Looking for the Open Shop Schedule? It's under "Quick Links" on our home page!
The CNC SIG (Special Interest Group) meets at the Guild on the third Monday of each month (except December) at 6:30 pm in the Guild Classroom.
A typical CNC SIG meeting will include:
The CNC SIG is open to all Guild Members and their guests. For more information on using the CNC at the Guild send your inquiry to cncsig@kcwg.net
The KCWG Hand Tool SIG meets the 4th Sunday of the Month, 2pm to 4pm.
Interested in stepping up your hand tool game a bit? Forget dovetails, the hip crowd is all up in the mortises. I mean where else besides the abattoir are you going to use the term “pigsticker” and mean it?
We will walk through the process of laying out a mortise and tenon joint, chopping out the mortise, sawing the tenon and fitting the joint. And if you act now without delay, drawboring!
Join us for the KCWG Hand Tool Special Interest Group on Sunday March 25th from 2pm until 4pm and be amazed. And with luck I won’t destroy an antique mortise chisel this time.
(Please be advised, the main shop closes to the use of power tools from 2pm until 4pm during the SIG as there will be no foreman on duty.)
All members of the Guild, guests, and prospective members are invited and welcome and encouraged to attend.
For more information, contact handtoolsig@kcwg.net
For members dedicated to the art of woodcarving. Meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 6pm to 8pm. Email carvingsig@kcwg.net
The Finishing SIG (Special Interest Group) meets at the Guild on the fourth Tuesday of each month (except December) at 7 pm in the Guild Classroom.
A typical Finishing SIG meeting will include:
The Finishing SIG is open to all Guild Members and their guests. For more information, send your inquiry to finishingsig@kcwg.net
Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
Laser Engraver SIG meets the fourth Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm.
In the Laser Special Interest Group we explore some of the creations and options of using a laser to engrave or cut materials.
We will share success and failure while we explore how we can use laser engraving to enhance and enrich our woodworking. Bring your Show ‘N Tell and the settings with which you have had success.
For more information, contact lasersig@kcwg.net
The Intermediate Woodworking class is a fast-paced class that has been designed to be a continuation of the Basic Woodworking class. Intermediate woodworking focuses on three elements in woodworking beyond the basic course. These three elements are...
These skills are taught as part of the construction of two projects which continue to allow students to hone techniques taught in the Basic Woodworking course. The first project is a Shaker Table and the second is a Wall Cabinet. Each project will be taught over a 5-week period; however; students will need to spend time outside of class to complete the projects. There will be less step-by-step instruction in these classes with instruction emphasis placed on the newer techniques.
Guild Classes are for Guild Members Only. Not a member? Join here.
Sign ups for this class were released to members on 5/26. The class is full but some waitlist slots may still be available:
The Furniture Making SIG will focus more on joinery methods used in furniture construction than on a particular style or period of furniture. Come with your questions, answers and favorite methods. SIG meetings will be on the first Sunday of the month from 3-5pm and are free to all Guild members and guests.
A typical Furniture Making SIG meeting will include:
The Furniture Making SIG is open to all Guild Members and their guests. For more information, send your inquiry to Furnituresig@kcwg.net
Maximum Class Size: 2 students
This class is your hands-on introduction to safe woodworking, transforming rough lumber into a beautiful mitered-corner box. Here's what you need to know:
Your safety is our top priority. That's why passing the KCWG Online Safety Test with a score of 90% or better is a strict prerequisite for this class. You won't be able to register until you've completed this step.
How to Take the Test: Information on accessing the Safety Test is in the Welcome Letter you received from the Membership Director when you joined the Guild. Be sure to check your junk or spam folder if you don't see it, and add the Guild to your email contacts to ensure you receive future communications.
This class is designed to get you comfortable and confident with essential woodworking machinery. You'll learn to safely set up and use:
By the end of the class, you'll have transformed a piece of rough wood into a 5x9 mitered-corner box, ready for you to finish at home.
Your class fee is based on your Guild membership level at the time you sign up:
Payment is required at the time of sign-up.
Location: All classes are held at the Kansas City Woodworkers’ Guild Shop: 1717 Washington St, Kansas City, MO 64108
Build a shooting board while developing your hand plane knowledge and skills!
Learn how to tune, sharpen, and use hand planes while building a precision shooting board you’ll take home and use for years. In this two-session, hands-on class you’ll cover plane anatomy, sharpening fundamentals, plane technique, and accurate layout. You will then build, tune, and practice using your own shooting board for easy, square, repeatable end grain.
Class Details:
Please note that many of these tools are available at the Guild if you do not own one or more of the above listed tools. Do not permit the lack of a tool keep you from signing up.
Fees & Payment:
Class fees are based on your Guild membership level at the time you sign up for the class. Payment is required at the time of enrollment.
Withdrawal Policy: Withdrawals made within seven (7) days of the start of the class will NOT receive a refund.
Instructor Information:
Chris Fontaine is the owner of Teacher & Apprentice Workshop, a Kansas City–based hand-tool woodworking and vintage tool restoration shop. He has been woodworking for over 12 years and has more than a decade of experience teaching technical subjects in the healthcare technology field. Chris now focuses on helping woodworkers build skill and confidence with traditional hand tools through classes, education, and thoughtfully restored tools.
Important Requirements:
For Guild Members Only – Not a member? Join HERE!
Learn Spoon Carving!
This is a free 2.5-hour session to get you acquainted with safety procedures in our workshop.
You must be a fully paid member of the Kansas City Woodworkers’ Guild at the Sawdust Maker, Woodworker Plus, or Benefactor level.
You do not need a Green name badge to attend. Successfully completing the Safety Orientation will result in your Green Name Badge being issued!
Class Size: Up to 20 students
All classes are held at the Kansas City Woodworkers’ Guild Shop: 1717 Washington St, Kansas City, MO 64108
Learn the Art of Realistic Bird Carving!
Realistic bird carving is a fantastic art form. It requires learning a basic skill set and knowing the correct approach. Once learned, any bird can be carved. Dan Robidoux teaches by showing, not telling. He will carve a stilt sandpiper in front of the class. Follow his lead. If you see him do it, you do it. Each student will be loaned a model and a marking tool Dan developed to locate reference points and transfer those references points on to a block of Tupelo wood. Knowing how to “find” and release the bird in a square block of wood is critical to understand. Using a band saw, your micro motor tool and a few specific burrs, Dan will show you how and explain why things are done. The majority of carving will be done on your own, at your own pace, outside of class. Dan will show you how to properly set eyes, insert the bill, delineate feather groups, and stone soft feathers. He will introduce you to oil painting and will paint birds together when everyone is ready. This includes color mapping and learning sequence. We will conclude the class by attaching your bird to a sand base habitat. Please keep in mind this class is not finished until you have finished your bird. Depending on holidays, time conflicts, some classes may need to be rescheduled. We will move forward together as a class. If you miss a class or need individual help, you are welcome to come to Dan's home for assistance.
With each class, Dan refines his teaching technique. His goal is to teach you to have confidence with your own skill and not to fear any aspect of bird carving especially painting. Dan wants to see you succeed. He holds back nothing. Some instructors teach to draw the student into additional classes. Dan teaches so students can “fly away” and carve without instruction because the whys and the hows are understood.
Tool List (Prices may vary):
Students must purchase the tools listed below prior to the first class. Wood, eyes, paint and all other incidental items will be provided
*Jaymes Company 234 Cartland Way Forest Hill, Maryland 21050 1-888-638-8998
Speak to: Jim Hahn owner. Mention you are attending the Robidoux carving seminar on the stilt sandpiper
Monthly meetings of the KCWG are held on the third Wednesday of each month from 7pm to 9pm at the Guild Shop: 1717 Washington St, Kansas City, MO.
Prospective members are encouraged to attend a meeting. If you like, come early and get a shop tour!
Meeting Agenda: 7:00 – Welcome, announcements, short reports from the various departments. 7:15 – Show-and-Tell: Bring a project to show to you fellow members. 8:00 – Break for cookies, coffee and soft drinks. Show-and-Tell items are on display and the builder is available to discuss the project. Unsolicited opinions are offered and friendly discussions ensue. Members gather in small groups to tell fish stories and related lies. 8:10 – There is a raffle of donated items. 8:15 – Formal program: typically, an outside speaker or expert from our membership ranks. 9:00 – Adjournment
Develop Fundamental Woodworking Skills!
This course is designed to provide a basic introduction for adults with little or no prior experience with tools, materials and woodworking machinery.
Course will be presented in 10 three-hour class meetings beginning with a complete shop orientation and progressing through the planning and building of three projects.
The course will end with an overview of general furniture and cabinetry finishing processes, tips and techniques.
This course is fast-paced, and students will be encouraged to use the Guild’s Open Shop times for additional project completion time as needed.
Note: This is the last session of Basic Woodworking offered in 2026. We will have additional sessions starting in January 2027.
Improve Your Hand Tool Woodworking Skills!
This class is designed acquaint woodworkers with the use of classical hand tools such as planes, saws, chisels, and drills that were in common usage before the current power tool availability.
This type of woodworking is becoming increasingly more popular due to nostalgia, but also due to smaller spaces to work and smaller budgets for buying very expensive powered machinery. Modern hand tools have been revived by manufacturers and the top end ones, though expensive, are much better quality than the tools of our grandfathers. The student will learn the purpose, care and use of a basic set of tools that will enable them to craft joinery projects from generally available materials.
Itinerary:
Tool List:
Please note – The Guild will provide a basic Tool Chest for the students to use during the class. The tool Chest contains the tools necessary for successful completion of the class.
Students are encouraged to bring and use their own tools. The tool list below covers the needs of the class:
Learn the Ancient Woodworking Technique of Kumiko!
Maximum Class Size: 1 student
Discover the Traditional Shaker Method of Creating Elegant Oval Boxes!
In this hands-on beginner class, students will learn how thin wood is bent using hot water and formed around molds to create classic Shaker oval boxes. Over the course of the weekend, participants will make three nesting boxes, gaining experience with each step of the process.
Instruction will cover shaping and bending the wood, assembling boxes using copper tacks and wooden pegs, and cutting the distinctive swallowtail fingers that define authentic Shaker oval box construction. No prior experience is required—this class is designed to introduce foundational techniques while producing beautiful, functional results.
Don Peterson has been teaching Shaker oval box making and basic woodworking in central Minnesota since 2017 and brings years of experience and enthusiasm to the classroom.
Turn your projects from “homemade” to “heirloom-quality” by mastering the art of finishing!
Building your project is 90% of the work. The other 10% is putting on a good finish. One of the biggest challenges in achieving a good finish is choosing the finish you want for your project. To help you, Craig Arnold will be teaching a finishing class in three fast-paced sessions that will provide you with experience finishing a variety of woods, finishing materials, and processes.
This is a fast-paced class. Students will learn techniques for finishing woods: Quarter sawn white oak, red oak, walnut, cherry, mahogany, curly maple, pine.
The “finish” includes surface preparation to final rub out. The class will use penetrating oils, sealers, grain fillers, and shellac. Also, they will use dye stains, pigment stains, and glazes for layered color.
Students will use water-based stains and topcoats and oil-based stains and topcoats and will learn when to use either. Milk paint and chalk paint will also be used. Participants will learn brushing, wiping, and spraying topcoats. Waxes and finish rub out will conclude the class. Students will keep their sample boards as a reference for their future projects.
Green Name Badge Is NOT Required: This class is open to Regular members as well as Sawdust Maker, Woodworker+, and Benefactor level members.
Enhance your Woodworking Projects with Inlay!
Address:1717 Washington StreetKansas City, MO 64108
Email:guildgroup@kcwg.net
Follow Us
