Carpentry & Furniture Making Training

Lesson 1 • Personal Protective Equipment Basics

Covers required PPE for carpentry environments and proper fit and use. Grounds all subsequent tool and machine work in injury-prevention habits.

Lesson 2 • Workshop Layout and Housekeeping

Defines safe traffic flow, tool storage zones, and dust/debris management. A clean, organized shop reduces accidents and improves efficiency.

Lesson 3 • Hand Tool Identification and Care

Introduces saws, chisels, planes, mallets, and marking tools with correct names and maintenance routines. Proper care extends tool life and ensures accuracy.

Lesson 4 • First Aid and Incident Reporting

Addresses wound care, splinter removal, and cut response specific to woodworking injuries. Prepares students to respond quickly and document incidents properly.

Lesson 1 • Wood Anatomy and Grain Structure

Explains growth rings, grain direction, and cellular structure and how they affect workability. Understanding anatomy prevents tear-out and guides cutting decisions.

Lesson 2 • Engineered Wood Products

Introduces plywood, MDF, particleboard, and LVL with load ratings and moisture sensitivity. Engineered panels expand design options and reduce material waste.

Lesson 3 • Lumber Grading and Purchasing

Explains board-foot calculation, defect grading, and supplier evaluation criteria. Accurate purchasing prevents waste and keeps project budgets on track.

Lesson 4 • Common Hardwood Species

Profiles oak, maple, walnut, cherry, and ash with hardness ratings and typical applications. Students match species to structural or decorative project needs.

Lesson 1 • Story Sticks and Full-Scale Layout

Explains story sticks and full-scale drawings as error-reduction tools for complex assemblies. Direct transfer of dimensions eliminates conversion mistakes.

Lesson 2 • Marking Gauges and Scribing

Introduces mortise gauges, cutting gauges, and panel gauges for repeatable layout lines. Scribed lines are more accurate than pencil lines for joinery work.

Lesson 3 • Measurement Tools and Techniques

Covers tape measures, rules, and calipers with reading accuracy to 1/32 inch. Consistent measurement habits eliminate cumulative error across a project.

Lesson 4 • Squareness and Reference Surfaces

Teaches establishing a face side, face edge, and reference end before any layout begins. All subsequent measurements depend on true reference surfaces.

Lesson 1 • Table Saw Operations

Covers fence setup, blade height, and featherboard use for safe, accurate ripping and crosscutting. The table saw is the primary dimensioning machine in most shops.

Lesson 2 • Band Saw and Scroll Saw Techniques

Covers blade selection, tension, and guide setup for resawing and curved cuts. Band saws excel at resawing thick stock and cutting gentle curves.

Lesson 3 • Router and Router Table Fundamentals

Introduces bit types, feed direction, and depth-of-cut settings for edge profiling and dadoes. Routers shape edges and cut grooves essential for cabinet construction.

Lesson 4 • Ripping and Crosscutting by Hand

Teaches rip saw and crosscut saw technique with proper stance and stroke mechanics. Hand sawing builds feel for grain and prepares students for machine work.

Lesson 1 • Mortise-and-Tenon Joints

Teaches chopping mortises and sawing tenons with correct proportions for maximum glue surface. The mortise-and-tenon is the primary joint for chair and table frames.

Lesson 2 • Butt, Rabbet, and Dado Joints

Covers the simplest joints used in carcass and cabinet construction with glue and fastener reinforcement. These joints form the backbone of box and shelf assemblies.

Lesson 3 • Hand-Cut Dovetail Joints

Covers laying out, sawing, and chopping through and half-blind dovetails for drawer and case construction. Dovetails resist racking and pulling forces in drawer boxes.

Lesson 4 • Dowel and Biscuit Joinery

Explains dowel alignment jigs and biscuit joiner setup for edge-to-edge and frame joints. These methods speed up production while maintaining adequate strength.

Lesson 1 • Case and Carcass Construction

Covers building box-form cabinets with face frames, backs, and fixed shelves. Carcass construction is the foundation of kitchen, bathroom, and storage furniture.

Lesson 2 • Drawer Construction and Fitting

Covers building drawer boxes with dovetail or lock-rabbet joints and fitting them to openings. Properly fitted drawers operate smoothly and resist racking.

Lesson 3 • Door Hanging and Hardware Installation

Teaches fitting inset and overlay doors, installing hinges, and adjusting for gap consistency. Consistent reveals and smooth operation define quality cabinet work.

Lesson 4 • Frame-and-Panel Construction

Teaches building stile-and-rail frames with floating panels for doors and decorative sides. Floating panels accommodate wood movement and prevent cracking.

Lesson 1 • Topcoat Application and Rubbing Out

Teaches brushing and wiping polyurethane, lacquer, and oil finishes with inter-coat sanding. Rubbing out the final coat produces a consistent sheen level.

Lesson 2 • Scraping and Hand Planing for Finish

Introduces card scrapers and smoothing planes as alternatives to sandpaper for glassy surfaces. Scraped surfaces accept stain more evenly than sanded surfaces.

Lesson 3 • Stains, Dyes, and Color Matching

Covers oil-based, water-based, and gel stains with application methods and blotch prevention. Color consistency across multiple parts defines professional-quality furniture.

Lesson 4 • Sanding Sequences and Techniques

Covers grit progression from 80 to 220, sanding direction, and avoiding cross-grain scratches. Systematic sanding is the single greatest factor in finish quality.

Lesson 1 • Project Planning and Client Communication

Covers scope definition, material estimation, timeline building, and presenting proposals to clients. Clear communication prevents scope creep and ensures client satisfaction.

Lesson 2 • Furniture Design Principles

Covers proportion, visual weight, negative space, and ergonomic dimensions for seating and tables. Good design balances aesthetics with structural and functional requirements.

Lesson 3 • Working Drawings and Cut Lists

Teaches creating dimensioned orthographic drawings and accurate cut lists from a design sketch. Working drawings prevent costly errors during material purchasing and cutting.

Lesson 4 • Advanced Joinery for Furniture

Introduces sliding dovetails, bridle joints, and keyed miter joints for structural and decorative applications. Advanced joints expand design possibilities and demonstrate craftsmanship.