Samoylenko Wood Shop - The Fenn School

Roger Fenn, The Fenn School’s founder, understood the value of hands-on learning for boys, and he planted the seeds of today’s expansive arts program by establishing a wood shop course.

Wood Shop Curriculum

Grade 4

For over ninety years, fourth grade boys have built a toolbox as one of their first forays into the shop. In addition to that project, fourth grade boys build simple small boxes with lids and bird houses. In completing both projects, students learn elemental woodworking concepts and skills: grain characteristics; wood species selection; squaring up rough stock; accurate measurement and marking; use and care of essential hand tools; the joinery techniques of driving nails and countersinking screws; and smoothing and finishing their completed projects.

Grade 5

Fifth grade students construct a Shaker style pegboard or hanging shelves. The project reinforces the principles learned in fourth grade and introduces skills such as the use and care of a drill press, chisel and mallet, end vise, bench dogs, router plane, dado cutter, router template jigs, and various kinds of clamps. Fifth graders also learn how to cut and use the Dado joint.

Grade 6

Sixth grade students create a live edge bench. The project builds on techniques acquired in Lower School and introduces the use of a milling machine, mortising machine, mortise and corner chisel, and scraper plane. Students first consider the dimensions of the bench based on how and where their bench will be used. They then determine a design for the legs and stretcher that complement the natural curves and grain pattern of the live edged slab of wood they selected for the seat. Boring and chiseling through mortise and tusk tenon to exacting measurements requires a high degree of patience, attention, and care. Students finish their work coaxing the beauty out of the wood as they sand, scrape, oil, and wax their bench to a soft luster.

Grade 7

Seventh grade students make a set of Shaker style nesting boxes. In order to complete the project, students learn about wood grain dynamics and select a proper wood species for the boxes. They then prepare their rough stock using a power planer, thickness sander, band saw, rotary disc sander, large stationary belt sander, and hand sanding blocks. Students steam bend the wood and join the boxes with clenched copper pins and then mix and apply their own milk paint, oil finish and beeswax polish.

Upper School (Grades 8 & 9)

Upper School Wood Shop students have developed the skills, confidence, and mindfulness necessary to take on projects that are typically beyond the reach of Middle School students. This is a time to explore the boundaries of what is possible in wood making. Recent projects have included building Moravian style work benches, a cedar strip canoe, laminated skateboard decks, ship half hulls, and both dreadnought and jumbo style steel string acoustic guitars.

For decades, Fenn boys have learned how to make simple projects like toolboxes, as well as complex projects like acoustic guitars and ship half hulls. They have received training to successfully research and design their own original pieces.- Paul Heinze, Wood Shop Teacher