Intro to fine/hand tool woodworking (weekend)

Summary

An intensive but fun course for fine hand-tool woodwork beginners. It’s fairly hard work as we cover a lot of ground but very enjoyable.

Most of the time will be spent hands-on with tools as you put the skills you learn into practice. We also have time to go into a fair degree of depth about the various subjects.

READ THIS BEFORE YOU BOOK: This course is very much an introduction to fine hand tool woodworking. While some techniques will be useful for keen DIYers, participants who get most out of the course tend to be embarking on, or re-kindling, a commitment to making fine boxes, cabinets and small pieces of furniture through hand-tool woodworking. The course is ideal to provide a platform of skills to help you progress towards furniture making. You will be pushed to achieve high standards of accuracy and to get into the mindset of a fine woodworker. (We are not trying to put you off at all here however if you want to learn to make a bird table or an outdoor planter you may be better suited to a more general carpentry or DIY course.)

Don’t be deterred though – people tend to really enjoy the course and our Google reviews are very positive!

What we cover

  • Safety: using tools and the workshop safely
  • Sawing: different types of saws, using a bench hook
  • Planing: different types of planes, maintaining a plane, sharpening a plane, using a bench plane, using a block plane, using a shooting board
  • Chiselling: different types of chisels and their safe and accurate use
  • Sharpening: primarily focused on freehand sharpening of chisels and planes using different types of honing guide, the Scary Sharp system, a diamond plate, water stones and a strop
  • Marking out: basic concepts, face side/face edge, using a marking gauge (traditional and wheel), marking with a knife, using metal squares and metal rulers
  • Wood: different species of wood and their characteristics, grain, movement, sawing patterns, sourcing and buying wood
  • Jointing: different types of joints and their properties including cutting a traditional mortice and tenon joint
  • Dovetail jointing: basic concept, dovetail guides/jigs, marking out, sawing with dovetail saw and fretsaw
  • Finishing: sanding and finishing wood with waxes and oils (we have been given some sample of Odies Oil which you will be able to use along with other finishes – Odies offer free shipping to our students – see below for details)

https://odiesoil.co.uk/

Details

Level:              Beginner and intermediate

Duration:      Two days

Time:              9.30am to 4.30pm

Materials:     All wood and tools are provided  

Cost:               £295 per person

Dates       

  • 2026
  • Saturday 10 – Sunday 11 January 2026 (full)
  • Saturday 24 – Sunday 25 January 2026 (full)
  • Saturday 7 – Sunday 8 February 2026 (3 places available)
  • Saturday 21 – Sunday 22 February 2026 (2 places available)
  • Saturday 7 – Sunday 8 March 2026 (places available)
  • Saturday 18 – Sunday 19 April 2026 (places available)