Scenes from the last classes in Hangzhou

On March 11th my employer saw fit to fire me as a woodworking instructor.  He and his partner had decided to focus the business efforts on increasing membership and put less energy into instruction. I finished out the busiest month of my tenure there. Here are a few photos from those classes.

Layout skills

Cutting 4 pieces to the same length

This was class #1, which although explicitly a prerequisite for the succeeding classes, I taught few sessions of.

Chopping the waste after making stop cuts

Proper use of a combination square

Ably observed by my assistant, Lao Wang

A triumvirate of satisfied students

 Some examples of the promotional materials that accompanied my class offerings. It says that I teach American style woodworking.

Marketing

The free English lessons are an added bonus!

Class #5 introduces dovetailing and, in theory, builds upon the skills from lessons #1 and #2. This was the first class with me for these four students.

Fully on task

Ryoba saw for cutting dovetails

Trimming flush with a blockplane

Ably assisted as usual

Second day: rush to the finishing line

Brace and bit

I also hosted a banker for a series of classes. He proudly arrived in class #1 with a set of Lie-Nielsen paring chisels with leather roll. His work schedule: 6 days on, 2 days off, dictated the erratic class dates. He worked with me for thee classes in total, having the April classes cancelled, and being the only student to have taken class #3. Despite his membership in the parasitic class, I did not find myself with the usual urge to throttle enemies of the proletariat.

Ripping the bottom panel to size

Shaving bench put to proper use

Inspecting a tapered chair leg

He posted the results of his efforts on his own wechat account.

Class #1

Candle box, class #2

class #2

Mallets, class #3

Staked stool, class #3