Hands On Workshops

Chuck Bender

Woodworker, Artist, and Teacher

Charles (Chuck) Bender is one of the most highly regarded furniture makers in the country and the founder of the Acanthus Workshop. He began woodworking (seriously) at the age of 12 in his parents’ basement, making pieces of furniture for friends and family. Chuck studied under Werner Duerr at the Central Chester County Vocational Technical School (now called the Center for the Arts and Technology) in Pennsylvania. Werner taught his high school program exactly like his apprenticeship in Germany. The students were instructed to blend hand tool use with power tools. Chuck teaches that same philosophy today.

After graduation from high school, Chuck began working for other cabinet makers to hone his skills. Having spent nearly ten years working with Irion Company Furnituremakers, working his way up to head of case and chair production, Chuck decided to branch off on his own. Since 1991 Chuck has built a reputation for making the highest quality 18th Century furniture in the country. His work can be seen in museums, private collections, and at some of the finest juried craft shows in the country. Chuck has received numerous woodworking awards throughout his career and has been featured in local and national magazines and newspapers.

In 2007, Chuck added the title “woodworking mentor” to his list of accomplishments by starting the Acanthus Workshop (a school for avocational woodworkers). Also, in 2007, he began sharing his knowledge publicly by writing articles for Popular Woodworking Magazine and teaching skill-driven classes at woodworking shows across the country. And with a growing list of more than a dozen DVDs published, Chuck continues to educate budding (and accomplished) woodworkers worldwide.

In 2014, Chuck joined the staff of Popular Woodworking Magazine as Senior Editor but left nearly two years later to start an online magazine. Realizing his true passion resides in the workshop, either building furniture or teaching others, he exited the online venture and re-established himself as a teacher and furniture maker in 2017.

Chucks’s 2024

Seminars included with general admission

Hands On - Friday 1:00 - 2:00 Traditional Woodworking In A Digital Age

Traditional Woodworking in a Digital World – Some say using modern technology in the shop is cheating. Chuck Bender says it’s just another tool, and the more tools you have, the more problems you can solve. Let the Society of American Period Furniture Makers’ 2022 Cartouche Award winner show you how you can incorporate a few modern, digital tools to up your traditional woodworking game without sacrificing your integrity.

Hands On - Friday 3:00 - 5:00 Bandsaw Clinic

Learn how to tune up a bandsaw for accurate resawing and scroll work. And once you’re done watching me walk through the tune-up process, you’ll get hands-on improving your scroll cuts.

* Paid Seminar Saturday 9:00 - 12:00 Joinery Fundamentals

Joinery Fundamentals: Joints of necessity – When joining two (or more) boards together you have many choices. Which joint should you use? Chuck Bender teaches you about a variety of basic joints, when to use them, how they work, and why.

Hands On - Saturday 2:30 - 6:00 Dovetails 4 on 1

Dovetails 4 on 1 – In this hands-on seminar, Chuck Bender walks you through cutting a set of through-dovetails. You’ll learn proper sawing position and technique, how to accurately mark and saw to a line and efficient waste removal. He’ll even show you a few tricks to repair the joint when things don’t go quite as planned.

Hands On - Sunday 10:00 - 11:00 Traditional Woodworking In A Digital Age

Hands On - Sunday 12:00 - 2:00 Jointer/Planer Basics

Do you have a jointer but can’t figure out why it doesn’t make boards flat? Looking to buy a jointer but aren’t sure how they work? Getting snipe and tear out from your planer? Drop by the hands-on Workshop in my booth for the answers to these and other milling questions.