Take your woodworking skills to an entirely new level with Woodworking Tips, Tricks, and Secrets. Totaling over 11 total hours of content, master woodworker George Vondriska’s lectures are your go-to resource for essential skills, advanced techniques, and project tips–so you can enjoy your shop time like never before.
Woodworking Tips, Tricks, and Secrets
Go inside a professional workshop for step-by-step walkthroughs of everything from shop-built project aids to tool maintenance and upkeep to more advanced lessons on sanding, cutting, measuring, bending, stabilizing, gluing, charging, cleaning, protecting, and much more.
Rated 5 out of
5
by
jim O from
Can't access plans?
George is terrific and enjoyed it.
But why do I not have access to the plans he was talking about?
Paritcularly for lesson 9.
Date published: 2023-12-29
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Bill E from
references to "source material" only on DVDs
I bought the online version only (not DVD). Each lesson is full of tips I can use in my workshop. My only issue is that for some ideas, the products or parts used are "sourced on the dvd." Example, the 3/4" bearing for the 22/32" router bit in lesson 5. These sources are not in the online documentation and, therefore, I can't access it. I've done some searching online myself but to no avail (yet). Wish the accompanying material listed the sources for what is referenced in the videos. Still, 5 stars for this video collection.
Date published: 2023-02-04
Rated 5 out of
5
by
DonR2 from
Cool
Has really great tips for making me a more proficient and professional woodworker...only half way through and have already got more than the price in value
Date published: 2022-10-23
Rated 5 out of
5
by
RGMozartReview from
Each lecture is packed.
George is a great teacher. He's clear, he has boat-loads of small tips and huge timesavers to help noob woodworkers along. The topper to it all: he provides a great example of how to stay safe during all phases of a day's woodworking. I cannot recommend this course too highly.
Thanks, Master Vondriska!
Date published: 2022-02-24
Rated 4 out of
5
by
FeldspArt from
Generally very good.
This course provides excellent information helpful to woodworkers of all levels and I highly recommend it. It does have several weaknesses. 1) Each "Lecture" is divided into numerous segments, often totally unrelated. The problem is, there is no index to these segments so trying to find a particular segment to watch again is difficult. I ended up making my own index as I viewed the lectures using just the title and starting point of the video. 2) While the segments are good, the range of equipment used far exceeds what I own and what many home workshops own (jointer, planer, bandsaw, hand router, punch router, router table, drill press, lathe, etc.) It would be helpful to get tips on how to work around not owning a specific piece of equipment when possible. 3) There is some repetition within the various segments, though this isn't a major issue, just something I noticed. All that said, I still learned a lot from this and have already used a number of the tips in my own early-stage workshop. Highly recommended.
Date published: 2021-05-23
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Pigg Sign Co from
Excellent and wide range of shop tips
Well done presentations with good illustrations and camera work. Safe operations were well demonstrated along with the background reason for following that procedure. Great shortcut and jig creating instructions.
Date published: 2020-07-10
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Ron1987 from
Great course
I got this recently and couldn't stop watching it. I learned so much. Not just woodworking but tool care, safety knowledge on finishes and adhesives. The list goes on. Great course.
Date published: 2020-05-20
Rated 5 out of
5
by
hobbitgp from
True to the title there are numerous tips & tricks
I really enjoyed the presentation style. There is a lot of good information here. It is clear and concise. The sound and video quality is excellent. The author has a fun and quirky personality. He has a great love for his craft and it shows.
Date published: 2020-05-03
Overview
About
George Vondriska has been teaching woodworking since 1986. In addition to teaching classes at his own Vondriska Woodworks School, George has taught at woodworking shows and retail stores across the country, in Africa as part of the Peace Corps, and for organizations from Andersen Window to Northwest Airlines. He has even taught woodworking at the Pentagon.
After getting his B.S. in Science Education at the University of St. Thomas and a teaching degree in Technical Education from the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Mr. Vondriska began his career as a woodworking educator at ShopSmith Academy. Since then, he has taught at or helped develop curriculum for woodworking education programs around the world.
Beyond his work in education, Mr. Vondriska volunteers as an Assistant Scoutmaster and Woodworking Merit Badge Counselor for the Boy Scouts of America. He also runs guitar building sessions for Guitars 4 Vets, a program that provides acoustic guitars and music lessons to injured military veterans.
Mr. Vondriska is the Managing Editor of the WoodWorkers Guild of America. He has also written for American Woodworker Magazine, Fine Woodworking, WOOD, and Woodworkers Journal. He holds a U.S. Patent, issued in February 2008, for inventing the tenon cutting router bit.
Trailer
01: Great Shop Tips: Tricks of the Trade Volume 1
In this first lecture on enhancing your woodworking skills, Mr. Vondriska introduces you to a host of tips and tricks, including how to mask cracks with baking soda and CA glue; how to make preliminary scoring cuts to improve cut quality on the table saw; and how to more efficiently use your belt sander.
81 min
02: Great Shop Tips: Tricks of the Trade Volume 2
Learn how to build a picture frame on a router table. Discover how cutting shallow glue gutters makes it easier, and less messy, when gluing on wood moldings. Explore a method for curving wood that doesn't require steam or a band saw. Use a jointer to square a warped piece of wood.
76 min
03: Great Shop Tips: Tricks of the Trade Volume 3
Mr. Vondriska invites you into his workshop for more woodworking lessons. In this lecture, you'll learn how to make your own clamp pads and handles; how to pick up small tool spills in seconds; how to build a custom sanding block; how to better manage your power cords; and more.
59 min
04: Great Shop Tips: Tricks of the Trade Volume 4
Explore a shop-based solution for stabilizing pieces of wood on your bench; learn how to transform screw pockets into decorative accents for your projects; practice smarter ways for tuning up a smoothing plane to get paper-thin shavings; and other invaluable tips and tricks.
96 min
05: Great Shop Tips: Tricks of the Trade Volume 5
How can you make better cuts to get the right dimensions on furniture projects the first time? What are some ways to extend the life of your router and router table? What's the most effective way to tune up your jointer? Get answers to these and other woodworking questions.
84 min
06: Great Shop Tips: Tricks of the Trade Volume 6
Among the discoveries you'll make in this lecture are methods for squaring your drill press table, ways to use a mirror to to ensure holes drilled by hand are perpendicular, proper approaches to tightening the tension on your band saw's v-belt, tricks for applying waterborne finishes with a foam brush, and more.
60 min
07: Great Shop Tips: Tricks of the Trade Volume 7
Join Mr. Vondriska for a closer look at even more woodworking tricks. Among the topics you'll cover here are making arts-and-crafts knobs in your shop, building a handy push pad for your router, working optimally with plastic laminates, and using a table saw to make raised panels (and save money).
75 min
08: Great Shop Tips: Tricks of the Trade Volume 8
Continue to increase your confidence as a woodworker with expert advice and information on different kinds of glues (and their strengths and weaknesses for specific projects), transforming new brass hinges into antique wonders, making your steel rulers easier to use, and a smarter way to sand.
81 min
09: Great Shop Tips: Tricks of the Trade Volume 9
Biscuit joiners, handheld routers, table saws - discover tips for getting the most out of these and other tools in your workshop. Plus, learn techniques for getting perfect cuts on a miter saw, achieving the right depth when turning a bowl, and making tighter dadoes.
90 min
10: Clever Project & Workshop Solutions
Focus on shop-made problem solvers that can help you accomplish your woodworking projects with greater ease, whether you're picking the perfect dado location, cross-cutting tiny pieces of wood, tracking the holes you make with a plunge router, or accurately cutting pieces of wood prone to chipping.
57 min
11: Shop Made Problem Solvers
In this last lecture, learn how to work with sodium hydroxide, how to repair hairline cracks, how to improve your workflow (like storing brushes while varnishing, building shop-made stir sticks, or clamping irregular surfaces), and tips for getting the most out of sandpaper (especially for finishing a project).
69 min
