During 2007, I had the privilege of attending Steve Hageman's woodworking class at
I took two semesters, the first semester we built a shaker inspired curved-front nightstand, and 
the second semester we built a colonial style end table. Steve is demanding of his students, and as a result, you come away from his classes with more than just a knowledge of woodworking.
One of his favorite expressions is "cross-curricular", which means that the skills and mindset necessary to complete the class, and the project, will spill over into other facets of your life and work. And while he doesn't come out and say it, life lessons is really what the class is all about.
Underlying all the work and study, the sawdust, sweat, and blood (yeah, there's always a little of that involved in woodworking), was a profound respect for craftsmanship, and for intelligent manual labor. These are values that are little understood in today's world, and little appreciated by most college administrators.
Hence, Steve is an unsung hero in my book, contributing from his own pocketbook, and his own sweat equity, to make up for what college funds tended to fall short of accomplishing. His workshop is the product of his own hands, in more ways than one.
I HIGHLY recommend taking a semester with Steve Hageman at
I hope to be able to return to Mr. Hageman's class soon, and continue my education.
The program I attended was not great but it gave me the access to equipment I needed. Unfortunately the school closed the shop and there no longer is a local program available. Be careful though, it can be addicting. - TomW Neat pics and a nice looking shop. Not too many of those left. Most of the HS and community colleges around here have liquidated their wood shops. Really a shame, because even as a hobby it is a whole lot more rewarding than sitting in front of the TV or playstation. - JohnT8 Thanks for the thread, and the pics. But how are you getting anything done with all the photos you're taking? <G> I used to take some woodworking courses, but they seem to have dried up around here. I am involved in my local woodturning chapter, so I'm not completely out of the loop. - Shep Seriously, this is a nice thread. Looks like a fun class and a way to meet nice, like-minded people. - Crash Man I've been skipping over this thread thinking it was asking about community college classes. Of which I have never taken, so I had no advice. Was I ever wrong. Great pics. How many nights a week? I assume you pay a fee for materials? Is that for stock materials? And if you want something different do you provide your own? What other info do you have? - Gunner Nice job on the pictures. Informative, but also nicely composed. Worthy of appearing in a magazine. - CloudHidden Very cool. Thank you. Man I'd love to take a class like that. - Gunner You're becoming quite the photographer! Nice shots. - DougU That was a great thread. Thanks. - jhausch Thanx! I know a lot of time went into putting this thread together. - stevent1
- Neal
photos of this class were posted on the internet, inspiring the comments below
Thanks for the pictures. I got started in woodworking via an adult ed program at the local high school. It was something I was always interested in but didn't have the budget to tool up for the type of projects I was interested in. I also didn't want to get deep into a hobby that I wasn't sure I would enjoy without at least a little experience first.
