My fiance also is an uneasy lounger, so when I learned about the five-day apprenticeship program at Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers in Auburn, Maine, I thought it had best-gift-ever potential and reserved two spots. The company's Customer in Residence program pairs amateur woodworkers with master cabinetmakers to build heirloom-quality furniture.
My fiance, an optometrist, had built furniture in the past as a hobby, which turned into an accidental side job. I have whittled sticks to roast marshmallows.
Our instructor, Dick Guite, was just as prepared to work with a novice as an experienced hobbyist. Participants need not have experience or even know the difference between a band saw and a miter saw. But it helps to have an appreciation for woodworking, or at least craftsmanship, because the program includes 30 hours of hands-on shop time.
"I would say for those of us who drive a desk for a living, it's a lot of time on your feet," said fellow apprentice Gregg Child, a yacht broker from Newport, R.I.
From the first day, "We were really thrown into the flow of the woodshop and were allowed to be part of every step of the furniture-making process," said Ted Everett, a former investment manager and stay-at-home dad from Westport, Conn. "One day I was even mistaken for a cabinetmaker."
I was never mistaken for someone who would ever get the hang of power sanding, let alone being a professional cabinetmaker.
The Customer in Residence program is offered eight months of the year, from April through November, and costs $3,500 for individuals and $4,500 for couples. Thos. Moser customers are given priority, but first-time buyers like me are cheerfully accommodated when there's room. The session ends with a ceremony during which participants, their mentors and Thomas Moser himself all sign the pieces they built. "It's not unusual for people to tear up during the signing ceremony," said program director Steve Wyman. "This is a life-changing experience for people."
The price includes lodging at the historic Harraseeket Inn in nearby Freeport; daily transportation to and from the workshop (a scenic 30-minute drive on country roads); and most meals, including group dinners at fine restaurants with members of the Moser family and the company's management team. On top of tuition, participants also must pay retail price for what they build.
"Seeing the progression from raw wood to finished product and the multiple steps and care taken was an eye-opener," said fellow apprentice Marshall Goldman, an electrical company president from Sunnyvale, Calif. "I have a new appreciation for woodworking in general."
Goldman feels the way I do about vacations: "The Customer in Residence program engaged me in such an intense manner that I couldn't think about business and my other affairs. This type of vacation gives me a mental respite from the day-to-day grind and a fresh perspective when I return."
Knowing I'm a writer, Guite told me on Day 1 that "every piece of wood has its own story." Little did we know that one of the gorgeous pieces of cherry hardwood we picked out for our dining table had a surprise ending for us.
To be honest, my fiance did most of the work under Guite's constant tutelage while I spectated (one of those passive acts, like sunning, that qualifies as a verb if not an activity). But near the end of the week, I was solely responsible for spraying linseed oil on our "finished" dining table, a process that revealed a crack in the wood that had been invisible. Guite was more upset than we were. Such a final-stage fiasco had never befallen an apprentice; however, it happens to cabinetmakers quite often, and because Thos. Moser guarantees its furniture for life, any piece found to have a flaw is scrapped and hours of labor repeated.
Such being the case, I felt grateful for the defect and the surprise ending to our working vacation. Child said it best: "The experience is as much about learning to respect the skills and abilities of the craftsmen as it is about the furniture you're building."
Guite rebuilt that section of the table after our departure, so the story about the solid cherry wood table my fiance and I handcrafted "by ourselves" will forever have an asterisk.
But there were happy endings all the way around. We six alumni who completed the apprenticeship in May still keep in touch. Everett wrote in an email that the bench, hall table and stools he built have become conversation pieces: "Having this beautiful furniture in my home is a pleasant reminder of the wonderful experience I had in Maine, the people I met and the things I learned. They also give me a unique story to share with friends who come to my home, many of whom have commented on the furniture before knowing about its background."
As for me, I didn't waste any time breaking our table in with some marathon sessions of wining and dining.
Call me inconsistent, but those qualify as activities.
If you go
We flew into Boston's Logan International Airport on a Saturday, rented a car and drove 120 miles up the Atlantic coast to Freeport, Maine, spending one night in witchy Salem, Mass., and eating lobster bisque wherever we could. You also can fly into Portland, Maine, just 20 miles from Freeport.
Three out of five evenings are free for touring the area, if you're not too tired. The Harraseeket Inn is within walking distance of restaurants and shops, including the flagship L.L. Bean complex of stores, open 24 hours.
Other working vacations
Don't like lounging? There are plenty of vacation destinations that invite you to pay for the privilege of working. Here are two opportunities to expend some elbow grease and come away with a sense of accomplishment. And muscle fatigue.
Keep them dogies rollin': Montana Bunkhouses Working Ranch Vacations sends serious horseback riders as well as fun-seeking families to more than 20 cattle ranches in Big Sky Country. Take part in daily ranch chores and seasonal activities such as cattle drives, roundups and calving. Prices include meals and accommodations and start at $1,500 for six- or seven-day trips, with discounted family packages available. 406-222-6101, montanaworkingranches.com
Make a mean guitar: What's "mean" is you can't take it home. But if you're serious about perfecting your luthiery techniques (if you have to look that up, you're probably not a big enough guitar enthusiast), you'll feel rewarded nonetheless after completing the five-day, 40-hour acoustic-guitar-building workshop at Everett Guitars in Atlanta. Four students work together on one "class guitar," learning alongside Kent Everett. The class costs $1,295 (not inclusive) and is offered twice a year, in spring and fall. everettguitars.com
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