A Comprehensive Introduction to Woodturning

This course provides students with the understanding and practice of creating some of the most fundamental furniture making joints! In just one day students will create hands-on:

• Mortise and Tenon Joints
• Finger and Box Joints
• Bridle Joints
• Half Lap Joints
• Floating Tenon Joints

The joints covered in this course have a wide variety of applications in woodworking and basic furniture construction. Students will learn these joinery techniques through class discussion, observation, and hands-on execution and have hand-made samples of each joint to take home!

In a woodworking world seemingly dominated by power tools, the amazing versatility of and enjoyment from using hand tools is often overlooked. This course focuses on the use of a wide variety of hand tools including hand planes, hand saws, chisels, marking knives and marking gauges.  In addition, significant attention will be placed on the sharpening and honing of tools for optimal performance.

And what better way to begin your exploration than to use our hand tools to make your own hand tools that you will take home from class!  You will leave class with your own hand-made mallet and marking knife!!

Curious about woodturning but not sure where to start? Join us for a free live demonstration with award-winning master turner Eli Polite and get an up-close look at the craft in action. You’ll see how raw wood is transformed on the lathe into elegant spindle shapes while Eli walks through the essential tools, techniques, and fundamentals that make it all possible. This relaxed, no-pressure session is the perfect way to watch the process, ask questions, and get a feel for the lathe before committing to a class. If it sparks your interest, Eli’s Introduction to Spindle Turning course offers a deeper, hands-on dive where you’ll build skills and create your own finished projects!

See Eli’s instagram page @elipolite

Just a quick note — this is a live demonstration, so you’ll be watching and learning rather than participating hands-on. It’s a great way to get a feel for the process before jumping in yourself!