Create your own individual three-legged stool and learn a wide variety of different woodturning techniques and skills that you can apply to future projects of your own.

On the first evening, your tutor will introduce the principles of the lathe as a versatile woodworking machine and the safe use of tools in the West Dean workshop. This will be followed by a discussion of how you can arrange the materials provided to create a three-legged stool (potentially with contrasting wood bands) before gluing up a seat blank in preparation for faceplate turning.

Over the weekend, the tutor will teach you how to prepare blanks for spindle turning in order to create your own individual stool legs, including a classic wedged dowel tenon joint for attaching to the seat. Four essential types of wood turning tool will be used and the basics of sharpening with a slip stone and grinding wheel demonstrated.

The glued up seat blank will be band saw cut into a circle and mounted onto the faceplate for trimming to a precise diameter, adding contours, detail and a central cavity. Using a scroll chuck you can turn a contrasting rosette insert to complete the lathe work. After drilling holes in the seat, inserting the legs, trimming and sanding, you will learn about different types of wood finishes and apply your chosen finish to your stool.

By the end of the course, you will have created your own individual three-legged stool, having learned a wide variety of different woodturning techniques and skills that you could apply to future projects of your own.

Included

4 x 40mm x 40mm x 440mm sawn ash blanks for legs 1 x 100mm x 30mm x 910mm prepared ash blank for seat 1 x 6mm x 30mm x 600mm prepared oak 1 x 100mm x 100mm x 20mm prepared oak for a central rosette

What students need to bring

• Overall, boiler suit or smock (to protect your clothes against wood dust and shavings. it should be close fitting round the neck, no loose ties and long hair must be tied back securely.)
• covered, Sturdy, but comfortable footwear is needed – sandals are not permitted in the workshop. Woodturning tools (marked with your name), if you have any

Available to buy

Available from shop: Pencil Finishing oil 80, 100, 150, 180, 240, 320 grit, cloth backed abrasive

Additional information

Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio. This includes stout covered footwear, i.e. no open-toes or sandals, and safety boots, if specified.

Arrival day
Residential students can arrive from 4pm, non-residential students to arrive by 7.15pm for registration. Students arriving earlier are welcome to purchase dinner in the College Dining Room from 6pm.
Students meet their tutor in the Bar at 7.30pm prompt to go to studios.
First Teaching session: 7.30pm - 9pm (attendance is essential)

Daily timetable
Course teaching: 9.15am - 5pm
Morning session: 9.15am - 12.45pm including coffee/tea break
Lunch break: 12.45pm - 2pm*
Afternoon session: 2pm - 5pm including coffee/tea break
Teaching finishes: 5pm
Evening working: students may have access to workshops until 9pm, but only with permission from the tutor and provided any health and safety guidelines are observed.

Departure day
Course teaching: 9.15am - 3pm
Teaching finishes: 3pm

Residential students will need to check out of rooms by 10am. Please note, the tutor may make slight variations to the daily timetable as required.

*Lunch can be purchased on campus, view options

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