Come and learn the essential skills to design and make staked furniture over a weekend. You will learn the foundations of chair making, including tool use, joinery, and chair geometry so that you leave with a stool of your own as well as the skills to go on and make more.

You will learn about compound angles and how to drill them by eye, jig and drill press without the need for complex maths. We will add stretchers to the legs and wedge the joints to create a ridge stool that will last.

The tool that will be in use the most will be the hand plane as every surface of the stool is finished with this tool. You will learn how to setup and use a plane, how to read the grain to ensure beautifully smooth surface, and how to create a mountain of shavings as you go.

The course is predominantly hand tool focused, but there will be opportunities to use machines and power tools to help with the more laborious processes. You will also be encouraged to try different techniques for some tasks so that you get the chance to try different approaches, such as shaping tenons using a rounding plane as well as on a lathe.

This course is about learning the basics of chair making and getting the opportunity to try out a variety of ways to approach making one, so it will be suited to both beginners and those who want to learn new skills.

Tools & Materials

All the tools you’ll need are provided, but if you have your own you are encouraged to bring them with you. Sharpening is not covered explicitly in the course, so make sure they’re sharp before you arrive. There is a tool list below; bring as much as you can.

All materials are provided in the course. We will be using sweet chestnut for the seat and oak for the rest.

Tool List (in order of importance):

*** Please remember that there won’t be time on the course for tool restoration so make sure your tools are sharp and ready to go.

• Jack plane – This is the most essential tool and it will get a lot of use making this stool. Any mid-sized plane will do, such as a No3, No4, No4 1/2, No5 or No5 1/2. If you are going to buy one then a No4 is a good first choice, or a No3 if you have small hands. Buy what you can afford; second-hand Stanley’s are an affordable option and plenty good enough once they’ve been set up well.
• Block plane – Also essential. The Quangsheng Low Angle Block Plane is a good affordable all-rounder.
• Spokeshave, flat sole – Gets used a lot in chairmaking. My favourite is the Stanley 151. They can be found easily and cheaply on eBay.
• Drawknife – Pretty essential in chair making if you are not planning on using machines to remove the bulk of material. My favourite is the Ray Iles "Mike Abbott" Drawknife.
• Crosscut back saw (Western or a simple dozuki)
• Chisel – Anything in the 15-30mm range will do.
• Notebook and pencil – obvious really but there may be things you want to write down. I also like using a big soft one for marking out on wood; my favourite for this is the Faber-Castell Jumbo 2B pencil. A normal sized pencil is also needed.
• Tape measure
• 150mm steel ruler

Dates: 28-29^th September 2024
Class size: 6
Time: 9am – 5pm (Saturday and Sunday)
Location: Bibbings & Hensby Workshop, E14 7DF
Cost: £490 including materials