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Class FAQ For images, see our Chairs Gallery. Q. How long do classes last? A. Classes are five consecutive days, Monday through Friday. Our two side chair classes are four days long. We do not offer weekend or evening classes. Q. What are class hours? A. Class begins at 8:30 each day and goes until 5:30. The staff opens the doors at 7:45 for people who wish to come in early and work. We do not work evenings. Q. What level of experience do I have to have? A. You do not need any experience. Making a Windsor is so different from cabinetmaking everyone is a beginner. In every class the students' woodworking skills range from beginner to advanced. Everyone does quite well. Q. Will Mike Dunbar teach the class? A. Mike is part of every class. We team teach. Demonstrations are done by different staff members. Mike does a large percentage of those demonstrations. After the demo, the staff (including Mike) works with the students. Q. Why do I have to take sack back first? A. We use sack back to teach Windsor chairmaking. In this class we teach the techniques that are common to all Windsors. We do not repeat this information in advanced classes. In sack back we also teach the language of Windsor chairmaking. A student in an advanced class who had not first taken sack back, would understand very little of what we were saying. Q. What can I do if my age or handicap would prevent from keeping up with the class? A. We have an audit program. It is $100 less than the regular tuition for a class. The audit student is part of the class and participates on every level, except making the chair. We send audit students home with all the materials needed to make a chair, plus all our written materials for that chair. That way, the audit can make a chair at home working at his or her own pace. Q. I want to come with a friend, child, or spouse? Do we both have to pay? A. If two people build just one chair and occupy just one vise space, they pay only one tuition. Lots of people choose to do this. Q. How do I sign up? A. There is no registration form. Contact us either by email or phone to reserve a spot. You can either give us a credit card number, or send a check. Your deposit triggers your confirmation packet. This letter contains a letter confirming you in the class you chose, a daily schedule of the class, directions to The Institute, a list of motels, and a tool list. You will not receive any paperwork from us until we receive your deposit. Q. What if I do not have all the tools on the tool list? A. Our classroom is very well equipped. If you forget any tools, or do not wish to buy them, we have lots that you can use. Q. Can I ship my tools? A. Students who do not wish to carry their tools with them are very welcome to ship them. Ship them a week or more in advance of the class and they will be waiting for you when you arrive. We will take care of shipping them back to you. The shipper will send them UPS and charge the freight to your credit card. You are also welcome to have new tools you purchase shipped here. They will be waiting for you when you arrive. Q. How do I get my chair home? A. If you are driving, the chair should easily fit into any car. In even a small car, a sack back will fit upside down and backwards in the rear seat. The least expensive way to ship a chair is to dry assemble it. We disassemble your chair at the end of the class and box the parts. The box is small and flat, just a little bit bigger than a brief case. You can ship the box, or even take it on a plane. You will have about 45 minutes work at home to assemble the chair. The next option is to completely assemble the under carriage, but to dry assemble the back. We can then disassemble the chair and send the stool and loose parts in a small, 24 X 24 X 24 inch box. You will have about a 20 minutes work at home to complete the permanent back assembly. This option too, can be taken on a plane. If you want to ship a completed chair, we can take care of this, as well. We have custom double-walled boxes that cost us $25 each. We ask you to reimburse us this amount. A shipper picks up both the box and chair at The Institute. He packs the chair and ships it. He then, charges packing and shipping to your credit card. Being in business, the shipper ships chairs at UPS retail, which is somewhat more expensive than regular UPS charges. Because a chair is over-sized, UPS applies a $50 penalty to the shipping. Call The Parcel Place at (603) 964-8555 for a quote to ship your unassembled chair, your partially assembled, or your completed chair home from Hampton. Q. Where is Hampton? A. New Hampshire has 18 miles of seacoast tucked in between Massachusetts and Maine. Hampton is right in the middle of that coastline. It is a picturesque port town with beaches, fishing, whale watching, lots of seafood, etc. Q. Are there motels and restaurants nearby? A. There are numerous motels within a couple of miles of The Institute. When you sign up we send you a confirmation packet that contains a list of motels. Q. Which airport should I fly into? A. Boston and Manchester airports are equidistant from the shop -- about 45 miles away. Manchester is a smaller airport and is usually easier to get in and out of. Also, rental cars tend to be cheaper there. Q. What time should I schedule my return trip? A. Most classes end about 5:30 on Friday. That makes it very difficult to catch an early evening flight. We suggest booking return flights late Friday evening or on Saturday morning. Q. What do we do about lunch? A. There is a New York style deli about 2 miles from the shop. They offer us a fixed-price menu. Six dollars buys a very large sandwich and a soda. Each day the staff takes the sandwich order and phones it in. We pick up the sandwiches when they are ready. The shop has a complete kitchen. If you choose, you can bring a lunch or, keep food in the refrigerator and prepare your own meal. Q. I am planning on bringing my family. Is there anything for them to do? A. Hampton is a resort area. If you wish to bring your spouse or family they will find lots to do. The New Hampshire seacoast is renown for its theaters, museums, shops and restaurants. Numerous outlet malls are within a short drive from The Institute. The beaches are about the same distance. Boston; Manchester, NH; Portland, Maine; and the scenic White Mountains are all about 45 miles away. While your family is welcome to visit The Institute, it is not an appropriate place for children to spend the day. The shop has a conference room/library that a spouse or other adults will find quite comfortable. Q. Do you have copies of Make a Windsor Chair with Michael Dunbar for sale, or know where I can get one? A. That book has been out of print for a long time. We don't have copies for sale. They pop up on Ebay, but are expensive. The book is also out of date. Mike has greatly improved his chairmaking techniques and designs since he wrote that book in 1984. He does not recommend trying to use it. Q. Can I take photographs, or make a video or an audio recording of the class? A. You are welcome to take photos. We cannot allow video or audio recordings. Q. Can I bring a pet? A. We are not able to accommodate pets either in the building or on the grounds. We can recommend local boarding facilities. |
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