Kanawa Tsugi: Japanese Scarf Joinery

Traditional Japanese joinery, with its intricacy, precision, and strength, is awe-inspiring, and very enticing to any woodworker. But learning how to cut these joints can be a challenge regardless of your skill level. Layout doesn’t rely on straight and square reference faces, and determining the order in which to cut things can be tricky.

Join Andrew Hunter in this class where you will create a "kanawa tsugi" joint, translated as a half-blind tenoned, dadoed, and rabbeted scarf joint. Used in Japan for centuries to splice two members together end to end, it creates a single longer one capable of sustaining multidirectional forces. It's an excellent place to start exploring non-Western joinery. Designed to be cut without power tools, you will learn to cut this joint by hand, with just chisels and planes. 

Layout is the hardest and most important part of the joint. Instead of working off two straight and square reference faces adjacent to each other, everything works off a centerline. You’ll use an ingenious story stick that, with five layout lines and a precise width, contains the keys to the whole joint.

Dates: Sat./Sun., Aug. 24-25, 9 AM - 5 PM
Instructor: Andrew Hunter
Class size (max.): 6
Attendance (min.): 4*
Skill level: beginner/intermediate
Prerequisites: experience with hand tools is helpful but not necessary

Registration
Household Member & Above: $325**
Individual Member: $340**
General Public: $375
Register By: Aug. 18

Materials: $25 (included at checkout)

*Classes that do not meet the minimum attendance number may be cancelled or rescheduled. If so, you will receive a full refund, or class credit, regardless of the cancellation date.

**We encourage students to become members (for as little as $30/year) to receive 10-15% off class tuition. You must be a current member on the date of registering to receive your discount. Please login to activate your member discount. To become a new member, please sign up here, or call 845-338-0071.

Instructor: Andrew Hunter is a former college athlete who gets his exercise these days working wood with hand tools, playing volleyball, and doing tai chi. He’s largely self-taught in furniture making, but spent time with millwright Jim Kricker reproducing period waterwheels and timber-frame buildings. He now specializes in Japanese and Chinese woodworking and joinery techniques.