Classes at NAWCC School of Horology

Traditional Enameling WS-222

Many clock dials used in the 19th and early 20th centuries were produced by this traditional art process. Watch cases of this period also featured enamel work. Enamel is glass fused to metal at high heat. Vitreous enamels are finely ground glass, coming from oxides they may be opaque or transparent. Students will be taught the history and traditional enameling procedures. Students will work at creating a piece of enamel they can take home.
6/6/2015 8:30 AM – 6/7/2015 4:30 PM
NAWCC School of Horology
514 Poplar Street
Columbia, PA 17512

Beginner’s Gilding WS-311

This workshop will cover the history of gilding, including water, oil, and non-traditional gilding. Students will exercise the ten-step process of water gilding to complete a project. They will also oil gild a pre-turned finial and learn how to gild straight lines with non-traditional gilding. In addition, demonstrations on re-cutting, patinization, and specialty gilding disciplines will be given by the instructor.

7/13/2015 8:30 AM – 7/17/2015 5:00 PM
Perry Conservation Studio
Topton, PA

Finishing Wood WS-312

This workshop will cover the history of shellac and its various applications. French polishing resin period additives and amalgamating a finish will also be discussed. Students will build a finish on sample boards, using shellac and a brush. Sample boards will be French polished from start to finish; each student will learn to amalgamate a failing, oxidizing finish. Traditional pore filling will be experienced, and color imperfection touching-in and in-painting will be demonstrated. Hiding color imperfections by shellac layering will be discussed; repairing and restoring French Bollé surfaces, ebonizing wood, and building a black shellac finish also will be discussed.
8/3/2015 8:30 AM – 8/7/2015 5:00 PM
Perry Conservation Studio
Topton, PA

Rebuilding WS-313

  • This workshop will give students an understanding of:
  • Finish and adhesive breakdowns due to environment 
  • Age and abuse factors
  • How to clean material-bearing surfaces
  • Pegged mortise and tenon joints
  • Understanding joint degradation due to continued usage after a joint begins to fail 
  • Adhesives: what they are and how they work and fail
  • Substrate (wood) expansion and contraction 
  • Petrification
  • How properties of today’s wood differs from period material 
  • Hide glue 
  • Students will experience hand cutting dovetails, mortise and tenon, miter, and lap joints, adhering wood samples with various adhesives, splining a miter joint and making a bracket ogee foot.
9/14/2015 8:30 AM – 9/18/2015 5:00 PM
Perry Conservation Studio
Topton, PA

A one day course for beginners to intermediates wanting to understand the functionality and synchronization of 17th –Early 19th century time and strike British and American tall case movements. Through lecture, power points and demonstrations, participants will study the complete functionality of these mechanisms. This is not a repair course. It is an explanation of countwheel and rack striking. The following will be overviewed:
• All components and functions and their interaction with the time train
• Control of the strike train
• Hour wheel, snail and hour hand pipe
• The counting system
• Explanation of the strike train, locked, warning, strike release and running
• Need for a warning
• The half hour strike
• Avoiding problems when setting up a movement
• Repeat work
• Star wheel
• Passing strike

9/26/2015 8:30 AM – 9/26/2015 5:00 PM
NAWCC School of Horology
514 Poplar Street
Columbia, PA 17512

Veneer WS-314

  • This workshop will cover:
  • The cutting of veneer
  • Wood species 
  • How to arrange grain and figure  
  • Various methods of adhering with adhesives  
  • Veneer making equipment, including the history of where modern day veneering began 
  • “Paris” types of veneer commercially available 
  • Cutting your own veneer 
  • Various methods of matching veneer 
  • Advantages of veneer 
  • Buying venues 
  • Hammer veneering 
  • Veneer repairs 
  • Vacuum bag veneering 
  • Coloring veneers 
  • Other materials other than wood used for veneering 
  • Students will experience hammer veneering, vacuum veneering, veneering columns, veneering carved surfaces, book matching, process of preparing adhered veneer for finish, backing veneer with paper, storing veneer, veneering a panel with cross-banding and a string inlay.
10/5/2015 8:30 AM – 10/9/2015 5:00 PM
Perry Conservation Studio
Topton, PA

Marquetry WS-315

Through this workshop students will: 
-Learn the history, various styles and type of marquetry 
-Understand the development of the marquetry technique through the centuries
-Discuss the materials (veneering precious stones, metals, adhesives) used in marquetry 
-Explore and view demonstrations of cutting devices (jeweler’s saw, scroll saw, and the Chavalet) 
-Students will create a marquetry panel, from conception of drawing to sand shading. Once the   marquetry panel is completed by the end of the week, students will prepare marquetry panel surfaces to  build a finish.

10/26/2015 8:30 AM – 10/30/2015 5:00 PM
Perry Conservation Studio
Topton, PA

Ornamentation WS-316

Students will learn how to create a variety of different clock ornamentation during this workshop including:

  • Students will use the wood lathe to turn a finial 
  • Students will experience carving a flame 
  • Finial/sharpening will be demonstrated 
  • Students will carve a rosette for a broken-arch clock 
  • Students will gild the flame carved finial 
  • Students will experience latex casting of missing parts and/or components
  • Cutting of missing glass will be demonstrated 
  • Cleaning, buffing lacquer of brass components and ornaments will be demonstrated
  • Students will create a quarter column and capital (turned)
11/16/2015 8:30 AM – 11/20/2015 5:00 PM
Perry Conservation Studio
Topton, PA