Six Week Furniture Making Course

This full time furniture making course introduces students to fundamental hand skills for fine furniture making while making a free standing piece of fine furniture. In line with our philosophy of Learning by Making you will undertake a project to make a side table with a drawer.

Through a carefully structured project, you will receive practical training from the start and learn core fine woodworking techniques, hand skills and processes, including material preparation, joinery, drawer fitting, veneering and wood finishes.

At the end of this 6 Week Course students will have covered the skills needed to plan, structure and select materials, to make furniture pieces by hand and with the use of power tools. These fundamental skills will prepare you for further furniture making.

We will also support and advise in setting up your home workshop, as well as providing steps for the next project to be made at home. This means following this course, trainees can 'hit the floor running’ and continue their woodworking journey.

The course runs Monday to Friday for 6 weeks. Training hours are 9am to 5pm and main Workshop opening hours are 8am to 8pm.

To ensure individual attention, there are never more than eight students in our woodworking class, taught by two of our experienced tutors.

I am very happy to discuss your particular situation and aims to find the best course fit and available intake dates.

 

Course Details

Hand Tool preparation and selection: Hand tool fettling, tool selection, maintenance, storage.

Wood preparation by hand: principal fundamentals (flat, square and straight)

Sharpening: blade sharpening, sharpening geometry analysis, hand saws.

Tool making: dovetail marker, shooting board, winding sticks*.

Hand Cut Joinery: joint selection and application, weaknesses and strength analysis, marking and laying out, jointing techniques and methods.

Drawer Fitting: making and fitting a traditional dovetailed drawer.

Veneering: selection, matching, jointing techniques, vacuum press and adhesives.

Wood turning: fundamental skills, drawer pull making.

Woodwork Machinery and Power Tools: introduction to selection of woodworking machinery and power tools.

Wood finishing: oils, waxes, lacquers, application techniques. Creating own wood finishes. Advanced oil andz wax finishing techniques.

Wood Material Science: timber identification, moisture content and wood movement, timber drying (kiln drying processes, etc.), timber selection and timber defects.

Glue up: preparation and clean-up.

Abrasives: selection and correct application. Surface preparation for finishing.

Adhesives: selection and correct application.

Health & Safety: Machine Shop and Bench Shop.

 

Course fee: £3,900 (materials for the course project are included).

Next Intake dates:
Monday 4th November 2024. Please contact us if you would like more sign-up information.

 

Due to the duration, this course may be well suited for students who require a Visa. You can find further information here.

* dependent on progress through course.

Book This Course: The Aestas Side Table

Book This Course: Traditional Side Table with Dovetailed Drawer