Japanese Hand tools & Joinery with Dylan Iwakuni

Date

Oct 11 - 15 2021

Location

Florida School of Woodwork
1609 N Franklin St Tampa, FL 33602

Japan has a long history of building structures using the abundance of wood found throughout the land.  The wood was cut into unique and complex joints, allowing the wood to join with each other, without the help of metal hardware and in many cases no glue. These joineries have been refined over time and are still used being used to this day. In order to make these joineries function properly and as strong as possible, it has to be cut precisely. Precise work comes down to having the right knowledge and techniques but most importantly comes down to using properly set up, well-sharpened tools.

 

This is a singular opportunity to learn from a professionally trained, Japanese craftsman without the jetlag. With several years of experience in carpentry in Japan, Dylan has a wealth of knowledge to draw from and as both a professional and exploratory woodworker, he offers a unique perspective to western woodworkers just discovering the incredible art of Japanese woodworking. His work demonstrates that by understanding the fundamental principles behind the tools, any woodworker can learn to use them efficiently.
During this week-long class, Dylan Iwakuni from Kyoto Japan, will go beyond the pull saw and introduce you to a greater perspective of Japanese hand tools and joinery. You’ll learn how to properly set up, tune, and sharpen a wide range of  Japanese hand tools and through a series of exercises, you will learn about the fundamentals of laying out accurate lines, the correct posture, and techniques to use, the secrets of getting precise cuts and ways to check the accuracy of the work.  He will show you how to incorporate traditional Japanese woodworking techniques into your own work through small practice projects.

Students are strongly encouraged to bring their own Japanese tools to class.  Dylan will offer feedback and assistance on getting them tuned and set up to work more efficiently. If you don’t have your own collection of Japanese tools (yet), no worries. Dylan and the School will have a few sets for community use.  The basic set of tools needed is detailed below.
Some of the key learning points include:

Japanese carpentry & techniques such as:

Hand planing with a Kanna
Building architecture

Sharpening and using Japanese tools
The different application of various joints
Accurate Joint layout
Wood compression for a very tight fit.

Open for beginners wanting to make their first steps into Japanese joinery to those looking to step up their joinery making skills with a true Japanese carpenter.


Organizer

School of Woodwork
Email
kate@schoolofwoodwork.com

More Info

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Labels

Art Lovers

2 Comments

  • In these covid times, do you know if Mr. Iwakuni could do a remote class?

    Reply
    • Hello Daniel,

      You may want to contact them directly about this to see if it is an option. Here is the phone number to reach them: (813) 223-3490.

      Reply

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