I’ve had the pleasure of taking classes at the Mr. Sawdust School of Professional Woodworking since 2020 with Wally Kunkel. Wally has a lifetime of experience creating museum quality wood projects. He’s a genius with woodworking machines and hand tools along with explaining the various characteristics and nuances of wood. You’re always learning from a master with patience that gives off good vibes when you’re in his gorgeous workshop. The classes are fun and informative. Once you’ve taken the required hand tools and machine tools classes your eligible to participate in the many project classes offered. For the project classes we all work together milling and preparing parts to be shaped and joined to fit for each of our projects. Wally teaches us about all the clever jigs and fixture setups he’s created for each machine process that we complete. The hand tools are razor sharp and extremely well maintained. There’s always something new and interesting. If you have your own shop or plan to set one up, Wally’s an expert at restoring vintage machines and recommending inexpensive to heirloom quality hand tools. I highly recommend taking classes with Wally for a rare opportunity to be part of such a great community. I look forward to the next project with Wally. Below are some photos of various projects I’ve completed and some instructional videos of the awesome setups.

WHITE OAK,PINE, WALNUT AND EBONY GUITAR PLAYERS CHAIR. Design: Bruce Kunkel, Class Instruction: Wally Kunkel. Thank you Bill, Dan and Bobby for milling the spindles and steaming the backrest while I was out.
Chair design drawing and included jig design for drilling mortises in seat. Bruce J. Kunkel.
Thru tenon backrest spindles with ebony wedges
Top View. Steamed backrest with curved octagonal spindles.
Wally's steam generator and steam box ready to steam backrest. I wish I was there for the bending.
Forms for Bending curved backrest.
The many spindles Wally,Dan,Bill and Bobby milled.
Jig for drilling holes in seat. Bruce Kunkel/Wally Kunkel
Bobby drilling seat mortises for spindle tenon with drilling jig.
Carving the seat with bent gouges and a convex block plane.
Bent gouges for carving seat
Scribing the spindles to seat with just a sawcut
Gauges for turning tenons on octagonal spreader
Bobby drilling the hole in curved seat back. Notice the angle with elongated drill bit.
Bill with the spokeshave rounding the top of his backrest.
Assembled chair ready to measure stretcher length to mark for lathe turning tennon.
Another clever jig by Wally. Adjustable jig for cutting small wedges for spindles cut on vintage bandsaw updated with custom 3d printed dust collection ports.

Milling the Octagonal legs on the Williams and Hussey molder machine with a clever angled base jig.

Cutting the ebony wedges on the bandsaw.

Milling the octagonal seat spindle tenons on the Woodpeckers router table with a clever jig

Wally drilling the thru tenon mortise with the BB customtools standard spindle drilling guide in the curved seatback.

Cutting the curves on the seat spindles with a template sled guided along a wooden bearing.

PINE AND WHITE OAK SHAVE HORSE. Design: Bruce Kunkel, Class Instruction: Wally Kunkel. We were taught how to use the lathe safely for turning many of the parts. Machine and hand tools were used throughout the build.
SHAVEHORSE DESIGN: Bruce Kunkel
Parts finished before assembly.
Bill milling the octagonal legs on Williams and Hussey molder.

A safety lesson on the lathe with Wally

Completed 2 WALNUT SHAKER TABLES. Class used the skills learned in the required Hand and Power tools classes.
Finished with Minwax rub on satin oil finish 4 coats. Buffed with paper thanx Dan for the tip.
Hand cut half-blind pine dovetail tails.
Wally demonstrating Powermatic® mortiser on walnut drawer front.
Chisel block clamped for resting chisel against to clean up pine pin sockets.
Tapered legs taper jig with Destaco® clamps for use on tablesaw.
Wally demonstrating cutting taper on Sawstop® tablesaw.
Wally demonstrating top glueup. Notice wax paper protecting cherry wood from rust from clamp.
Drilling out walnut leg socket then cleaned up with chisel.
Tapered leg ready for glue.
Walnut legs and apron mortise and tenons.
Bill and Wally gluing up Bills cherry legs.

WHITE OAK,PINE, WALNUT AND EBONY GUITAR PLAYERS CHAIR. Design: Bruce Kunkel, Class Instruction: Wally Kunkel. Thank you Bill, Dan and Bobby for milling the spindles and steaming the backrest while I was out.

Chair design drawing and included jig design for drilling mortises in seat. Bruce J. Kunkel.

Thru tenon backrest spindles with ebony wedges

Top View. Steamed backrest with curved octagonal spindles.

Wally's steam generator and steam box ready to steam backrest. I wish I was there for the bending.

Forms for Bending curved backrest.

The many spindles Wally,Dan,Bill and Bobby milled.

Jig for drilling holes in seat. Bruce Kunkel/Wally Kunkel

Bobby drilling seat mortises for spindle tenon with drilling jig.

Carving the seat with bent gouges and a convex block plane.

Bent gouges for carving seat

Scribing the spindles to seat with just a sawcut

Gauges for turning tenons on octagonal spreader

Bobby drilling the hole in curved seat back. Notice the angle with elongated drill bit.

Bill with the spokeshave rounding the top of his backrest.

Assembled chair ready to measure stretcher length to mark for lathe turning tennon.

Another clever jig by Wally. Adjustable jig for cutting small wedges for spindles cut on vintage bandsaw updated with custom 3d printed dust collection ports.

PINE AND WHITE OAK SHAVE HORSE. Design: Bruce Kunkel, Class Instruction: Wally Kunkel. We were taught how to use the lathe safely for turning many of the parts. Machine and hand tools were used throughout the build.

SHAVEHORSE DESIGN: Bruce Kunkel

Parts finished before assembly.

Bill milling the octagonal legs on Williams and Hussey molder.

Completed 2 WALNUT SHAKER TABLES. Class used the skills learned in the required Hand and Power tools classes.

Finished with Minwax rub on satin oil finish 4 coats. Buffed with paper thanx Dan for the tip.

Hand cut half-blind pine dovetail tails.

Wally demonstrating Powermatic® mortiser on walnut drawer front.

Chisel block clamped for resting chisel against to clean up pine pin sockets.

Tapered legs taper jig with Destaco® clamps for use on tablesaw.

Wally demonstrating cutting taper on Sawstop® tablesaw.

Wally demonstrating top glueup. Notice wax paper protecting cherry wood from rust from clamp.

Drilling out walnut leg socket then cleaned up with chisel.

Tapered leg ready for glue.

Walnut legs and apron mortise and tenons.

Bill and Wally gluing up Bills cherry legs.

Architectural Details (click for more projects)

Furniture (click for more projects)