectures and a Youtube AMA.

Speakers include: Jason Hibbs, Drew Witt, Ethan Abramson, and MYSTERY GUEST.

Learn how to turn your woodworking skills into a successful YouTube presence in this practical 60-minute session. Discover the secrets behind compelling thumbnails that earn clicks, how to structure your videos to maximize watch time (the metric that matters most to YouTube), and build a consistent “show” that keeps viewers coming back. We’ll debunk common myths about needing expensive equipment or thousands of subscribers to succeed. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to grow your existing channel, this workshop provides actionable strategies to transform your woodworking content into an engaging online presence that resonates with viewers and creates opportunities. Bring your questions and prepare to take your craft to a wider audience!

Let’s take a look at where Social Media is today, and see if using it as a money making tool is the right choice for you.

To Be Announced

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 13TH – WOODWORKING EDUCATION DAY 1

Presenter: Gary Rogowski
Time: Saturday 9am to 10am
Location: Theater

Discover how hand planes can transform your woodworking—saving time, improving accuracy, and deepening your connection to the craft. Join this session to better understand this vital set of hand planes every woodworker needs.

Presenter: Matt Kenney
Time: Saturday 9am to 10:30am
Location: Classroom

Furniture Making is creative and so is this session. Matt Kenney will break down the design process, covering how to start a new design, refine ideas through small changes, stimulate creativity, and develop your unique design voice using practical tools and techniques. Join this session to take your design skills to the next level.

Presenter: Patrick Moore
Time: Saturday 10:30am to 12:00pm
Location: Theater

Stereotomy is a centuries-old visual method used by master carpenters to solve complex woodworking challenges—like curved joinery, irregular hips and compound angles—without math, calculators, or fancy tools. This demonstration will teach you to loft, visualize, and lay out intricate intersections using scaled drawings, revealing why stereotomy remains a powerful tool across all areas of woodworking.

Presenter: Kate Casey
Time: Saturday 10:45am to 11:30am
Location: Classroom

This talk explores how Peg Woodworking’s Kate Casey blends sculpture and furniture design, using geometry, weaving, and material exploration to create tactile, expressive forms. Attendees will gain insight into her intuitive creative process, from sketching and iteration to large-scale commissions and blending art with function.

Presenter: Alexis Dolese
Time: Saturday 11:45am to 12:45am
Location: Classroom

Learn practical techniques for designing and building custom furniture that make money. Alexis will share insights on client collaboration, pricing, business, techniques and efficient shop setup.

Presenter: David Johnson
Time: Saturday 12:30pm to 2:00pm
Location: Theater

Take a seat and learn about rush! This demonstration covers the basics of rush seating, including design considerations, pattern layout, and how to weave a simple seat using paper fiber rush—an ideal material for beginners. You’ll also learn about different material options and get answers to common questions about the seat weaving craft.

Presenter: Gary Weeks
Time: Saturday 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Location: Classroom

Gary Weeks has been building Rocking Chairs, Dining Chairs, Dining Tables, and Barstools to the highest standards of our craft for 30+ years. He will talk about how to build amazing handmade furniture through an efficient shop and production mindset.

Presenter: John Bohman
Time: Saturday 2:15pm to 3:15pm
Location: Classroom

This presentation is for the builder who is just starting off in the industry or a professional looking to refine their image. A good reputation is a far superior advertising tool than anything you can buy and it requires playing a long game. I can speak for myself that when I first got started as a woodworker, I was eager for trust from my clientele. But that is something you must earn over time. I work in a what I would call a small town. Missoula has a population of appx 70,000 people, but I learned quickly that word still travels fast in a community of this size. People talk, and you must give them something good to talk about. It is the actions you take when no one is watching that has the most impact on your image. Blending your talent and passion with good business practices will keep you seeing paychecks and happy customers. I will explore these concepts in this talk and review what I have learned in my 20 years in business as a woodworker.

Presenter: Andy Rawls
Time: Saturday 2:30pm to 3:30pm
Location: Theater

In my early days as a furniture maker, I often felt overwhelmed when choosing joinery, particularly for complex case pieces. My hope is to clarify the process of selecting and executing joinery for your furniture projects. I’ll be sharing case studies from some of my own furniture builds, as well as examining antique furniture to better understand different joinery applications. Lastly, I’ll discuss joinery execution, comparing hand tools and machinery, and how to be creative in using the available tools at your disposal to cut different joints.

Presenter: Ethan Abramson
Time: Saturday 3:30pm to 4:30pm
Location: Classroom

How do you sell your work currently? You can sell it phyically or digitally. What are the similarities and difference between selling physically and digitally, and how to push your business forward with both? Let’s answer these questions and more together.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14TH – WOODWORKING EDUCATION DAY 2

Presenter: Matt Kenney
Sunday 9am to 10:30am
Location: Classroom

This lecture presentation offers a deep dive look into cutting dovetail joints, walking through the entire process—from milling to invisible repairs—while emphasizing the most critical steps for success. With insights from 25 years of experience, Matt Kenney will help you gain a clearer understanding of how to cut strong, clean dovetails with confidence.

Presenter: David Johnson
Sunday 9am to 10:30am
Location: Theater

This demonstration will cover how to design a seat frame for Danish cord weaving, avoid common mistakes, and create your own custom pattern. You’ll see demonstrations of both warp and weft installation techniques—using nails, knots, and alternative methods—to help you confidently work with this popular material. This is a can’t miss session!

Presenter: Gary Rogowski
Sunday 10:45am to 11:30am
Location: Classroom

This lecture offers both beginners and experienced woodworkers practical insights on setting up an efficient, productive shop space, covering essentials like layout, lighting, tool selection, workflow, and key strategies to improve your building process. Learn how thoughtful shop setup and planning can enhance both your craftsmanship and enjoyment in the shop.

Presenter: Alexis Dolese
Sunday 11:00am to 11:45am
Location: Theater

This session explores how Shaper Jigs (or flush trim router jigs) can boost efficiency and precision in furniture making by enabling repeatable parts with built-in joinery, while covering jig design, safe router use, and incorporating computer aided design and curves into your workflow.

Presenter: Patrick Moore
Sunday 11:45am to 1:30pm
Location: Classroom

This lecture introduces Stereotomy, the traditional art of using geometric drawing techniques to represent complex architectural forms in three dimensions—a practice that has shaped unique cultural and architectural identities across French, German, and Japanese woodworking traditions. In this drawing demonstration you’ll learn how this manual method blends precision, design, and heritage into a craft of its own.

Presenter: Kate Casey
Sunday 12:15pm to 1:15pm
Location: Theater

Artist and furniture designer Kate Casey of Peg Woodworking will explores the traditional technique of coopering and its modern applications, demonstrating how precise beveling and geometric planning can create fluid, curved forms in contemporary furniture. Attendees will learn the history, design process, and practical techniques behind transforming staves into sculptural and functional pieces.

Coming Soon

Presenter: John Bohman
Sunday 1:45am to 3:15pm
Location: Theater

A proper dovetail joint shows a makers personality with how it’s laid out. We begin with talking points and the approach to cutting a half blind dovetail. A brief description of sharpening techniques and layout will be followed by the execution and fitting of the joint. You’ll be instructed on how to make a simple jig to assist the process. we will finish out with a Q and A session to ensure you’re guided in the right direction to feel confident with cutting the joint.

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