Modern Hand tool Woodworking
for the home
£775
What you will cover
Over a 7 week period you’ll be given the oportunity to discover:
​​
-
The skills and principals of woodworking through 5 days of in person tuition
-
Guidance of how to set up a safe, efficient workshop
-
Plans to help make essential workshop equipment
-
How to work accurately without large machines
-
Timber basics: selection, preparation, and planning
-
Foundational hand skills
At the end of the course you will have not only the skills space and confidence to tackle your own projects and you will have built your first piece of fine furniture - an oak and ash hallway bench.
Discover how to develop your woodworking at home.
Hand tool woodworking is the most efficient way to get into woorkworking for your home - it is time efficient, space efficient and cost efficient. Most homes now are not blessed with a lot of space which makes a lot of practical hobbies where people make things (and more specifically need to make a mess in order to make things) difficult to even get started with because you just don’t feel that you have the space. Woodworking is one of those hobbies that people feel you need an extensive workshop filled with huge machines and hundreds of tools. However, a lot of our assumptions come from seeing professional makers rather than the hobbyist. The reality is with woodworking as with many crafts space does not have to be an issue with the use of hand tools.
The modern hand tool woodworking course is run over a period of 7-8 week during which we will give you practical tips, advice and guidance on how to set up and small woodworking space and build your first piece of fine furniture.
The course consists of 5 in person maker days as well as woodworking plans to help you make your own workbench, saw bench and bench hook as well as a kit list and timber buying guidance. You will also get online support and access to Q&A sessions to help you practice your new skills at home over the 7-8 week period. During your maker sessions you will undertake your first furniture making project - a hallway bench made from solid Oak and Ash. At the end of the course there is an opportunity to book in additional maker days should you want to develop your skills further.
Course Outline
Course Introduction and practical skills day
At home learning
First Maker sessions
At home learning
Second Maker sessions
Introductory day where you will discuss individual tool kits, how to plan your work space and how to set up your bench and storage requirements, go through workshop equipment plans and timber buying and cover some basic techniques needed. As part of the day we will cover how to cut basic woodworking joints.
At your introductory day you will be given plans to make your own work bench, saw bench and bench hooks which you can build in your own time with email support available throughout.
This will be your first hands on maker days at the ANH Artisan workshop. This session runs over 2 consecutive days where we start building a hallway bench from Ash and oak. This will cover accutrately dimensioning rough sawn timber by hand as well as preparing for joinery layout.
Continue to practice your skills at home and setting up your workshop space with ongoing support through the Q&A sessions scheduled thoughout the course
During your second pair of maker days we will aim to complete your hallway bench including glue up and finishing techniques. THis session is also designed to support your woodworking going forward. By this point you may be finished setting up your workspace and be starting to think of future furniture making projects which we can offer advice on joinery techniques etc. If at the end of the course you wish to book in additional maker days this can be discussed and booked in.
Modern Handtool Woodworking Course dates
Your five in person workshop days will cover:
​
Introduction Day
Covering workshop plans, kits lists and workshop safety as well as practicing core woodworking joinery techniques
​​
First Maker Session
Making a start on making a Halway bench covering dimensioning rough timber to finish size and initial joinery.
​​
Second Maker Session
Progressing with your project and finishing techniques.
As well as comprehensive woodworking plans to build your own workbench, saw bench and other workshop equipment, you will have the opportunity to join me in the workshop to build a hallway bench made from solid oak and ash. We will be running two course blocks in 2026:
Summer course dates:
-
27 July 2026 Introduction Day
-
17-18 August 2026 First Maker Session ​
-
7-8th September 2026 Second Maker Session
Autumn course dates:
-
28 September 2026 Introduction Day
-
19-20 October 2026 First Maker Session ​
-
9-10 November 2026 Second Maker Session