About the course

This course is aimed at the complete beginner or the woodworker who has some experience but wishes to get back to the basics of cabinetmaking in order to produce woodwork of a high standard.

If you have never used a well-tuned and set up plane, or a razor-sharp chisel, this course will be a revelation, and when you understand the basics of cabinet-making you will realise that ‘engineering in wood’ to minute tolerances is not only achievable, it is also joyful!

The main purpose of this course is to develop essential hand skills and give a good understanding of the main cabinet-making principles.

Planing, Sawing and Chiselling are the three critical elements needed for shaping and jointing bits of wood together so you will be given some good solid technique and exercises to help you practice and conquer these vital skills. Setting up a plane to take gossamer-thin shavings, planing strategies to deal with misshapen pieces of timber, chopping and paring to a knife line with a chisel and bringing a bit of Zen into sawing to make it a focussed, precise process.

To see how things are progressing you will prepare and join several pieces of wood together to make a cheese-board, this will give you a chance to get some calm, composed gluing under your belt, adding some tapered chamfers with a wonderful ‘finesse tool’, the spoke-shave, will complete this little project.

Jointing pieces of wood together is what woodwork is all about so we’ll also look at how to accurately prepare components, planing, gauging, scribing and squaring ends using a Shooting Board. Having planed up some crisp, precise components you will have the chance to put your new Sawing and Chiselling skills into practice by setting out and cutting a Through Dovetail.

What You Will Learn

PREPARING A PLANE – setting up for gossamer-thin shavings

PLANING STRATEGIES – producing super flat wood with a mirror surface

MARKING OUT – using gauges, squares and knives to accurately mark out components

SHOOTING BOARD – Using this simple jig to square narrow edges and ends

CHISELLING – techniques for safe, accurate chopping and paring

SAWING – Japanese and Western saws need different techniques to get the best out of them and Sawing is the key skill for cutting accurate joints

Available Course Dates

• 17 - 18 February 2024
• 13 - 14 July 2024

To make a booking please click here.