Wooden Furniture Making Course

Lesson 1 • Workshop Safety and Organization

Establishes safe working habits, personal protective equipment use, and shop layout principles. Safety compliance underpins every hands-on activity in the course.

Lesson 2 • Essential Measuring and Marking Tools

Introduces rules, squares, marking gauges, and layout knives for accurate stock preparation. Precision marking is the foundation of tight-fitting joinery.

Lesson 3 • Lumber Selection and Purchasing

Teaches grading standards, defect identification, and yield calculation when buying lumber. Students leave able to select cost-effective, defect-free stock for projects.

Lesson 1 • Hand Planes: Setup and Application

Teaches bench plane anatomy, blade sharpening, and surface flattening techniques. Planing skills directly enable accurate stock preparation for joinery.

Lesson 2 • Chisels: Paring and Chopping

Introduces chisel types, sharpening methods, and controlled paring and chopping techniques. Chisel mastery is prerequisite for cutting mortises and fitting joints.

Lesson 3 • Clamping and Gluing Basics

Explains clamp types, glue selection, and dry-fit procedures for reliable assemblies. Proper clamping technique prevents racking and ensures square glue-ups.

Lesson 4 • Saws: Types and Proper Use

Covers rip saws, crosscut saws, and back saws for precise manual cutting. Correct saw selection and technique reduce tearout and improve joint accuracy.

Lesson 1 • Router Fundamentals and Jigs

Introduces fixed-base and plunge routers, bit selection, and common jig setups. Routers enable repeatable profiles, dadoes, and template-guided shapes.

Lesson 2 • Table Saw Operation and Safety

Covers blade selection, fence setup, and safe ripping and crosscutting procedures. The table saw is the primary dimensioning tool in most furniture shops.

Lesson 3 • Jointer and Thickness Planer Use

Teaches face jointing, edge jointing, and thickness planing to achieve flat, parallel stock. Accurate milling is prerequisite for all joinery and assembly work.

Lesson 4 • Band Saw and Scroll Saw Techniques

Covers blade tensioning, fence use, and freehand curved cutting on the band saw. These tools enable cabriole legs, curved aprons, and decorative cutouts.

Lesson 1 • Joinery Selection for Structural Integrity

Guides joint selection based on load direction, wood movement, and aesthetic requirements. Matching joint type to structural demand ensures durable furniture.

Lesson 2 • Sketching and Technical Drawing

Teaches orthographic projection, section views, and detail drawings for furniture components. Accurate drawings communicate intent and expose construction problems early.

Lesson 3 • Principles of Furniture Design

Covers proportion, visual balance, style periods, and ergonomic dimensions for seating and tables. Design literacy prevents costly mistakes before construction begins.

Lesson 4 • Prototyping and Mock-Up Strategies

Introduces full-scale mock-ups in MDF or pine to validate proportions and joinery before using expensive hardwood. Mock-ups reduce rework and material cost.

Lesson 1 • Dovetail Joints: Hand-Cut Methods

Introduces through and half-blind dovetails cut entirely by hand for drawer and case construction. Dovetails demonstrate craftsmanship and provide mechanical resistance to racking.

Lesson 2 • Machine-Cut Dovetails and Box Joints

Covers router-table jigs and dado-blade setups for repeatable dovetail and box joint production. Machine methods increase efficiency for production or multi-drawer projects.

Lesson 3 • Butt Joints and Reinforcement Methods

Covers the simplest joint form and its reinforcement with dowels, biscuits, and pocket screws. Understanding joint hierarchy guides appropriate selection for each application.

Lesson 4 • Dado, Rabbet, and Groove Joints

Teaches dado, rabbet, and groove cuts for shelves, cabinet backs, and panel frames. These joints provide structural housing and alignment in case furniture.

Lesson 1 • Shelf Systems and Adjustable Hardware

Covers fixed dado shelves, shelf-pin holes, and metal standards for adjustable shelving. Shelf systems must balance load capacity with aesthetic integration.

Lesson 2 • Carcase Construction Methods

Covers solid-wood and plywood carcase assembly using dadoes, rabbets, and face frames. Carcase construction forms the structural shell of most case furniture.

Lesson 3 • Frame-and-Panel Construction

Teaches grooved frames with floating panels to accommodate wood movement in doors and sides. This method prevents panel cracking in seasonal humidity changes.

Lesson 4 • Door Hanging and Hardware Installation

Covers fitting overlay and inset doors, installing hinges, and adjusting for gap consistency. Proper door fitting is the most visible indicator of craftsmanship quality.

Lesson 1 • Chair Joinery and Racking Resistance

Addresses compound-angle mortise-and-tenon joints and stretcher systems that resist chair racking. Chairs endure dynamic loads requiring stronger joinery than tables.

Lesson 2 • Tapered and Turned Leg Techniques

Covers tapering legs on the table saw and turning legs on the lathe for decorative profiles. Leg style defines the visual character of a table or chair.

Lesson 3 • Leg-and-Apron Table Frames

Covers mortise-and-tenon apron-to-leg joinery, corner blocking, and tabletop attachment methods. The leg-and-apron frame is the most common table construction system.

Lesson 4 • Seat and Back Comfort Engineering

Covers seat pan shaping, back angle calculation, and upholstery substrate preparation for comfort. Ergonomic shaping distinguishes functional chairs from uncomfortable ones.

Lesson 1 • Penetrating Oils and Wax Finishes

Teaches application of linseed, tung, and Danish oils plus paste wax for low-sheen protection. Oil finishes are beginner-friendly and enhance natural wood character.

Lesson 2 • Film Finishes: Shellac, Lacquer, and Varnish

Teaches brush and spray application of shellac, nitrocellulose lacquer, and oil-based varnish. Film finishes provide durable, moisture-resistant surfaces for furniture.

Lesson 3 • Water-Based Finishes and Safety

Covers water-based polyurethane and acrylic finishes, including grain-raise management and cleanup. Water-based finishes reduce solvent exposure and comply with air-quality standards.

Lesson 4 • Stains and Color Modification

Covers pigment stains, dye stains, and toning techniques to achieve consistent color across species. Color control requires understanding how each stain type interacts with grain.