Short Courses

Overview

Join Gray Balmer for this two day course for beginners. Gray will introduce you to the process of furniture making including:

• Introduction to safety on the standing machines
• Introduction to the use and care of hand tools
• Accurate mark out
• Layout of tools
• Use of saws, hand planes, chisels
• Practice joinery
• Sharpening
• Plans and Drawings
• Preparation for the purchase of materials
• Timber selection

This is a stand alone course where you learn the fundamentals required to start furniture making. It is not a project based course but will give you a good grounding if you are intending to join a msfw Tutor Group, or if you want to attend any of msfw’s project based courses.

No previous experience required.

Overview

Join Rob Fabris for this four-day project-based course for beginners.

Rob will introduce you to the process of making a small side table.  This will include:

• Introduction to Plans and Drawings
• Timber selection
• Demonstration of how to prepare and cut timber for the use in the project.
• Learn how to measure and mark out.
• Sharpening and the benefits of using sharp tools.
• Use of saws, planes and chisels to complete your joinery.
• Use of a hand planes to flatten and shape your components.
• Introduction to the usefulness of jigs (used to taper the legs, etc).
• Use and application of different glues
• Clamping
• Finishing techniques and the benefits of different finishes.
• Provide you with a list of suppliers for future purchase of supplies and tools.

No previous experience required.

Overview

Ben Hodgetts is a professional restorer who has over 30 years experience in restoring quality furniture for museums and private collections in Australia and England.  He has a wealth of experience that he conveys in an engaging and informative way.

Join Ben for this 2 day hands-on course suitable for beginners and learn the fundamentals of French Polishing.

Each student will end up with an:

• antique distressed panel
• rosewood / curl mahogany grain panel
• marble /stone panel
• black japanned panel
• one large panel that is water stained and oil stained with gold / painted inlay
• all panels are French Polished

This is purely a French Polishing course.

Ben also teaches our Furniture Restoration course.  If you’re interested, have a look for course dates.

Overview

Ben, our furniture restorer, has over 30 years experience of restoring quality furniture for museums and private collections in Australia and England. He will teach you how to restore your treasured period or contemporary furniture and artefacts. With his knowledge of furniture history and understanding of furniture restoration, Ben’s classes are a fascinating and enjoyable learning experience.

Bring along your restoration project and learn how to remove stains, make repairs using traditional glues or decoratively tool leather. Includes French polishing, gilding and contemporary decorative faux finishes.

BIO

Ben graduated from The London College of Furniture (now London Metropolitan University), completing 6 years of full-time study in furniture studies and antique furniture restoration. He is also a member of the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials.

He was awarded the National Diploma of Furniture Studies and the Higher National Diploma of Antique Furniture Restoration and Conservation. Further studies at the London College of Furniture gained him the City & Guilds Award for Furniture Making and he was also the recipient of the coveted London College of Furniture Higher Award in July 1988.

Ben’s most notable commissions have been, The London Museum, The Royal Academy of Art, Sotheby’s, Osprey’s and Terence Conan. In Australia, Ben, with his company South Fitzroy Antiques, has undertaken commissions with many institutions such as The National Gallery, The Johnston & Beleura Collections and for numerous private collectors and dealers.

Overview

Join Remy Tramoy for this one day course for beginners. Remy will introduce you to the process of box making using traditional techniques. The course focuses on developing hand skills. At the end of the day you will have a beautiful handmade box to take home.

Remy has a Masters in Joinery and Furniture Making. He has travelled and lived in various regions of France, Germany and Switzerland learning the traditional techniques of each area.

You will be taught how to measure and mark timber, use a hand plane, chisel and saws.

The box is – 100mm x 200mm x 75mm

Overview

This intensive two part workshop is designed for woodworkers wishing to develop their understanding of finishing products and techniques.  The course covers surface preparation, product selection and application techniques through demonstration.  With a wealth of experience to call upon, your tutor will explain and compare the suitability of different finishes.  Includes shellacs, oils, varnishes and waxes.

Overview

Do you already own a router, but feel that you’re not able to realise its full potential? Do you lack confidence in the use of your router? Are you considering buying a router? Then this one day workshop is for you. Topics at this popular hands-on course include safe use of the router, choosing a suitable machine, router bit types and their selection, use of a router table, and design and construction of router jigs and templates.  Please bring your router if you have one.

Overview

This half-day workshop will help you develop a perfect sharpening technique. It will cover the sharpening of chisels, planes, scrapers and spokeshaves and includes grinding, honing, setting and polishing.

Bring some of your own tools and be guided by our instructor to achieve that perfect cutting edge.

Overview

Learn how to renovate an old plane or correctly tune a new one.  At this one day workshop you will learn how to flatten the sole, sharpen the blade and adjust, fettle and finely tune your plane.  Bring at least one plane to work on…and make it sing!