Furniture Making Workshop

Program Overview

This five-week hands-on woodworking workshop provides students with comprehensive instruction in furniture making techniques, from timber selection to advanced routing and finishing. Led by an experienced tutor, students work with a variety of tools and create a custom oak coffee table as part of the practical curriculum. The course is designed for individuals interested in design, home improvement, and the woodworking industry.

Program Outline

Outline:

This course is a five-week, hands-on workshop that takes place on Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm. It is designed to teach students the fundamentals of woodworking and furniture making.

Here is a breakdown of the course content:

• Session 1: Workshop Induction: Students will be introduced to the well-equipped product design workshops and learn about safety procedures before using the machines.
They will also learn how to use the X-cut saw, dimension saw, surface planer, and thickness planer.
• Session 3: Tool Proficiency: Students will gain hands-on experience with a variety of tools and equipment, including dimension saws, surface planers, thickness planers, spindle moulders, flatbed sanders, CNC and hand routers.
They will begin constructing their coffee table, focusing on building the front, back, and side rails for the drawer.
• Session 4: Joinery Techniques: Students will practice and discuss the merits of different joints as they assemble their coffee table.
They will learn how to use the overhead router, biscuit cutting, domino cutting, finger joints, and rub jointing.
• Session 5: Shaping Timber: Students will explore advanced woodworking skills by learning how to use a spindle moulder and various router techniques.
They will work on the spindle moulder, overhead router, CNC router, and hand router.
• Assembly and Finishing Touches: Students will explore different finishing techniques to make their coffee table a truly unique and visually stunning piece.
They will undertake advanced spindle work and assemble their furniture, working in a final sanding process before hand-finishing their oak coffee table with wax. They will also look at examples of other furniture projects with a chance to ask their tutor any questions about their future projects.

Teaching:

The course is taught in person on Nottingham Trent University's city campus. Students will receive 25 contact hours of quality tuition with an experienced tutor. The course is very practical and hands-on, and students will have the opportunity to work with a variety of tools and equipment in the well-equipped woodworking studios.

Tutor Profile:

Carl Smith, the course tutor, has over thirty years’ experience making bespoke and mass production furniture. He is one of NTU’s longest serving furniture makers. He started his career as an award-winning apprentice for Stag Furniture, and eventually trained to full certification as a journeyman, winning many other awards along the way including the National Skills Builder winners’ title and Olympia Cup gold medallist title. In his daily role as the workshop technician, Carl’s expertise extends to advising students on the design and construction of prototypes, models, furniture and products. His knowledge is shared across various undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including product and furniture design, architecture, interior architecture and fine arts.

Careers:

The course is designed to prepare students to succeed in the design industry. Students who have taken this course have come from a wide variety of industries including product design, architecture, interior design, and fine and decorative arts. It’s also a great first step for home improvers and restorers, artists and crafts people, DIY enthusiasts, teachers and educators who are interested in the carpentry or woodworking industry looking to diversify their skillset and explore furniture-specific techniques. On successful completion of the course, students will receive a certificate of attendance, which will further enhance their CV.

Other:

The course is limited to 9 people, ensuring that students receive one-on-one attention from the tutor. Students will leave the course with a finished oak coffee table with a functional drawer.

• The fee for this course is £1,100.
• Payment is due at the time of booking.
• If you're booking more than two months before the course starts, we can accept a £200 deposit to secure your place, and the balance is due one month before the course starts.