Woodworking for Weavers: Creating Flax Processing Tools w/John Henley

Woodworking for Weavers: Creating Flax Processing Tools w/John Henley

Weeklong Intensive Workshop

Date: August 10-14, 2026

Time: 10am-5pm Daily

Description: Hey flax growers, the workshop you have been waiting for has arrived. After a year of anticipation, John Henley is excited to lead Contemporary Craft's inaugural flax processing tool-making class.

In this weeklong intensive workshop, participants will make their own complete set of flax processing tools: a scutching knife, brake and hackle.

• Ripple (removes the seeds) and Hackle (combs/removes the short fibers (tow) and aligns the fibers): wood skills and tools unlocked: drill and hand tools
• Brake (breaks the cellulose core of the plant): wood skills and tools unlocked: ripping and cross-cutting wood, cutting joinery and assembly, installing hardware, and routing chamfer. Table saw, drill, mitre saw, router, hand tools, sander
• Scutching Knife (to remove bits of cellulose): wood skills and tool unlocked: shaping and carving. Bandsaw, sander, rasp, file, chisel

This intensive week will include practical exercises that introduce students to the entire woodshop. Students will learn foundational processes of woodworking, including how to carve, shape, and assemble multiple pieces with joinery techniques. John will guide students through lessons in the material characteristics of wood applied to create a functional object, from initial design considerations through to the finishing of three tools.

Throughout the course, shop etiquette and safety will be in constant consideration.

No woodworking experience is necessary (or expected)! This is a comprehensive course covering the basics of wood and working with it.

Tuition: $500 + $75 materials fee

Materials: All materials will be provided.

Note: We really want you to join us in the studio! Full and partial tuition scholarships are available—with some limitations— to offset some of the financial burden of attending a class.

For more details or to apply for a scholarship, visit the application here. You can expect to hear from someone on the CC staff within 2 weeks.

If you have any questions, email Jamie Boyle, Fibers Program Manager, at jboyle@contemporarycraft.org, or leave a voice message for them at 412-465-1628.

Location: Contemporary Craft Timmons Studios (5688 Butler St., Pittsburgh, PA 15201)

We strive to create a welcoming experience. If there are accessibility accommodations we can provide, or if there is anything you would like us to know before you arrive, please feel free to call Jamie Boyle at 412-465-1628 or email jboyle@contemporarycraft.org.

Cancellations and Refunds: Weeklong intensive workshop cancellations are decided two weeks before the start date. If workshops must be cancelled due to insufficient enrollment, the entire class fee will be refunded by check, to your credit card, or Contemporary Craft account for future workshops.

Refund Policy: Student refund requests must be made at least two weeks before a class begins. There will be a $45 cancellation fee. No refunds will be given without two weeks notice. Processing of refunds takes approximately three weeks.