2026 Demonstrations
All demos are free for attendees with a day or weekend pass. Drop in anytime to learn foundational green woodworking skills with our expert teachers! Browse the session descriptions below, or check out our Instructors page to learn more about who’s who.
Woodworking fun with Roy Underhill
Friday 1:00 – 4:00 \ Saturday 9:00 – 11:30, 1:30 – 4:30 \ Sunday 9:30 – 12:00
You never know what classic tools, stories, and jokes Roy will pull out of his bag. Drop by anytime for some wit and wisdom.
For over 30 years, Roy hosted The Woodwright’s Shop on PBS, sparking love for woodworking in homes across America. He taught hundreds of students through his Woodwright’s School in Pittsboro, which was the basis for the GreenwoodWrights’ Fest.
Friday, October 9th
Making a Birch Bark Sheath with Henry Gardener
1:00 – 2:00
Learn to craft with paper birch bark! Paper birch bark is great for making knife sheaths, so we will start by making a sheath for Slöjd knives.
Henry Gardner is a green woodworker who makes kitchen utensils and other domestic pieces from locally sourced wood. His work is inspired by the Scandinavian Slöjd tradition of making beautiful and functional objects for everyday life. He often uses colorful milk paints to accentuate the natural beauty of native hardwoods to Western North Carolina where he was born and raised.
Spoon Basics: Tools, Books, and More with Kat King
2:00 – 4:00
Are you carving-curious, but not sure what you’ll need and where to get it? We will explore basic tools needed for spoon-carving, including maker recommendations by price point and availability. We’ll delve into favorite books, videos, classes, and festivals, and you’ll leave with a handout of resources to continue your spoon carving journey.
Kat hails from nearby Apex, N.C. Her spoon carving journey began in 2019 with a one-day carving class at New Light Wood Works with Bill Wallace. She now co-teaches spoon carving classes with Bill and demonstrates with him at the N.C. State Fair.
Sharpening with Ralph Flanders
4:00 – 5:00
Ralph is one of the sharpest guys around! Ralph and his wife Patricia, of Ash & Loon Knife Sharpening, travel with their three children to local farmers’ markets sharpening knives. They have their new mobile sharpening station on site for your delight. He will demonstrate how to sharpen a variety of knives with a Tormec and use traditional hand sharpening techniques with stones.
Saturday, October 10th
Sharpening with Ralph Flanders
9:00 – 12:00
Pop by to learn all things sharpening — see full description above.
Special Demos on Tree History & Culture
Traditional White Oak Basket-Making with Neal Thomas
10:00 – 12:00 \ 2:30 – 4:00
Neal Thomas is an 86 year-old farmer, artist and basket maker from Wendell, N.C., east of Raleigh. Mr. Thomas has been honored for his craftsmanship when he received the North Carolina Heritage award. When he was in his 20’s he learned to pick the right tree, fell it, then rive and split the pole to make wonderful durable white oak baskets from an elder craftsman named Herman Holder. We are honored to have him coming to our festival to share his skills with the next generation of green woodworkers.
Mr. Neal will describe how to harvest and prepare white oak, while demonstrating how to weave a lovely traditional basket that can last for decades. Along with technical descriptions, you can expect some good stories and front-porch wisdom.
History of the Long Leaf Pine with Earl Ijames
1:00 – 2:30
Ever wonder where the name “Tar Heels” comes from?
Farmer, historian, and preservationist Earl L. Ijames shares the cultural, economic, and natural history of the long leaf pine forests. With primary sources, heirloom tools, and yes, real long-leaf pine trees, Ijames gives in-depth, interactive teachings on the history of our relationship with this iconic tree species. It’s a real “pitch” for history and “stave” for conservation!
Ropemaking with Natural Fibers with Nico Piedrahita
10:30 – 12:00 \ All ages, kids welcome!
Learn how to make rope out of tree bark and plant stems. We’ll cover the basics of processing materials and how to cord them together to make super strong rope.
Turning Bowls on a Spring Pole Lathe with Mozzy the Maker
1:00 – 4:00
Come explore the many interesting aspects of bowl- turning on a spring pole lathe. The spring pole lathe is an ingenious human-powered machine with a foot treadle that allows the carver to spin a piece of wood back and forth continuously, applying their tool of choice to shave or gouge away layers of wood in an efficient manner. It is probably the most eye-catching and fun tool at the festival!
Mozzy will demonstrate how to axe out and prepare a blank. This will be a interactive demonstration, where you can learn to use hook knives and the kaleidoscopic action of the lathe to turn the outer and inner parts of a bowl. To do this activity, you need to be able to balance fairly well on one leg, have good aerobic capacity and multi-limb coordination.
Mozzy the Maker is a devoted craftsman who has been a cornerstone of the GreenwoodWrights’ Fest from the start, hewing log benches, running our marketplace, enthusiastically sharing knowledge, and encouraging newcomers to jump right in.
Chicken Demo with Henry Gardener
4:30 – 5:30
Henry will demonstrate chicken stick carving techniques, and you’ll learn which wood species are ideal for carving chickens. He will explain how to adapt these techniques to carving chicken wall hooks, wine bottle stoppers, and chess pieces.
Henry Gardner is a green woodworker who makes kitchen utensils and other domestic pieces from locally sourced wood. His work is inspired by the Scandinavian Slöjd tradition of making beautiful and functional objects for everyday life. He often uses colorful milk paints to accentuate the natural beauty of native hardwoods to Western North Carolina where he was born and raised.
Tree Identification Walk with Damien Ossi
4:30 – 5:30
We’ll walk through the woods on the Plant’s property, and learn how to identify trees that are useful for green woodworking.
Damien Ossi is an avid spoon carver and nature nerd who often teaches with Don Nalezyty and the Maryland Spoon Carvers. He started whittling as a kid, and began figure carving in his teens before getting hooked on green woodworking as an adult. By day he is a wildlife biologist, conserving and restoring habitats for rare animal wildlife in Washington, D.C.
Sunday, October 11th
Decorative Spoon Techniques with Kat King
9:00 – 10:30
This demonstration will showcase a variety of decorative techniques to elevate your spoon to the next level. Kat will highlight basics of chip carving, kolrosing, roasting, and painting along with the necessary tools and materials needed. We will mix up milk paint donated by Real Milk Paint Finishes to test on different types of wood, and cover the essential safety practices of working with oils to prevent spontaneous combustion. This highly interactive demonstration includes examples of spoons from makers around the world.
Kat hails from nearby Apex, N.C. Her spoon carving journey began in 2019 with a one-day carving class at New Light Wood Works with Bill Wallace. She now co-teaches spoon carving classes with Bill and demonstrates with him at the N.C. State Fair.
Turning Bowls on a Spring Pole Lathe with Mozzy the Maker
9:00 – 12:00
Round 2! See full description under Saturday demos.
Workbench Joinery with Will Myers
10:30 – 12:00
Learn about foundational methods for connecting and securing large sections of wood. The loose keyed tenon (or tusk tenon) is an ancient woodworking joint used in houses, barns, workbenches, and furniture.
Will Myers is a lifelong woodworker from western North Carolina who uses mostly hand tools. He specializes in measuring and documenting vintage furniture to create new pieces that hold timeless beauty.
Blacksmithing Field Trip with Peter Ross
1:00 – 3:00
Visit the local workshop of Peter Ross, the preeminent whitesmith for museum-quality locks and tools. He specializes in reproductions of 17th and 18th century English American wrought ironwork, black and bright.
Intro to Finishes with Richard Moore
1:00 – 2:00
We will explore finishes and how they’ve evolved over time, answering questions and dispelling myths. Learn basic techniques, the trade-offs between each type of finish, abd basic chemistry needed to make decisions as you work. We will cover oils, waxes, varnishes, shellacs, paints and lacquers, discussing techniques along the way, and Richard will share his favorite tips and tricks.
Richard hails from High Point, a small town in the historic furniture-making region of North Carolina. He has been a professional and hobbyist carpenter for over 50 years, leading framing crews and designing cabinets, kitchens, and bathrooms, while building furniture and boxes with hand-tools in his shop at home.
Handsaw Sharpening with Richard Moore
2:00 – 4:00
Learn to sharpen your handsaws and make them sing! You will learn about tooth geometry for rip and crosscut saws, and how to straighten them and clean them up. Once you learn to tune up your old saw, it will perform like magic. We will discuss tooth configuration and geography, along with the tools needed to sharpen your handsaw, and we will practice cutting dried wood.
Tree Identification Walk with Damien Ossi
2:00 – 3:00
Take a stroll through the beautiful wooded property at the Plant, learning how to identify trees useful for green woodworking.
Damien Ossi is an avid spoon carver and nature nerd who often teaches with Don Nalezyty and the Maryland Spoon Carvers. He started whittling as a kid, and began figure carving in his teens before getting hooked on green woodworking as an adult. By day he is a wildlife biologist, conserving and restoring habitats for rare animal wildlife in Washington, D.C.
