Woodworking - WE - 101

Woodworking Essentials is a series of 4 classes that build on the skills learned in the previous “Woodworking Essentials” class. The courses are designed to introduce the student to the tools and basic skills of woodworking. Each course contains a featured project that challenges and utilizes the knowledge and skills presented in the current and previous classes. No experience is required for the first class in the series, but each follow-on class requires the previous class as a perquisite.

Projects:

Woodworking Essentials 1 – Wooden hand plane

Woodworking Essentials 2 – Hall Table (mortise & tenon construction, tapered legs)

Woodworking Essentials 3 – Small Bench (Through dovetails, wedged mortise & tenon)

Woodworking Essentials 4 – Side Table (Carcase, door & drawer construction)

Areas covered in series:

• Wood characteristics & purchasing lumber - selecting the wood appropriate to your project.
• Joinery – understanding types of joinery and choosing the right joinery for your projects. Creating the joint using both hand and machinery methods.
• Hand skills - sharpening hand tools; use and tuning of hand planes, chisels, saws, and scrapers.
• Machine skills - preparing, joining and forming wood
• Basic design & prototype methodology

Woodworking Essentials #1 - Course Outline

Day 1

Wood

• Properties & Types of Wood
• Buying Wood

Joinery

• Wood Movement
• Type of Joints

Introduction to Hand Tools

• Work Bench
• Measuring Tools
• Squares & Straightedges
• Marking Tools
• Saws
• Chisels
• Mallets
• Planes
• Spoke shave
• Scrapers
• Files & Rasps
• Clamps
• Sharpening

Introduction to Woodworking Machines

• Safety
• Table Saw
• Band Saw
• Jointer
• Thickness Planer
• Drill Press
• Lathe
• Chop Saw
• Router & Shaper
• Sanders

Day 2

Working with rough stock

• Milling Square Stock

Building a hand plane