Through the making of a three-legged stool, this course introduces a wide range of core woodturning techniques and skills that can be applied to many future projects.

On the first evening, you will spend an hour with your tutor learning how to prepare an ash wood seat blank for face plate turning - in readiness for the weekend activities.

Over the weekend, the lathe as a versatile woodworking machine wil be introduced, alongside essential workshop safety and the correct use of tools. You will learn how to handle square section ash wood blocks for spindle turning into cyclinders and develop the techniques needed to produce your own design of stool legs, including a classic wedged dowel tenon joint for fixing legs to seat.

The seat blank will be bandsawn into a disc and mounted onto the faceplate, allowing you to practise truing, refining diameter, and adding contours, surface detail and a central hollow using large drill bits mounted in a chuck. Using a dovetail chuck, you will also have the opportunity to turn a contrasting rosette insert. The final stages will include drilling mortice holes at appropriate angles, assembly, trimming and sanding, fcompleted with an oiled wood finish

By the end of the course, you will have gained a solid grounding in key woodturning techniques, increased confidence using the lathe, and a deeper understanding of the processes involved — with a finished stool as a record of your learning and a substantial memento of a weekend shared with fellow makers.

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

• An apron is advisable to protect your clothes
• Covered, sturdy, but comfortable footwear is needed – sandals are not permitted in the workshop.
• A pencil

Available to buy

Available from shop:

• Pencilx
• 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 (no sandals or open toes).

Arrival day - first date of course
Residential students can arrive from 4pm, non-residential students to arrive by 6.45pm for registration  
Student welcome, followed by dinner: 6.45pm (dinner included)
Teaching session: 8pm-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 (lunch included)  
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 - last date of course
Course teaching: 9.15am-3pm (lunch included)  
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.

Terms & Conditions