The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM) in St. Michaels, MD has announced new summer boatshop programs for woodworkers or anyone with a desire to build. The programs begin June 7 and continue through August 8, with space limited and pre-registration needed.
CBMM’s Friday Open Boat Shop program takes place on the evenings of June 7, July 26, August 9, and August 23, and invites members of the public to work on a small woodworking project of their own, or to bring ideas for a longer term project. Participants will receive the advice and guidance of an experienced shipwright and woodworker, and can expect assistance with CBMM’s machinery and tools, plans, measurements, and the execution of their small-scale project. Projects could include plans for a small gift, frames, furniture, models, artwork, and more. The Friday Open Boat Shop program runs from 5:30-8:30pm and costs $20 per session for CBMM members and $30 per session for non-members. Space is limited with pre-registration required by calling 410-745-4941. Participants must be 16 or older, unless accompanied by an adult.
On June 8 and June 9, CBMM invites the public’s participation in an Oar Making weekend workshop from 10am to 4pm. Participants will be able to handcraft their own set of white pine oars to use specific to their vessel, or just for decoration. The two-day workshop is $50 for CBMM members and $75 for non-members, plus the cost of materials (approximately $50), with space limited. Pre-registration is needed by June 5 by calling 410-745-4941. When registering, be sure to specify what type of vessel the oars are for and a CBMM shipwright will help you determine the proper dimensions.
On Friday, July 12, a Bronze Casting Demonstration will be held in the boatyard from 10am-12noon. Participants will listen to Mariner’s Museum Conservator Will Hoffman as he discusses the casting replication project of one of the USS Monitor’s artifacts, including iron and bronze parts. Following the discussion, Hoffman and nationally-renowned sculpture artist and Shepherd University professor Christian Benefiel will cast a replication of an oarlock from the Monitor in bronze using traditional pattern and molding methods. The cost for the demonstration is $30 for members and $50 for non-members, with registration required by July 10 to 410-745-4941.
From July 18 through July 21, a four-day bronze casting workshop with Will Hoffman and Christian Benefiel will have participants learning the intricacies of bronze casting, including creating molds, working the sand and furnace, and pouring the hot metal. Participants take home a working knowledge of casting metal and their own creation cast in bronze. Held from 9am to 4pm on all four days, the workshop for ages 16 and up is $160 for members and $200 for non-members, plus the cost of materials (approximately $100). Pre-registration is required by July 12 by calling 410-745-4941.
On August 8 from 5-6pm, the public is invited to the boat shop to see a lathe demonstration. A lathe is a machine tool that operates the wooden work piece on its axis to perform various operations such as cutting, sanding, knurling, drilling, and more. Learn how to turn an object safely––a bowl, furniture piece, whatever you’re working on. The cost is $10 for members, and $25 for non-members with registration needed by calling 410-745-4941.
For more information, or to pre-register for any of these workshops, contact Helen Van Fleet at 410-745-4941. All classes have limited participation, and take place in or around CBMM’s boatshop in St. Michaels, MD. Visit www.cbmm.org for more information.