Fine Decorative Boxes Workshop with Andrew Crawford – July 27, 2024
The Monterey Bay Woodworkers will host a one-day fine decorative box making workshop with British master craftsman Andrew Crawford (see bio below).
Andrew will demonstrate the techniques and jigs he uses to make his exquisite fine wooden boxes and cases for commission clients around the world.
This will be Andrew’s first visit to the United States, where he is scheduled to teach several wooden box making classes at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking in Indiana. Andrew then plans to spend some time traveling through out California, and fortunately for Monterey Bay area woodworkers, we secured an entire day of his vacation schedule to immerse ourselves in the intricate details of making custom handmade wooden boxes.
This full-day workshop is open to all woodworking enthusiasts, at a cost of $100 per participant (will be less if workshop is full), and will be limited to 20 participants. This workshop is expected to sell out, so reserve your spot early to attend.
Workshop Details:
- Location – Monterey Coast Door & Supply 2226 Del Monte Ave, Monterey, CA
- Parking – In MCDS parking lot and along Ramona Ave
- Schedule – 9:00am – 5:30pm (9-9:30 Coffee/Donuts, 12-1 Lunch Break)
- Payment – Collected at the door
Things to Bring: Any small boxes to show or ask questions about, a note pad, and camera (phone). You can bring a lunch, or Bi-Rite Market is a short walk around the corner on Casa Verde Way, and they have a great sandwich counter.
Contact Greg Swenson at montereybaywoodworkers@gmail.com to inquire or RSVP.
BIO – ANDREW CRAWFORD has been making boxes for almost 40 years. In between times, he was also a professional flute player until a short illness put a stop to that in 2016. Andrew has written three popular books on box making, The Book of Boxes (1993), Fine Decorative Boxes (1997), and Celebrating Boxes (with Peter Lloyd, 2001). A fourth title, The Incomplete Guide to Box Making is planned to be available in time by his first appearance at Marc Adams School of Woodworking. During his career making commissioned boxes and cases for clients around the world he became known for curved form, fine veneered, and inlaid pieces. In the process he has developed a select range of skills and techniques distilled from many disciplines. He has never made furniture, and as a result his approach to fine box making is not derived from it, being more closely related to musical instrument making than it is to traditional cabinetmaking. The processes he teaches have been developed specifically with small, detailed items in mind. His experience as a box maker has led him to develop his highly acclaimed and best-in-class box hardware, smartWare. This includes the legendary smartHinge (the original and best stay-less side-rail stop hinge), smartLock and the newest addition, the smartButt. He has also developed the smartCorner, a jig designed to easily and accurately square off the outside corners of router cut inlay grooves. The hundreds of positive testimonials on his smartBoxmaker website are testament to the quality and popularity of his teaching. One such reads: “For the aspiring cellist to spend three days with Yo-Yo Ma would be something special, certainly. For an aspiring box maker to spend three days one-on-one with Andrew Crawford is similar . . .”
The Monterey Bay Woodworkers only have one day with Andrew Crawford, but the instruction and inspiration can last a lifetime. RSVP now!