Standard and Freeform Bent Lamination Techniques with Laura Kishimoto 27-1 

Prerequisites: Intro to Guild Safety and Core Tools Certification. Router certification is highly recommended.

Bent lamination represents a dramatic departure from most traditional fine woodworking. Rather than working within rectilinear geometry, we will lean into the materiality of wood and explore its natural strengths through curvature. A reference face is often non-existent, so cutting joinery requires some creative thinking and novel use of machinery and hand tools.

We will explore a variety of methods including cold lamination, mold making, vacuum forming, and freeform bending. Students will design and prototype an individual project that showcases bent lamination aesthetically and structurally.

In preparation for this workshop, each student should prepare 2-3 sketches or a sketch model of a bent lamination form they would like to make. On Wednesday, March 3, 2027 10am - Noon (PST), we will host an online design session with Laura via Zoom. In this session. We will discuss each student's form to provide feedback and set realistic expectations for the workshop. This session is required to prepare each participant for the most effective use of the workshop event.  The zoom link will be sent to registered students before the call.

In this 6-day workshop we will:

• Begin with the basics of bent lamination. Discuss the material science of bending wood, shaping a fair curve, mold making techniques, and preparing veneer.
•  Determine the type of mold best suited for each student’s project (each student will develop their own prototype, so there is plenty of opportunity for cross learning).
• Fabricate molds and glue up bent laminations components for student prototypes.
• Explore a variety of freeform bending techniques, including utilizing partial molds and scaffolding to inform the curvature.
•  Address the inherent risks when dimensioning curved forms with machinery meant for rectilinear stock. Discuss strategies to create reference face on curved stock.
• Examine jig designs that compensate for lack of reference face on bent lamination parts and allow the user to safely and accurately cut joinery.
• Move on to shaping, final assembly, and surface preparation.
• And end with a group presentation for students to share their progress and takeaways from throughout the week.

We will be using all major machine tools in the Studio plus hand tools.

What You'll Learn:

·         Essential and practical bent lamination knowledge

·         Innovative approaches to integrate organic curves into your projects 

·         Insider tips and tricks for achieving success in all forms of bent lamination

·         Laura’s insight into design and problem-solving approaches

Materials will be provided, however students should plan on supplementing their materials needs based on their individual projects. 

Tools, Equipment or Materials needed: PPE (ear, eye and breathing). A list of common tools we will be using will be provided to registrants ahead of the workshop. 

Lunch will not be provided. We'll provide a 45 minute lunch break. Students should pack a lunch or consider several options for grabbing something to eat within walking distance.

About Laura Kishimoto:

Laura Kishimoto is a designer and maker based in Denver, Colorado and a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, where she earned a BFA in Furniture Design in 2013. Her work falls somewhere between sculpture and furniture, distinguished by its spatial complexity and visually striking curves. Central to her practice is a technique known as freeform bent lamination, which allows her to push wood to its material limits and create curiously organic and emotionally evocative forms. Her pieces can be found in the permanent collections of the Denver Art Museum in Colorado and the Mint Museum in North Carolina.