Handtool Classes
Come experience the pleasure of working wood without electric blades. Work with the grain, understand how things have been done for a long time, and appreciate that, outside of a production setting, handtool work can be just as efficient as machine work, without all the dust and noise.
Handtools Introduction
This class teaches techniques with skill-based practice in handmade joinery. Students will learn to select joints, lay them out, and cut them accurately using various Western and Eastern handtools rather than machine-based methods. Along with learning about and making a wide variety of joints, you will also improve your layout skills, enhance your measuring and accuracy, and better understand joint selection and wood behaviour.
This 6-night class also covers sharpening your chisels and hand plane, setting up and using hand planes for lumber, selection and layout of finger joints with measuring & marking tools, hand-cutting finger joints & rabbet joints, and how to recover from joinery mistakes.
MATERIALS: Various hardwoods (included)
TOOLS: Hand planes, chisels, handsaws, router plane, rabbet plane, and bandsaw
ACTIVITIES: several joinery exercises, a tea tray, or round stool which uses 4 tapered legs
LEVEL: Basic Skills
PREREQUISITES: None (open to beginners)
DURATION: 21 hours (6 sessions)
Handtools - Roman Legged Bench
Learn practical experience in face plate turning and bowl making. Over two Sunday sessions, you'll learn safe turning techniques using dry wood to create plates and shallow bowls, with a possible green wood project if time permits. The class covers tool shapes, sharpening, setup, safety, and hands-on guidance in proper technique, combining both theory and the practice of woodturning.
MATERIALS: Selection of hardwoods (included)
TOOLS: Lathe, Oneway chucks, gouges, grinder
ACTIVITIES: 8” Plate and 5” Bowl
LEVEL: Beyond Basics
PREREQUISITES: Some experience with spindle turning tools is suggested but not required
DURATION: 8 hours (2 sessions)
please bring a snack/lunch as we take a nutrition break.
Handtools - Round Stool
Make a round stool 16” tall using handtools and the lathe. The legs are either octagon or round, but both are made using hand planes and spokeshaves. This is referred to as Welsh Stick construction and is a good introduction to making the Welsh Chair. They have 3-stretchers and range from 10” to 16” in height, low enough to sit or work so your hands are touching the ground.
MATERIALS: 2x6 hardwoods (red alder, cherry, ash, western maple, or similar woods)
TOOLS: woodturning lathe, hand tools, handplane, chisels, saws, spokeshave, traivsher, scorp, and the power bandsaw are used.
ACTIVITIES: Safe sequence of steps to take hardwood lumber and build a small 3 or 4 legged stool.
LEVEL: Beyond Basics
PREREQUISITES: None (but will be easier if a handtool class was previously taken)
DURATION: 17.5 hours (5 sessions)