What to expect on our Beginners hand tool woodworking courses
- Andrew
- Nov 5
- 3 min read
I thought I would give you a glimpse of what to expect from you beginner’s woodworking course when you book either the one day woodworking masterclass or the two day cracket stool course. However, I think it’s worth noting why I offer these courses. I don’t expect every one of my past students to go on and become master cabinet makers, the aim of the course is to give you the confidence to pick up a saw, chisel or plane with confidence so that when you tackle whatever job it is you are about to you do so without hesitation.
Woodworking has been a go to skill for people around the world for millennia. Although largely seen as a niche craft it is a core household skill that is just as important as cooking, gardening and cleaning. Woodworking skills allow people to undertake so many jobs around the house that it not only saves you money but also gives you a sense of ownership and pride in home. Unfortunately, this skill is not as universal as it once was and despite there being a myriad of videos and tutorials online you can watch, getting to grips with the basics of what tools to use when can be a bit daunting. In person courses such as the ones we offer here in Weardale give you both experience and crucially advice on how to improve your skills rather than just watching someone else working.
So, when you arrive at the workshop here at Harehope Quarry in COunty Durham, after you’ve been astounded by the beauty of our surroundings, we always start our courses with an introduction to the materials we will be working with – wood. Understanding the material and its idiosyncratic ways it likes to challenge us can eliminate quite a few early frustrations you might have with woodworking. Over tea coffee and biscuits, we look at the properties of different timbers, how they move and how to understand grain direction.
That’s when we get in to the working part of woodworking! Starting with the saw we do some crosscuts and rip cuts, we then introduce the hand plane to refine our cuts and, in some cases, correct any wayward saw cuts. Finally, we introduce the chisel and the variety of cuts this simple tool can undertake. Whether it is one or two days you get the chance to really understand how to use the simplest of toolkits that can open up a world of possibilities for either making or mending or maintaining around your home.
"Absolutely brilliant time this weekend. Loved making my cracket box and really enjoyed the company of my course pals, and Andrew, who is so knowledgeable and friendly. He broke the elements of the build down so well such that even someone like me, with nil experience of woodwork, felt confident and accomplished by the end of the two days. The location is beautiful and the facilities are just perfect. Looking fwd to developing a project and visiting again asap!" Laura
As I always say at the start of my courses – each person works at their own pace and the purpose of the course isn’t to make a box or a cracket stool, it’s t learn HOW to make a box or a cracket stool. Also, we aren’t in school – if you’re getting frustrated with a technique or want to move on we can cheat a little and I can help fix any mistakes you want fixed or give you a hand to finish a task.
Not only are these courses good fun they are also a good challenge – I have yet to see a participant not improve from where they started. Accurate woodworking does not come from some inherent gift, it is a skill that can be learned, refined and improved upon every single time you pick up a saw, chisel or plane. Once you’ve taken that first step the next one is so much easier!
"Really enjoyed this course, and Andrew was really good at explaining everything and helping with questions while we were building the box. He even managed to use his expertise to fix my sawing mistakes! Lovely workshop and setting too. Definitely would recommend." Peter
So whether you have aspirations of becoming a cabinet maker or you just want to be able to make a simple shelf for an alcove, then come spend one or two days with me here in Weardale in the glorious County Durham dales and have a go.
