Rockler: The Beauty of Wood Demonstrations

About This Event

Thank you to our Sponsor Rockler Woodworking & Hardware
Register here for April 13 – Grilling Tool Set Demo
Register here for May 11 – Planting Boxes Demo
Register here for June 8 – Adirondack Chair Demo

1:30pm-3:00pm
2nd Saturdays of Each Month
Free for Arboretum Members
Free with admission

January 12 – Whirly Gig Demo with Bet Sharry
Love seeing that interesting garden art or having the kids play with traditional whirligigs? Come out to the LA Arboretum and learn how to make your very own. These can be hanging from the patio or mounted on a post to place in your garden. Tis is an easy craft that both kids and adults can enjoy.

Bet Sharry has been woodworking for 40 years and enjoys sharing her knowledge to inspire others. She has worked for Rockler Woodworking for 14 years.

February 9 – Picture Frame Demo with Mike Ward
Come and see how easy it is to make a custom picture frame to display your prized photos.

Mike Ward has been woodworking for more than 20 years. His interests are in furniture making and the restoration and use of hand tools for woodworking. He is currently the assistant manager at the Rockler Store in Orange and conducts many of the Saturday demonstrations and several of the topic specific classes at the store.

March 9 – Sign Making for the Garden with Mike Durlak
Mike will share his secrets on how to make a custom personalized sign for your home or garden with easy to use templates and a small hand held router. He will discuss and demonstrate outdoor finishing techniques that will insure your projects will look great for years to come. Bring your questions on outdoor woodworking and finishing as we will have plenty of time to share knowledge and help you”kick off” those projects you’ve been holding back on.

Mike Durlak is a lifelong, fifty plus years, passionate and skilled woodworker who enjoys participating in a variety of woodworking disciplines such as woodcarving, furniture making, and many outdoor projects. he is a prior student of Palomar College’s nationally recognized Cabinet Making & Furniture Technology Program and has presented numerous skill building sessions at Rockler Woodworking & Hardware in their San Diego store and has been a guest instructor at many southern California woodworking clubs. He has made several HomePro TV guest appearances on “Good Morning San Diego.”

April 13 – Make a Custom Grilling Tool Set with Jeanette Gonzales
Jeanette has been active in the Los Angeles area woodworking community for nearly twenty years and there aren’t too many local woodworkers with whom she is not acquainted. She actively supports “green” practices among the local woodworking community by working to reclaim wood from our local “urban forest” at green waste dumps and processing it into specialty wood products, such as green (un-dried) blocks that can be turned into bowls or other beautiful words of functional and decorative art.

May 11 – Planting Boxes with Lou Barceló
Learn how to build sturdy and environmentally friendly planter boxes for growing delicious herbs and veggies using only basic hand tools.

Lou Barceló is an avid woodworker, furniture maker, teacher, and finisher with more than 20 years of experience and is currently the manager of the Torrance Rockler store. Lou also enjoys growing herbs and vegetables for use in the kitchen.

June 8 – Building Comfy Adirondack Chairs with Don Chafey
Using just a couple of common carpentry tools, Don will show how to cut wood to size and assemble it into an attractive and amazingly comfortable Adirondack style chair.

Having worked many years in the film industry (with credits in The Shadow (1994), Malice (1993), and Hook (1991), Don now turns his expertise to making his own works of art and teaching others how to do the same while using materials and inspirations at hand.