The Made-By-You Series Woodworking Course

You’ll make your own custom piece from start to finish using simple, strong methods of joinery. This is not an open workshop – it’s a commitment to craftsmanship and an opportunity to build real skills. It’s a start to finish design and build experience where each session builds on the last. From designing, planning, and building, together we will take your ideas from paper to real life.Guided by me, in my workshop in Frenchs Forest, I’ll take you through the design and production process, one step at a time.Please note, the class fee does NOT include materials. Students are required to purchase their materials, once their design has been approved by the teacher. Budget approximately $100 for this. If you’re aiming to build two matching/identical items such as bedside tables, the design will need to be simplified to what is achievable within four weeks.Your Project - Some guidanceThis is a BEGINNER series! It's a great next step after completing Tool School. It's all about taking the next steps into building, growing your confidence with tools, furthering your skills, and practicing on a real project of your choosing. Your project should be achievable for YOU! I'm here to guide you, but you'll be doing the work. Try and keep your projects simple and manageable in size. We will all be working around a common bench, so there needs to be room for everyone! Below are some further guidelines to help you choose your project. The pictures on this page also give an indication of what would be possible.Guidelines for Projects

• Boxes are great! Most items of furniture are made out of boxes! Bedside tables, side tables, coffee tables etc. They're all different configurations of boxes.
• No complex angles. Angles are great, but let's keep things simple for our beginner series!
• No recycled or second-hand timber. Save this material to use when you're flying solo!
• No complex joinery such as dovetails. These skills take years of practise to perfect!
• Maximum material thickness should be 20mm.

Four-Week Work ScheduleWorkshop Welcome (Bonus session) 1 hourBefore the sawdust flies, we'll ease into our four-week series with a relaxed afternoon/evening in the workshop. This is your chance to get familiar with the space, meet your fellow makers, and walk through what the next four Fridays will look like. We'll also review your project options and workshop rules - and most importantly, we'll dig into your design ideas. Please bring along any sketches, or reference pictures. This is key to gain an understanding of your idea. It's important that your project is simple and achievable within our time frame. Some ideas may need to be simplified, refined, or adapted - and that's all part of the process. Please see above for project guidelines.Week 1 - Friday July 4th / 8:30AM - 3PMDay one is a biggie! It's all about designing, planning, material choice and working up your production process. We'll spend the first half of the day planning and refining your design. This includes sketching your concept (you can do this with a pencil and paper, or I can show you how to use Sketchup), locking in dimensions, finalising details, and selecting the right materials. Together, we'll walk through the production process for each build. You'll benefit from one-on-one guidance as well as collaborative discussions - observing and learning from others' design and material choices. In the afternoon, we'll visit two local timber suppliers where you'll purchase materials. You can either take them with you or have them delivered directly to the workshop.Week 2 - Friday July 11 / 9AM - 3PMTools in hand, build begins!This week is all about getting stuck into your project. You'll start following the production process we laid out in week one. Carefully measuring, cutting, gluing up panels, and joining timber. This is where a lot of the grunt work is done. You'll learn how to use a range of tools safely and confidently. It'll be hands-on from the start, and you'll start to see your idea take shape.Week 3 - Friday July 25 / 9AM - 3PMFocused on the build!Momentum kicks in as your build continues. You'll focus on making even further progress, the final glue-up, and bringing the work to its final stages. Expect more tool time, more skill-building and plenty of focus on getting it done!Week 4 - Friday August 1 / 9AM - 3PMFinishing strong!We'll spend the final week pushing through the finish line. Maybe you'll be at the sanding stage, maybe you'll need more time assembling, or maybe you'll be ready to apply a finish to your work. Wherever you're up to, we will focus on putting our energies into making your project the best it can be. And at the end of the day, you can stand back and look proudly at what you've achieved.Please note - While the goal is to complete your project during the allocated workshop time, some builds may take longer, depending on complexity, mistakes made and general pace. If your piece isn't finished by week four, we can help you devise a plan for completing it. Additional workshop time is not included in the four-week program and will need to be arranged and paid for separately. Read more details