The Price of Learning

I've just completed my transactions for tools, the course text has arrived in the mail, I've bought my plane and bus tickets, found a place to stay, and the school has officially charged my credit card, so I thought it appropriate to give a rundown of what the price of this two week woodworking basic course has cost if starting from scratch.

THE RUN DOWN

Tools-$397.87

Text-$12.56

Travel-$601.90

Bed-$450.00

Course-$1240.00

TOTAL=$2702.33

TOOLS

Tools were purchased from Lee Valley and Garret Wade. Garret Wade offers a 10% discount to CFC students, except for Lee-Nielsen and Festool brands, but I bought a Lee-Nielsen #5 Plane and set of 2 scrapers and recieved the 10% discount on both. (Super stoked about that)

Tools purchased included:

-Marking and Cutting Gauge

-Nielsen Low Angle Jack Plane

-Lee-Nielsen set of 2 Scrapers (.02" & .032")

-Marking Knife

-Folding Rule

(The school also recommends an 8" sliding T-bevel but I haven't found one that is affordable. Woodcraft has a nice 10" one but it would be the only tool I would need to buy from them and they are charging $10 shipping. I'll bug a friend to drive my car-less butt to Santa Rosa to buy one in the store.)

TEXT

The course text for the two-week begginer course is Peter Korn's, Woodworking Basics: Mastering the Essentials of Craftsmanship. Amazon had the best deal at $12.56

TRAVEL

Air

Jet Blue had the cheapest flights from San Francisco to Portland Maine. My semi-round-trip ticket (because I'm spending 3 days in NYC) was $564.90

Bus

Since I don't drive, I'm taking a bus from Portland ME, to Rockport, ME. A round-trip ticket is $37.00. Greyhound has services, but I'm

using Concord Coach Lines becuase it lined up conveineintly with my flights.

BED

I wish I was staying in this North Haven Boat Barn-Inspired house designed by Christopher Campbell, but budget is definatly a concern for me. The school offers housing in private houses and apartments in the area for $295 a week. You can also stay with the program insturcter/school founder Peter Korn for $400 a week. The school also sent me a large list of B&Bs, Inns, Housing Services, motels, and locals who will sublet a room from $375-600 a week. I chose to see if there was a cheaper option and there was on Craigslist.

I can't say what the perks of staying with P.K. or other locals may be, but the house I'm staying in is only $450 for the two weeks. And Deb, the woman I'll be staying with, may be the nicest person alive. She offered to pick me up from the bus station as well as the use of a bike and car. Unfortunalty I don't have a drivers license or care for driving so I had to decline the last offer. I get the feeling eveyone in Maine is this nice, but I don't want to set any expectations.

COURSE

The two week Basic Woodworking Workshop cost a total of $1240.00