Classes and Training
All Classes Require Guild Membership
Repeating Classes
Rough to Ready: Your First Steps in Woodworking
This hands-on class is your essential first step to becoming a confident and safe woodworker! You’ll learn to set up and safely operate 10 essential woodworking machines, including the sliding compound miter saw, radial arm saw, jointer, thickness planer, table saws (for ripping, crosscutting, and dado cuts), re-saw bandsaw, wide belt sander, and router table.
By the end of the class, you’ll transform a rough piece of hardwood into a beautiful 5×9 mitered-corner box, ready for finishing at home.
This course also serves as an alternative path to earning your Green name badge, which certifies your shop privileges.
Key Details:
- Schedule: Classes typically occur 2-3 times per week. You can view upcoming dates and times HERE.
- Class Duration: Ranges from 5-6 hours, depending on student skill level and learning style/pace.
- Class Size: To ensure personalized instruction, each class pairs 1 or 2 students with a qualified instructor.
- Instructors: Kathryn Dingley, Steve Erickson, Ron Haw, John Kimball, Alex Moseley, George Rexroad, Alex Scott, John Sloss, Tom Smoller, Ed Stewart, and Tom Vece.
- Location: KCWG Shop; 1717 Washington, Kansas City, MO 64108
Fees:
Class fees are based on your membership level at the time of signup:
- Sawdust Maker: $50.00
- WW+/Benefactor: $40.00 (20% discount)
Prerequisites & Signup:
- Green Tag: A Green name badge is not required to take this specific class. Completing “Rough to Ready” will qualify you for your Green name badge.
- Safety Test: You must pass the Guild’s Safety Test with 90% or above before signing up for this course.
Liability Waiver: Members without a Green name badge must also complete and provide the Guild’s signed Liability Waiver. - Important Note: The signup link for this class will be provided to you upon successful completion of the Safety Test.
How to Sign Up:
- Join the Guild, and receive your instructions in the welcome email from our Membership Director.
- If you already a member and do not have a Green name badge yet: Please contact the Rough to Ready group at [email protected] for further instructions on completing the Safety Test and Waiver. Or see the welcome email you received upon joining the Guild.
- If you already have a Green name badge and wish to take this class: Please contact the Rough to Ready group at [email protected] for signup instructions.
Guild Instructor(s): The KCWG Training Team
Class Level: Basic
Sessions: 10
Day(s) / Date(s) / Time(s): January 15th – March 26th
All class times will be on Thursdays from 7:00 – 10:00 PM.
Session 1 – Class has concluded for this session
- Classes meetings started on January 15th, 2026, and concluded on March 26th, 2026.
- There were be 10 class meetings over an 11-week period. (no class 03/05/2026)
Session 2 – IN SESSION NOW
- Classes meetings started on April 9th, 2026, and will conclude on June 11th, 2026
- There will be 10 class meetings over a 10-week period.
Session 3 – Signup will release to membership 08/11/2026 at approx. 6:45 PM
- Classes meetings will start on September 17th, 2026, and will conclude on November 19th, 2026
- There will be 10 class meetings over a 10-week period.
Class size: 10
Fee: For this class you must use the Guild’s payment processor attached to the Sign-Up.
- Sawdust Maker: $325
- WW+/Benefactor (-%20): $260
Location: KCWG shop – 1717 Washington, Kansas City, MO 64108
Green Name Badge Required: YES
Description: This course is designed to provide a basic introduction for adults with little or no prior experience with tools, materials and woodworking machinery.
The class will be presented in ten (10) three-hour meetings beginning with a complete shop orientation and progressing through the planning and building of three projects.
Green Name Badge Requirements: Students are required to have a green name badge to enroll in this class. Students must complete the Guild’s online safety test and the Safety Orientation before the first course meeting.
Note: The Membership Director provided access to the test in the welcome email you received upon joining the Guild.
The projects are geared to provide hands-on practice in:
- Choosing materials
- Preparing and joining wood parts
- Cutting precise joints
- Creating dado joints and grooves
- Machining multiple component parts
- Mortise and tenon joinery
- Cross lapping
- Gluing
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.
Class Meeting Overviews:
- Class Meeting 1 – Shop Orientation and Operation
- Class Meeting 2 – Building a Laminated Cutting Board
- Class Meeting 3 – Building a Cutting Board, guided shop time
- Class Meeting 4 – Building a Spice Cabinet
- Class Meeting 5 – Building a Spice Cabinet, guided shop time
- Class Meeting 6 – Measuring, Marking and Layout of Projects
- Class Meeting 7 – Building a Craftsman Style Plant Stand
- Class Meeting 8 – Building a Plant Stand, guided shop time
- Class Meeting 9 – Building a Plant Stand, guided shop time
- Class Meeting 10 – Finishing Techniques and Processes
Expected Skills: Understanding of KCWG Safety Requirements
Tool List: Shop tools are available for use by students. You may choose to acquire your own tools after learning what tools work best for you and how to determine a quality tool from one that will frustrate you.name badge
- Guild Instructors: Wayne Peterson, Alex Bear, Richard DeWitt, Steve Erickson, Bruce Kunz
Class Level: Basic
Sessions: 10
Day(s) / Date(s) / Time(s):
All class times will be on Thursdays from 7:00pm – 10:00pm.
IN SESSION NOW
- Classes began on April 9, 2026, and will end on June 11, 2026.
- There will be 10 class meetings.
Class size: 5
Minimum Class size: 3 (If registered students are below this number, class will not occur)
Fee: For this class you must use the Guild’s payment processor attached to the Sign-Up.
- Sawdust Maker: $300
- WW+/Benefactor (-%20): $240
Location: KCWG shop – 1717 Washington, Kansas City, MO 64108
Green Name Badge Requirements: Students are required to have a green name badge to enroll in this class. Students must complete the Guild’s online safety test and the Safety Orientation before the first course meeting.
Description: Class purpose and overview – 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.
Class Meeting Agendas:
- Class Meeting 1: Introduction to Hand Planes
- Class Meeting 2: Basic chisel concepts and operations of chisels
- Class Meeting 3: Basic sawing concepts and usage of hand saws
- Class Meetings 4-8: Building a Shaker style bench
- Class Meetings 9-10: Dovetails – Through and Half-Blind
Expected Skills:
Willingness to learn hand tool techniques and practice
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:
- Measuring tape
- 12” adjustable square
- Marking knife
- Cutting gauge
- ½” and 1” bench chisel
- Mallet
- 12” dovetail or tenon saw
- Coping saw and spare blades
- Compass saw or bow saw
- Block plane
- #4 or #5 plane
- Router plane
- 6” four in hand rasp
- Compass or divider
- Medium size pocketknife or bench knife
- Bench brush or cheap 4” paint brush
Instructor(s): The KCWG Training Team
Class Level: Intermediate (with prerequisites)
Portion of shop restricted to class use: Entire Shop
Class Meetings: 10
Day(s) / Date(s) / Time(s):This class will run for 10 Thursdays from 7:00pm – 10:00pm.
A Single Session in 2025 – Class has concluded for this session
- Classes started on September 11, 2025, and ended on November 13, 2025.
- There were 10 class meetings over a 10 week period.
Fee: For this class you must use the Guild’s payment processor attached to the Sign-Up.
- Sawdust Maker: $500
- WW+/Benefactor (-%20): $400
Location: KCWG shop – 1717 Washington, Kansas City, MO 64108
Green Name Badge Requirements: Students are required to have a green name badge to enroll in this class. Students must complete the Guild’s online safety test and the Safety Orientation before the first course meeting.
Signup: Has yet to be released for 2026
Students who sign-up for this class MUST have taken the KCWG’s Basic Woodworking class and completed all the projects in that class.
Description: 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…
- Creating tapered legs
- Constructing and fitting cabinet doors
- Constructing and fitting drawers.
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.
Expected Skills:
Prerequisites include knowledge of the safety and use of the following power tools: Rip table saw, crosscut table saw, Dado table saw, Resaw bandsaw, Router table, Jointer, Planer, Mortising Machine, sliding miter saw, Drill press. Safe use and experience with the following hand tools is also required; Dovetail saw, Bench chisels, screwdrivers, Smoothing plane, and scrapers.
Tool List:
Tool boxes will be available for use in class that include measuring and marking tools and bench chisels. Guild owned hand tools can be used as needed or you can opt to bring your own.
Class Level: Intermediate (with prerequisites)
Yearly in November the Guild will announce 3-4 different holiday themed classes. These “quickies” are usually offered as inexpensive projects that can be completed in a single class setting (minus finishing touches).
A Green Name Badge is required to use the shop.
Past offerings have included…
- Making Wooden Toys
- Hot Plate/Trivet
- Christmas Star
- Modern Shaker Step
- Utility/Tool Tote
- Candle Holders
- Building Wooden Toys
- Serving Tray
- Toy Train
- Bandsaw Reindeers
- Crafted Christmas Trees
- Scroll Saw Ornaments
- Handmade Brooms and Burnishers
- Chrome Plated Megaphones of Destiny
Select a Box To Expand for More Information
Kelly Mehler – Building a Side Table In Person, Direct from Berea, Kentucky – 2008
Joseph Eultgen – 2025 -Veneering
Marc Adams – 2009
Ralph Quick – Making a Windsor Chair – 2009
John Wilson & Eric Pinter – several visits to teach “Making Shaker Oval Boxes”
Ben Hobbs – Pencil Post Bed, Chippendale Chairs, Virginia Spice Box, Queen Anne Chairs, etc.
Freddie Roman – Federal Style Tables, Hammer Veneering
Christopher Schwarz – Lectures on Hand Tool and Hand Tool Woodworking, Building a Dutch Tool Chest
Mike Pekovich – Building a Kumiko Wall Cabinet
Matt Kenney – Building 3 Boxes
Doug Stowe – Precision Box building
Nora Hall – European Relief Carving
Paul Schurch – Decorative Veneering and Marquetry
David Abeel – Has visited twice for his excellent class on Building a Windsor Chair
The late Nancy Hiller – Building an Arts & Crafts writing desk
Mary May – Decorative Woodcarving
Toyohisa Sugita – Woodworking Joinery – After traveling all the way from JAPAN to present!
The Guild strives to present classes at three basic levels. Basic and Skill-Builder classes are aimed at craftsmen in the early stages of building their skill sets. Intermediate classes are those that follow the basic woodworking classes, are a bit more challenging, but not so difficult that a person with a few projects under their belt would not be successful. Advanced classes are for woodworkers whose skills have developed to the point where they have the confidence to take on more complex projects with finer finishes. Of course the dividing lines between these are fuzzy at best. We do not want to get picky on skill levels. We like for people to tackle what they believe that they can do, and we want our instructors/coaches/shop foremen to learn to help people stretch their experience.
The Skill-Builder Session is a focused demonstration and we ocasionally will reserve the machines in the mobile training area for that. These events are held monthly and are at no cost.
We try to hold Open Shop simultaneously with our classes except for Thursday evening during the Basic Woodworking class and during classes with outside instructors.
New classes are announced at approximately 6:45 p.m. on Tuesdays. This time was selected in order to make slots available equally to both retirees and the employed. Descriptions may appear on the website previous to that, but SignUp slots are unavailable until approx 7PM CST time.
- Level Requirements: Hands-on classes requires Sawdust-Maker or better membership.
- Discounts: Members with a Woodworker Plus or better membership get a 20% discount.
- Safety Certification: A Green Tag is required for use of both power and hand tools. (See “The Most Dangerous Tool” on the Safety Page.)
The Woodworkers’ Guild utilizes the Sign-up Genius website to keep track of participants in classes and other events and to prevent non-members from signing up for classes. Use of this program provides an effective way for our volunteer leaders to limit participation to appropriate size, make sure that fees are paid, and to assemble waiting lists where helpful. Where fees are required, Sign-Up Genius provides a safe method to process payments to the Guild without the need for our members to make/maintain a seperate account. Where indicated, you may also pay by check or by credit card within three days of signing up online for the training.
Mail checks to KCWG Treasurer; 1717 Washington St; Kansas City, MO 64108.












