The Marc Adams School of Woodworking is conveniently located just 12 miles south of Indianapolis and is one of the largest hands-on woodworking schools in the world with nearly 20,000 square feet of space and getting ready to grow. The school has three large bench rooms, two huge tool rooms, a wonderful multimedia/cafeteria room, and an outbuilding for special classes. The facility features wireless internet service so bring your own laptop.

At each instructor’s bench there are two 36" wide-screen televisions with two zoom cameras to put you closer to the action. There is a specially designed sound system available for those who have a hard time hearing during class lectures. Each student has his or her own custom-made Lie-Nielsen workbench, a stool to sit on, and a rubber mat to make standing on concrete a little easier on the knees and back. Students gain the most in an environment conducive to learning.

There are plenty of power tools and even more hand tools to aid in the learning process. Each tool room offers plenty of workspace, along with a variety of well-maintained equipment. There are 10 SawStop table saws; 15 band saws; 11 planers; 9 jointers; 21 ONEWAY lathes; 8 drill presses; 25 scroll saws; 12 power miter saws; 2 shapers; 7 large router tables; 3 large panel sanders; 10 oscillating drum sanders; 9 mortising machines; 5 large vacuum presses; 1 large metal milling machine; 5 Delray down draft tables, 63 master workbenches; 3 edge and 15 disc sanders; plus more than 900 clamps and all the hand tools you could imagine. There are four clean bathrooms (two of which are wheelchair-accessible) and a utility room with special safety equipment. The buildings are air-conditioned but during the summer students should plan on dressing comfortably. Please note that the facility will not be open on Sunday afternoons. Plan on arriving on Monday morning by 7:45 am. And by the way, did I mention the school has an ice cream machine?

Directions

The shop is located just 12 miles south of Indianapolis and is only 25 miles from the Indianapolis International Airport. From Indianapolis take I-65 south to the Whiteland exit (exit mile marker 95). Turn left (east) on Whiteland Road and drive 2.2 miles. The shop is on the left hand (north) side of the road. Heading north from Louisville take I-65 to the Whiteland exit (exit mile marker 95). Turn right (east) on Whiteland Road and drive 2 miles. The shop is on the left hand (north) side of the road. The building is brown and the sign says: “MARC ADAMS SCHOOL OF WOODWORKING, THE LARGEST WOODWORKING SCHOOL IN NORTH AMERICA.”

A Typical Week at MASW

MASW is a very busy place with lots of activities during the week. Full-week classes begin on Monday and end on Friday. Classes begin at 8:00 a.m. and last until 5:00 p.m. EASTERN TIME. Power equipment can be used from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. During the work week, the shop remains open after 6 p.m. for handwork, design, catch-up work and socializing. On Friday, the final cleanup and certificate presentations start around 3:30 p.m. Lunch is provided daily and includes a variety of really wonderful homemade food. Tuesday night features a slide presentation by the instructor(s) and a cook out dinner (cost around $6 per person) that spouses, friends, and family are welcome to attend.. Each class is required to review safety before power equipment can be used, but after the safety session, power equipment will officially be on and students will have full access to all the machinery covered in the safety review.

Teacher/Assisstant to Student Ratio: Do the Math

At MASW we have the facilities, equipment, staff and instructors to make your experience as personal as possible. If you do the math for one of our classes that requires the power room, you’ll see we have a teacher/assistant to student ratio of 1 to 5. Factor in that the school has more equipment and space than any other program in North America.

However I personally feel the important aspect to consider when selecting a hands-on intensive summer program is not about ratios and space. I believe selecting a school should be based on whether that school creates an environment that has spirit brought by lots of people who all share a common passion and can’t wait to network, play, and learn together. In such an environment, additional learning takes place through serendipity. The true equation of our program is that by the time you add up your new friends and what you’ve learned, then factor in your experience with our world-class instructors and staff, you will always come out mathematically ahead.