FAQs
In-Shop Events
Where are you located? (Directions)
Here’s the address to plug into the GPS: 336 Baptist Rd., Canterbury, NH
NOTE: Be sure you select Baptist Road, and not Baptist Hill Road. They are different — you will not land in the same place!
Our shop is located 90 minutes north of Boston in the quaint New England town of Canterbury, New Hampshire. We are 1 hour south of the White Mountains, and 1 hour west of many beautiful ocean beaches, with ample lakes, rivers, and hiking trails nearby to explore.
We offer suggestions on places to stay in one of the other questions: Where can I stay while I’m there?
Which airport would I fly into?
We are about 40 minutes from Manchester Airport (MHT). If your carrier does not fly to Manchester, Logan Airport in Boston (BOS) is your next best option. We are about 80 minutes from Boston, depending on traffic.
In either case you will need to rent a car, or from Boston you can take a bus to Concord, NH and Uber/Lyft to your hotel from there. That ticket will cost you about $30 give or take. It’s under 2 hours of travel depending on the time of day. It’s a very comfortable ride and each bus is fitted with wifi — we’ve used it quite a bit as a family.
For information on the bus options, visit Concord Coachlines. Enter these specs — Leave from Boston: Logan Airport / Going to: Concord, NH for a full layout of date/time options from which you can choose. Pay attention to slight variations for weekend travel. Also, it’s ideal if you can purchase your ticket ahead and print it so you have it in hand when you get on the bus. As of this writing their system is still operating that way.
Where can I stay while I'm there?
Here are some options – a link is provided to connect you with each location.
BED & BREAKFAST INNS
– Black Swann Inn — 20 min. away in Tilton, NH.
HOTELS
– Quality Inn — 10 min. (Loudon)
– Best Western — 15-20 min. (Concord)
– Comfort Inn — 15-20 min. (Concord)
– Courtyard Marriott — 15-20 min. (Concord)
– Fairfield Inn — 15-20 min. (Concord)
– Holiday Inn — 15-20 min. (Concord)
– Residence Inn — 15-20 min. (Concord)
CAMPGROUNDS
• Cascade Campground — 10 min. (Loudon)
• Great Meadow Campground —15 min. (Chichester)
• Silver Lake Campground — 20 min. (Belmont)
• Epsom Valley Campground — 20 min. (Epsom)
• Lazy River Camping Area — 20 min. (Epsom)
• Keyser Pond Campground — 30 min. (Henniker)
• Saddleback Campground — 35 min. (Northwood)
LAKE FRONT COTTAGES
• Abakee Cottages — 35 min. away in Laconia (mid-May to early October)
NOTE: this is an especially wonderful place if you’re traveling with your family — great setting and a lot nearby for the kids to do while you’re at class. They fill up pretty quickly, so a vacancy is a long shot, but we still want to let you know about them just in case. It’s a favorite spot for us and the owners are terrific!
My spouse and/or family will be traveling with me. Do you have any recommendations for things to see and do while we're there?
New Hampshire is known for its natural beauty. There are endless outdoor activity opportunities including hiking, biking, swimming in lakes and rivers, as well as the ocean, landmark and landscape sites places to see, shopping, etc. – not to mention that we are privileged to be close to some of the oldest historic sites in our country.
What if I have to cancel?
First of all, we sure hope this does not happen for you — it’s such a great experience it’s hard to see circumstances fall to that end, but it does happen. In the event your plans must change, please visit the Policies page on our website for more information on payments and refunds. That said, if you experience a health emergency or death in the family, we will do our best to work with you on an agreeable, reasonable option for all of us.
Can I read what former students say about Tom as an Instructor?
There are various quotes highlighted across the site, but two places you can check them out in plethora: #1 – The Neighborwood page (scroll down) and #2) the Testimonials page.
Online Courses: Live Recorded
I am considering purchasing a Live Recorded Class with Tom. What does that involve?
When you purchase a Live Recorded Course, you receive private access to multiple live sessions that Tom taught over a livestream platform with participants who registered for the experience in real time. The benefits are laid out below. Yours are the same as those who participated in the livestream experience, minus the opportunity to chat in your questions for Tom during the training.
• Live, hands-on training experience with the guidance of a career fine furniture maker.
• Closest thing to actually being in the shop, alongside Tom as he builds the piece.
• Techniques are explained, and demonstrated on real projects
• Each session involves 60-90 minutes of step-by-step instruction.
• Participants are invited to chat in questions throughout.
• The Live Recorded sessions are available for unlimited future viewing.
• Full-size, hand-drawn plans are available for purchase separately. They greatly assist with the build and Tom refers to them often.
• Teaching approach is based on the building blocks of an authentic apprenticeship experience, just like Tom enjoyed.
To view the sessions you will need a Google/YouTube account which is free to create and you need use it for nothing else but to login. You may already have one and just don’t know it, this is true of more than a few of us. Most often it is indicated by a gmail email address (@gmail.com). Again, if you don’t have that, it’s easy to create one and it is completely secure and free. Kris is glad to help with the techy stuff if you have any questions: kris@epicwoodworking.com.
We hear amazing feedback from the people who enjoy these courses. You can read some of their comments at the Online Courses page. While there you can see our current offerings which we hope to add to with time.
How much does it cost for an Live Recorded Course?
Courses prices are determined by the number of Sessions the entail. That is consistently about $10 per 90 minute session. Also consider that we bundle the Course and Plans for an overall savings of $15.
Can I review a sample of the Live Recorded Courses?
Yes, we have made the first session of each project available so you can get a sense of Tom’s style and what you can anticipate with the project overall. You can access the link to those on the Online Courses page — look for “Watch Session 1” and enjoy!
How important is it that I purchase the companion full-size plans?
The answer to this question is mostly subjective, however, as you watch the instruction, you’ll witness Tom regularly referring to them. They are part of his process of constructing the piece so it is a very natural reference which enables him a sense of greater awareness and control over the step-by-step progression through the project. As you’ll see, they don’t eliminate errors, but they do help demystify the process by providing a tangible representation of where each step is leading to, and why a certain sequence is therefore preferable.
The plans are also an excellent assistant in making patterns, which is also a major part of Tom’s construction process. You are welcome to make a copy of them for your own purposes, but of course we ask you to honor the proprietary nature of the plan/design in any other case.
Another huge benefit is that your plan order comes with a Materials List and Suggestions for recommended finishes and/or upholstery, depending on the project specifications. Additionally, they arrive to you in a sturdy 36″ tube for safe delivery as well as future storage. They are named for the project so you will always know what is housed in the tube.
If you have any other questions about the plans and their value to the project, please reach out to Tom at tom@epicwoodworking.com.
How is payment handled?
We accept debit/credit card payments online which are processed through Stripe.
If you prefer, we are willing to accept a check as long as is it understood the order will not be fulfilled until we receive payment, at which point you have our word you will receive what you paid for. The option to pay be check option is also provided at the point of Checkout.
Online Courses: Livestream
I am considering participating in a Livestream Course with Tom. What does that entail?
As a participant in a Livestream Course with Tom you receive all the following benefits the experience provides and other intangibles:
• Live, hands-on training experience with the guidance of a career fine furniture maker.
• Closest thing to actually being in the shop, alongside Tom as he builds the piece.
• Techniques are explained, and demonstrated on real projects
• Each session involves 90 minutes of step-by-step instruction.
• Participants are invited to chat in questions throughout.
• The Live Recorded sessions are available for unlimited future viewing.
• Full-size, hand-drawn plans are available for purchase separately. They greatly assist with the build and Tom refers to them often.
• Teaching approach is based on the building blocks of an authentic apprenticeship experience, just like Tom enjoyed.
• After we receive your order for a Course you will be set up with an account through which you can access the video sessions.
• Please reach out if you have any specific questions about the Course(s) in which you are interested. Click here to email us.
What resources do I need to be able to work through the project to completion?
1) Access to the internet is necessary as the Courses are Livestreamed events.
2) Should you order the Plans as a complement to the Course experience, you will find them to be particularly helpful. They come with a Materials/Cut list and recommendations for finishing.
3) If you plan to make the piece along with Tom, you will obviously need access to a shop with various power and hand tools. If you’re curious about that, we can provide you with more specific details – just let us know. If you don’t have access to a shop, check your area for a Makerspace organization to which you can pay a monthly dues in exchange for use of the equipment. We strongly support this idea!
NOTE: If you prefer to purchase the plans for the project and build without the Course, or vice versa they are available for purchase separately through the Epic Store. There is a bundle price when you purchase them together, a slight savings, but savings none the less. You may want to know that it is not uncommon for those that purchase one or the other, to come back around and add the companion piece to the set.
I would like to purchase the course to simply watch the process. Is that common?
Absolutely! We love any level of interaction with you and whatever impact the course can have on your interest in woodworking and inspiration as a creative. Of course we don’t know how common it is that this is the main reason people are watching, but we assume a good number of folks are watching first and then will consider putting their hand to the project after observing the process. So sure, whatever level of engagement someone desires is great… we believe it’s all valuable!
Can I contact Tom for advice while I’m building the project?
As the popularity of Shop Night Live has grown, the audience and number of correspondence emails and other outreaches that Tom receives has made it necessary to set some brackets around the amount of communications he can have directly with people. The implication of this is both exciting and sad for us. We really like to be in touch with people!
Seeing the writing on the wall, we created a woodworking community with a private Forum through which members have access to Tom and freedom to ask him questions there. If you would like to know more about that amazing community, check it out here: The Neighborwood. We’d love for you to become a Neightbor!
How do I register for a Livestream Course experience?
You have a couple options —
1) Visit the Epic Store to see a list of potential projects from which you can choose – archived Course sessions with Tom along with companion plans. If any are is a LIVE Course being offered at the of your search, it will be indicated. Click on projects These will take you to the page in our Epic Store where you can register and submit payment.
2) There is a link to the Epic Store on the top right of every page on our site. If you click that you will also see a tab for the Online Courses where you can review all the offerings at once. Click on those of interest for details about each one and make your purchases from there.
How is payment handled?
We accept debit/credit card payments online which are processed through Stripe.
If you prefer, we are willing to accept a check as long as is it understood the order will not be fulfilled until we receive payment, at which point you have our word you will receive what you paid for. The option to pay be check option is also provided at the point of Checkout.