Courses in Green Woodworking
All courses start with a cup of tea, introductions and a chat about health & safety in the workshop. A fire is burning most of the time to ensure a steady supply of tea, heat for drying timber and steam for bending. All the tools and equipment required during the courses will be provided but please feel free to bring along your own tools if you wish. Advice on tools and sharpening is given along with a list of suppliers of tools and a reading list for those students who want to progress with their new interest.
Come and join us on one of our courses and experience working with green wood in a wonderful tranquil location surrounded by birdsong and bathed in dappled sunlight.
The Green Woodwork and Chair Making courses start with a freshly cut log and will teach students how to use the froe, axe, drawknife, shave horse and pole-lathe.
Gift Vouchers
"Ideas for Christmas or a Birthday" Gift Vouchers are available for purchase against full or part payment for any of our courses and are sent to you. The recipient can redeem the voucher at the time of booking the course of interest.
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2012 Course Programme
Cotswold Woodland Crafts are running the following courses this year. These courses are appropriate for adult participants of any skill level, novice to expert. Under 16s must be accompanied by a participating adult.
Seasoned Timber Chair Making Courses
In addition to green wood chair making Paul Hodgson runs courses at Peter Sefton Furniture School in Worcestershire. These five day courses, in March and August, are held in a cabinetmaking workshop where we make a Philip Clissett style armchair. For further details, availabilty and bookings visit www.peterseftonfurnitureschool.co.uk.
British Woodwordking April 2011 - Article on dry timber chairmaking
Private Tuition
Private tuition for one or two people is available by arrangement at £120/day plus the cost of materials. Normally these sessions will take place in the woods during the week between April and October. The sessions offer students an opportunity to specify what aspects or green woodwork they wish to cover. Call us to discuss your interests/project so we can tailor the workshop to suit your requirements.
The Workshop
Our courses are held at the Monastery Garden Woodland Workshop at Prinknash Abbey, near Painswick, Gloucestershire. Directions will be sent out with the booking confirmation. The workshop is set in woodland by a stream under the canopy of a large sycamore tree. The tree and tarps shade us from direct sun and keep us dry in the rain.
The workshop is equipped for all of the activities we run during the season and includes pole-lathes, shave horses, chopping blocks, benches, cleaving break, equipment for steam bending and drying timber.
Accommodation
There is no camping or accommodation on site but you will receive details of suitable places to stay when your booking is confirmed.
Availability
To avoid disappointment, contact us to check on availability prior to booking. Places can be reserved for up to 10 days to allow for booking and payment. If you are unable to book the date you want your name can be put on the reserve list in case of cancellations.
If there is sufficient interest in a specific course we can add dates to the calendar. Contact us and express your interest.
Booking
Courses can be booked by downloading, printing and filling in the booking form and posting it with a cheque, payable to Cotswold Woodland Crafts, to Paul Hodgson at Weavers Cottage, Butterrow West, Rodborough, Stroud, GL5 3TZ.
| Download booking form |
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Terms and Conditions
Booking: To reserve your place, course fees are to be paid in full at the time of booking.
Cancellation: We understand that students may need to cancel their booking and this should be done at the earliest time possible to ensure a replacement student can be found. If the place cannot be filled, half the fee will be forfeited. Refunds can only be made after the course. Please contact us to discuss transfer of booking to another more suitable date.
Gift Vouchers: If the cost of the course is more than the value of the voucher, a cheque for the balance should be included. If the value of a voucher is greater than that of the course a credit will be held against a further booking.
General Course Information
Generally, courses start at 09.30 and finish at 16.30. A lunch break will be taken at approximately 12.30. Tea breaks are taken at convenient times during the morning and afternoon sessions although the kettle in on the boil throughout the day.
All tools and equipment that are required for each of the courses will be provided. Advice on tools and sharpening is given together with a list of suitable suppliers of tools and materials.
During the introduction of each course the tutor will discuss some important health and safety issues to ensure that the workshop is a safe environment in which to work.
Each student should wear stout shoes or walking boots. As this is an outside activity students should bring something warm and waterproof to wear, appropriate to the season.
The workshop is about half a mile from civilisation. On the Abbey site, parking is provided and there is a cafeteria with toilets, open every day except Monday.
Students should bring a packed lunch and any cold drinks they may require throughout the day. Tea and coffee will be provided.
The price of each course will include the cost of materials unless otherwise stated. For more ambitious projects an additional charge may be made, to be paid at the time of the course.
Chairmaking - Level: Intermediate
The chairmaking courses teach the art of making post and rung chairs. Apply your green woodworking skills to make yourself either a ladder-back or spindle-back chair.
On the 6 Day course you can make a side chair and on the 7 Day course there is additional time for an armchair or a rocker.
Course content:
Health & safety in the workshop, design of post & rung chairs, timber selection & evaluation, preparation of stock with a bow saw, froe, axe and drawknife, pole-lathe turning, steam bending, drying timber, slat mortices & drilling sockets, framing & finishing and seagrass seat weaving.
Course outcome: Ladder-back or spindle-back chair & chair making skills.
Course cost includes: Ash timber, seagrass, tea/coffee/biscuits.
Course times:
It is suggested that beginners wishing to make a chair spend time learning the basics of green wood turning prior to booking the chairmaking course. There is insufficient time in 6 days to learn to turn, dry timber and complete the chair. A 20% discount is offered on an introduction course if both courses are booked together. Please contact us if you wish to discuss this further.
Green Woodwork & Pole-lathe turning
1 Day Taster – Level: Novice
This course covers the basic skills of 'bodging', traditionally used for the making of chair components. All the tools and pieces of equipment will be explained and the techniques of cleaving, trimming, shaving and turning on a pole-lathe practiced. Have a day of fun in the woods learning traditional skills and make yourself a dibber, rolling pin, spurtle, bat, honey drizzle etc.
Course content:
Health & safety in the workshop, timber selection & evaluation, preparation of stock with a bow saw, froe, axe and drawknife and pole-lathe turning.
Course outcome: Skills with edge tools and pole-lathe turning & turned products.
Course cost includes: Timber, tea/coffee/biscuits.
Course times: 09:30 - 16:30
2 Day Introduction – Level: Novice
This course covers the basic skills of 'bodging', traditionally used for the making of chair components. The course starts with the basic skills of cleaving, trimming, shaving and turning on a pole-lathe. A variety of useful items such as a dibber, rolling pin, spurtle, bat, honey drizzle etc. will be made on the first day. The course continues with an introduction to angled drilling with a brace and bit and the principles of green wood joinery. You will improve on the basic skills and learn about what happens when wood dries out and experience the effects first hand while making a milking stool, peg rail or boot rack. This structured course is primarily about learning skills and achieving a general knowledge of aspects of green woodwork.
Course content:
Health & safety in the workshop, timber selection & evaluation, preparation of stock with a bow saw, froe, axe and drawknife, pole-lathe turning, angled drilling and joining green timber.
Course outcome: Skills with edge tools, pole-lathe turning and turned products.
Course cost includes: Timber, tea/coffee.
Course times: 09:30 -16:30
3 Day Intermediate – Level: Intermediate
For the student with an understanding of the craft this course allows for consolidation and improvement of skills already learned. A less structured course that allows students to be more creative and undertake more advanced projects of their own choice. An additional charge may be made to cover the cost of materials. Make green woodworking equipment and learn how best to use it. The 3 day course allows time for a hands-on tool sharpening session.
Projects suggestions:-
Make a Pole-lathe: Hardwood bed & poppets with softwood legs (additional material cost: £100).
Shave horse: Split ash or poplar seat (additional material cost: £20).
Seagrass seat stool: turned, dried and weaved (additional material cost: £20).
All tools required are provided but feel free to bring our own. Contact us to discuss your project prior to booking.
Course cost includes: Tea/coffee/biscuits.
Course times: 09:30 - 17:00
Gate Hurdle Making – Level: Novice/Intermediate
This course teaches the traditional method of making a 6ft or 4ft gate or sheep hurdle. Rails, styles and braces are split out from a green ash log, trimmed with an axe and drawn with a drawknife. Mortice sockets cut, tenons made on each end of the rails and the hurdle assembled and nailed. Although previous experience is not required this is a physically demanding course.
Course content:
Health & safety in the workshop, timber selection & evaluation, preparation of stock with a bow saw, froe, axe and drawknife, mortice and tenon joints and assembly.
Course outcome: Cleaving skills and a hurdle.
Course cost includes: Timber, tea/coffee/biscuits.
Course times: 09:30 - 16:30
Trug Making – Level: Novice/Intermediate
Make a No. 5 Garden Trug using traditional hand tools and techniques. The handle and rim of the basket are made by cleaving sweet chestnut and dressing out using a drawknife and shave horse. They are then steam bent into shape and secured using copper nails. Willow slats are profiled and thicknessed using a drawknife, before being soaked in water and bent into shape. The slats are secured to the chestnut frame using copper tacks.
Course content:
Health & safety in the workshop, timber selection & evaluation, cleaving & dressing out, steam bending and assembly.
Course outcome: Skills with froe & drawknife and take home a No. 5 Trug.
Course cost includes: Timber, tea/coffee/biscuits.
Course times: 09:30 - 16:30
Stick Dressing – Level: Novice/Intermediate
This course is an introduction to craft of stick dressing. Learn how to carve a bird or an animal on the end of a hazel rod making yourself a personalised walking stick. The course covers the sourcing, cutting and storing of the hazel rods, preparation of the stick, aspects of design, carving the animal with a knife and finishing the stick.
Course content:
Health & safety in the workshop, timber selection & evaluation, design, carving and finishing.
Course outcome: Skills with whittling knives and take home your carved walking stick.
Course cost includes: Timber, tea/coffee/biscuits.
Course times: 09:30 - 16:30