Alaska Creative Woodworkers association
a club for carvers, scrollers, and woodworkers
Woodworking Classes and Monthly Meetings
Woodworkers Monthly Meetings 2nd Tuesday of the Month.
Classes are held at the
Alaska Industrial Hardware Store (AIH)
2716 Commercial Dr, Anchorage, AK 99501
Monthly Meetings are held at the
Alaska Industrial Hardware Store (AIH)
2716 Commercial Dr, Anchorage, AK 99501
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$40.00 membership fee required to take classes, good for 1 year and covers a family,
Larry's Bar Stool
Date(s): February 21-22 and February 28-March 1.
Time: 10am to 4 pm. Lunch is not provided.
Where: Alaska Industrial Hardware Store, 2716 Commercial Drive, Anchorage
Class Description:
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What you will make: Bar stool and angled legs with wooden contoured seat.Tools you will use: Jointer, table saw, planer, bandsaw, various hand tools.DIY dowel maker, tools to shape the contour of the seat including power grinders.
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Knowledge and skills you will gain: Working with angled mortise and tenonjoints, carving tools to shape seat.
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Brief woodworking related biography of the instructor: 40 years as amateur woodworker, 10+ years building houses and remodeling, Furniture and cabinet making experience,Musical instrument building,Timber framing experience.
Age: Adults; Young adults 16+ You must be at least an advanced beginner or an intermediate woodworker to sign up for this class.
Number of Students: Class size is limited to 6 students
Tools: All tools are provided. You do not need to bring any tools.
Materials List: Your choice of wood. Skill learned; picking out appropriate wood.
Seat: 8/4 Approx. 14”X18”
Legs: 8/4 Approx. 2”X2” X28” X 4
Rails: 4/4 Approx. 1X4 X 72” in 14, 12 and 10 inch lengths.
Please contact the instructor if you have questions about the materials or any other issue.
Cost: Each student will provide own materials. $40 shop fee. Instructors fee $220 Total cost: $260
Club Membership: You must be an ACWA member to attend this class. Please click here to join the club
Cancellation Policy: Club membership is not refundable. Fees will be refunded on a case by case basis or if we can find someone to take the spot.
Contact: Instructor Larry Holman: holmanlarry750@gmail,com
Potting Bench
Date: April 4 and 5, 2026, continued April 11-12 if necessary
Time: 10am to 4 pm. Lunch is not provided.
Where: Alaska Industrial Hardware Store, 2716 Commercial Drive, Anchorage
Class Description:
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What you will make: A , sturdily constructed from 2x4’s with a large 2 ft by 6 ft table surface, a soil-sieving hatch-covered area, a lower storage shelf, and upper shelves. This project can be made of either hem/fir dimensional lumber, or cedar. A rough estimate of cost of materials (to be reconciled later*) is:
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Participants must specify in advance which wood option they would like, so the supplies can be acquired and delivered to the AIH shop.
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Tools you will use:Tape measures, various marking tools, handsaw, miter saw, jigsaw, drill/driver, tin snips, hammer.
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Knowledge and skills you will gain: Saw to a line, frame construction techniques, how to fit wood around projections, how to cut curves in wood. This project is relatively simple, involving mainly straightforward sawcutting methods and screw joinery.
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Brief woodworking related biography of the instructor:John Fritz has been a woodworker for many decades and has taught several ACWA woodworking classes. He has constructed this very potting bench design, with his then-12 year old son as assistant.
Age: Adults; Young adults 16+
Number of Students: Class size is limited to 5 students
Tools and Materials: All tools are provided. You do not need to bring any tools. Materials are provided, see note below.
Cost: $200 materials fee for hem/fir lumber; $450 for cedar. $40 shop fee. Instructors fee $10 Total cost: $250 or 500
*Exact materials fees will be determined after purchases, and participant costs adjusted accordingly*
**PARTICIPANTS MUST SPECIFY WOOD OPTION IN ADVANCE**
Club Membership: You must be an ACWA member to attend this class. Please click here to join the club
Cancellation Policy: Club membership is not refundable. Fees will be refunded on a case by case basis or if we can find someone to take the spot.
Contact: John Fritz 907-382-0290 twinblade88@hotmail.com
Shoe/Hall Bench with Storage & Doors
Date(s): Mar 21-22, 28-29
Time: 10am to 4 pm. Lunch is not provided.
Where: Alaska Industrial Hardware Store, 2716 Commercial Drive, Anchorage
Class Description:
1. What you will make: Shoe/Hall Storage with Doors using Red Oak
2. Tools you will use: Table Saw or track saw, Panel cutting jig, Biscuit Router, Hand Router, Router Table, Jointer, Dado blades, Band Saw, Hand Drill, Drill Press, Sander/sanding blocks Hand Chisels, Clamps.
3. Knowledge and skills you will gain: Making Sliding dovetail, Assembly without metal, glue-up of wide boards, Rabbetting doors for sliding doors, setting router heights, Dado set-up
4. Brief woodworking related biography of the instructor: 45 years of self-styled woodworking, mostly utilitarian pieces. Occasionally working in American Cherry hand cutting dovetails. Also working with recycled wood.
Age: Adults; Young adults 16+
Number of Students: Class size is limited to 4 students
Tools and Materials: All tools are provided. You do not need to bring any tools.
Cost: $310 materials fee. $40 shop fee. $20 Instructors fee Total cost: $370
Club Membership: You must be an ACWA member to attend this class.
Please click here to join the club
Cancellation Policy: Club membership is not refundable. Fees will be refunded
on a case by case basis or if we can find someone to take the spot.
Contact: Tom Rueter twrueter@gmail.com 907-223-2907
Chopsticks!
Date(s): Sunday March 15th, 2026
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Where: Alaska Industrial Hardware Store, 2716 Commercial Drive, Anchorage
Class Description:
1. What you will make: This year we are planning on making your choice of Japanese or Chinese chopsticks. After the class we will meet for dinner at Benihana (optional) for a chance to try out your new chopsticks.
2. Tools you will use: We will have two Bridge City Chopstick Master jigs and an assortment of walnut, maple, teak, wenge, padauk and African mahogany blanks to choose from. Also included is a nice cloth sleeve to keep your chopsticks in.
3. Knowledge and skills you will gain: Making chopsticks is a good exercise in hand planing wood both with and against the grain.
4. Brief woodworking related biography of the instructor: David Sundberg and Steve Thomas will be your instructors for this class. Both have been woodworking and involved with the club for many years.
Age: Adults; Young adults 16+
Number of Students: Class size is limited to 8 students
Tools and Materials: All tools are provided. You do not need to bring any tools.
Cost: $8 materials fee. $40 shop fee. Instructors fee Total cost: $48
Club Membership: You must be an ACWA member to attend this class. Please click here to join the club
Cancellation Policy: Club membership is not refundable. Fees will be refunded on a case by case basis or if we can find someone to take the spot.
Infinity X Side-Table
Date(s): Tuesdays Feb 17, 24 and March 3
Time: 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Where: Alaska Industrial Hardware Store, 2716 Commercial Drive, Anchorage
Class Description:
In this project, you will build a pretty cool looking “X” side-table, about 16” x 16” and 24” high. The project will test (and improve) your skills in precisely cutting bevels and tapers, and assembling various angled pieces together. Students can customize the size of the table; however, doing so might involve dusting off your trigonometry skills to get the correct angles!
Level: Students must have taken at least one previous ACWA class, and feel comfortable using the table saw.
Number of Students: Class size is limited to 6 students
Tools: All tools are provided. You do not need to bring any tools.
Materials: Students can provide their own wood. Alternatively, I can provide wood from Hardwood Specialties at cost.
Cost: $20 shop fee. $30 Instructors fee
Total cost: $50
Club Membership: You must be an ACWA member to attend this class. Please click here to join the club
Cancellation Policy: Club membership is not refundable. Fees will be refunded on a case by case basis or if we can find someone to take the spot.
Cribbage Board
Date(s): 3/7/26-3/8/26
Time: 10am to 4 pm. Lunch is not provided.
Where: Alaska Industrial Hardware Store, 2716 Commercial Drive, Anchorage
Class Description:
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What you will make: Sleeping Lady(Mt. Susitna) Cribbage Board
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Tools you will use: CNC Machine, Miter Saw, Sander.
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Knowledge and skills you will gain: How to set up a CNC job. Including learning software associated with operating the CNC, how to select and set up the proper toolpaths, and how to understand what the machine is doing. Plus more!
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Brief woodworking related biography of the instructor: My name is Dan Mahoney. I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering from UAA and I’ve been designing in 3D CAD for over 15 years. I built my first CNC machine in 2017 and started woodworking shortly after. I love the challenge of figuring out how to make something that no one has ever made before. I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge of CNC woodworking with you.
Age: Adults; Young adults 16+
Number of Students: Class size is limited to 4 students.
Tools and Materials: All tools are provided. You do not need to bring any tools.
Cost: $40 materials fee. $40 shop fee. Instructors fee $50 Total cost: $130
Club Membership: You must be an ACWA member to attend this class. Please click here to join the club
Cancellation Policy: Club membership is not refundable. Fees will be refunded on a case by case basis or if we can find someone to take the spot.
CNC Planter or Sign
Date(s): April 25th and 26th from 10-5
Time: See above. Lunch is not provided.
Where: Alaska Industrial Hardware Store; 2716 Commercial Dr., Anchorage
Class Description:
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What you will make: Students will design and rout the front panel of a planter box, or a sign.They will then construct a planter box incorporating the routed front piece, or will cut their sign to shape.
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Tools you will use: Computer, Origin CNC hand-held router for planter front piece or CNC Router engraving machine.Hand tools, table saw, mitre saw, and router for planter box construction.
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Knowledge and skills you will gain: How to use a hand held, CNC Origin Shaper, router engraver or a CNC Router Engraving machine; and construction of a simple box
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Brief woodworking related biography of the instructor:This class is taught by Amanda McGaha, expert at engraving, design, and using a CNC router, accomplished woodworker, and Sandy Mckinnis who has been building furniture and other woodworking projects for over 45 years.
Age: Adults; Young adults 16+
Number of Students: Class size is limited to 5 students
Tools and Materials: All tools are provided. You do not need to bring any tools.
Cost: $20 materials fee. $40 shop fee. Instructors fee: $20. Total cost: $80. $
Club Membership: You must be an ACWA member to attend this class. Please click here to join the club
Cancellation Policy: Club membership is not refundable. Fees will be refunded on a case by case basis or if we can find someone to take the spot.
Contact: Sandy Mckinnis @ akspeech@mtaonline.net.