Popular Woodworking 2004-12 № 145, страница 90

does to educate woodworkers. In other countries, a child was raised to be a woodworker if his father was a woodworker. And while many other fields in the United States require schooling and a license to practice (electricians, plumbers, etc.), anyone in the United States can "become" a woodworker without any prior education. Adam s saw a need.

He sold his business and used the money to buy all-new equipment to start a woodworking school. The first year, Adams taught 16 classes, allowing 10 students in each class. "It nearly killed me," he says. "There were no assistants, no additional staff." He knew he needed instructors.

The next year Adam s managed to get high-profile names such as R. Bruce Hoadley and Roger Cliffe to teach at his school. Since then he has stuck to a strict set of guidelines of who he allows to teach. "I will not compromise the quality of who I bring here," he says. One of Adams's strengths is his uncanny ability to get hard-to-find woodworkers from around the world to teach each year - he also turns many instructors down.

Today Adams also has 10 full-time assistants during the school season (April through October). Three of those assistants, Herman Bueno, Zane Powell and Doug Dale, work year-round. Dale drives 100 miles one-way each day to assist at the school.

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The 20,000-square-foot air-conditioned facility looks like a barn from the outside. Inside, there are two power-tool room s, three bench rooms, a multimedia/cafeteria room and a multi-purpose room scheduled to open in April 2005. Each instructor's bench has two 35"-wide TVs tethered to cameras that allow students to see an instructor's presentation up-close. Each student gets a bench, rubber mat and stool. Although there typically are three classes and 60-plus students working in the school on any day, it never feels crowded.

The two tool rooms include 10 table saws, 13 band saws, eight planers, nine jointers, 18 Oneway lathes, eight drill presses, 25 scroll saws, 10 miter saws, two shapers, eight router tables, three large down-draft tables, two 37"-inch drum sanders, six oscillating drum sanders, 10 mortising machines, four vacuum presses, 65 workbenches, more than 800 clamps and thousands of hand tools.

Steve Weaver works on a project in a "mastering woodworking" class. This is one of the three bench rooms in Adams's 20,000-square-foot facility.

Remarkably, Adams's school isn't sponsored by any manufacturers. He personally buys every machine and tool that's in his school - he refuses to accept gifts, donations or trades. As far as choosing brands, he maintains a wide variety of machines and tools his students can choose from. This enables students to try several brands before making a major purchase. This also ensures instructors will have the machine or tool they're most comfortable with on hand. His stationary power equipment includes brands such as Jet, Powermatic, Delta, General and Felder.

There are, however, certain exceptions. For example, when turning, everyone has to have the same lathe as the instructor. Therefore, after much research, Adams chose Oneway lathes. The students also all have the same

benches. Adams recently spent more than $30,000 on brand-new Lie-Nielsen benches. For several years Adams worked with the company to design the bench, which cost him $1,800 each.

The tools and machines don't go unused in the winter months. Manufacturers send their employees for training on their tools. This enables the employees the ability to ask questions and work with their machines and tools without worrying about outside criticism. Adams also hosts corporate outings. Employees will work on developing leadership skills while building one big project together, such as a new conference table.

Adams says he isn't interested in running classes year-round for a couple reasons. One, Indiana's winters can be harsh, making travel continued on page 98

Students can see instructor Stephen Proctor's demonstration up-close thanks to two TVs tethered to cameras. Two assistants operate the cameras.

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