Foundational Woodworking Courses

In our foundational woodworking classes, you will learn—through hands-on instruction—the basics of hand-tool woodworking. This course also serves as the prerequisite to the many advanced furniture-making courses which we offer.

We’ll guide you through the process of learning how to sharpen your chisels, plane blades and hand-saws; and you’ll learn how to cut dado joints, mortise-and-tenons and dovetails by hand as you complete several projects. Dadoes, mortise-and-tenons and dovetails are the main joints used to build fine wood furniture.

We offer several different ways to take the foundational course. You can take it as a single six-day workshop or as a series of several shorter classes.

Once you have completed the foundational course, you will have the skills and confidence to continue hand-tool woodworking in your home workshop.

We provide all the tools you need for taking this class.

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Stan Beckworth

Stan Beckworth began his woodworking career in 1983. His wide experience in woodworking enables him to teach as a practicing master craftsman. He began woodworking because of a desire to work with his hands and pass some hand skills to his children. Some of the classes he teaches are the Finishing class, Relief Carving class, Foundational Classes and the Advanced Furniture courses, such as the Chest of Drawers and Rocking Chair classes. Stan has spent a lot of time learning about furniture finishes, as well as relief carving, studying with Mary May, a renowned woodcarver in South Carolina. When Stan isn’t teaching, he runs a small remodeling business at his home and builds and refinishes furniture for different clients. He has been commissioned to make furniture for several congressmen as well as refinishing furniture for past presidents. ”Being able to pass on practical skills that are useful for everyday application is what I love to do.”

Mark Borman

At the age of 9, Mark’s interest in woodworking began, which led him to begin an apprenticeship with Homestead Heritage Furniture at the age of 17. In his own shop he has built many pieces of furniture from small dovetail boxes to large 10′ round conference tables. Most of his work has been for clients who have ordered custom pieces for their homes and offices. Mark has been building custom furniture for the last 20 years and is now the manager of the Heritage Furniture business. Mark enjoys making hand tools and jigs that can simplify the building process. He has taught children how to shape simple utensils like wooden spoons and cutting boards as well as other larger projects. “Seeing the young grow to maturity in their craft is what I appreciate.”

Foundational Woodworking Courses

Foundational Woodworking Courses

Joinery I: Woodworking with Hand Tools

Joinery II: Woodworking Basics (3-day)

Joinery III: Beginning Furniture Making (3-day)

Six-Day Foundational Joinery Course

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