This post is part of a blog series revealing the table of contents of upcoming Issue Eighteen. As is our custom, we’ll be discussing one article per weekday in order to give you a taste of what is to come.
The subscription window that includes Issue Eighteen is open now.
To get Issue Eighteen when it ships in early April, you can sign up for a subscription here.
If you aren’t sure about your subscription status, you can reach out to Grace at info@mortiseandtenonmag.com. Keep in mind though, if you are set to auto-renew, you never have to worry about getting the next issue of Mortise & Tenon. Issue Eighteen is coming your way soon!
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Issue Eighteen T.O.C. – Michael Updegraff – “A New Kind of Apprenticeship”
The global hunkering-down of 2020 led to a number of unforeseen outcomes. One of these was the desire expressed by many to try their hands at a new skill. With more time available and an opportunity to realize what they truly valued, many decided to learn how to bake sourdough bread, raise chickens, or finally try cutting dovetails by hand. The problem was, options for learning were limited – most all in-person classes and events were canceled, and sorting the good and bad sources from YouTube and other places was frustrating. Where to begin?
For Issue Eighteen, author Michael Updegraff recounts that time in the life of Mortise & Tenon. As their planned Pre-industrial Immersion class and other events were canceled, they decided to develop a program that sought the best aspects of in-person and online learning. Rather than an expensive weeklong class in someone else’s workshop, they envisioned students taking an eight-week deep dive in their own shop contexts, learning new skills and getting to know their own tools better. Through videos and digital correspondence, students and instructors could interact and move forward together through a thoughtful curriculum.
From sharpening and stock prep through the various types of joinery, Updegraff shares how the program unfolds organically through the weeks, as students develop a handcraft habit through regular practice. Then during Greenwood Week, they take to the woods to fell a tree with an axe, bucking it to length and riving out materials for further projects. This is a high point in the course when great appreciation is gained for the materials of our craft, but the most important part of the program is what happens afterwards. When such an experience winds down, the question of “Now what?” reverberates. Updegraff shares that the aim of the M&T Apprenticeship Program is for students to gain both the habit and confidence of woodworking so they can build whatever they set their minds to.
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