Kingsgrove · Sydney · Adults 18+
Furniture Making Classes in Sydney
Learn the process properly: prepare timber, mark accurately, cut and fit joints, assemble carefully and finish work you want to keep.
Nine weeks · three hours each week · six foundation projects · maximum eight students
A practical furniture-making course
Start with the foundations. Build towards your own work.
Chisel & Dowel runs hands-on furniture-making and woodworking classes in a working Kingsgrove workshop. Complete beginners start with a structured sequence of six projects. Returning students continue from where they left off and move into increasingly independent furniture projects.
The sequence gives each new skill a reason to exist. Timber preparation supports accurate parts. Accurate marking supports clean joinery. Good assembly depends on both. The aim is to understand the process well enough to make sound decisions when the project is no longer prescribed.
These are practical recreational classes for adults. They are not an apprenticeship or accredited trade qualification.
9weeks
3heach week
8maximum students
6foundation projects
The foundation sequence
Six projects. Each one adds something useful.
Knife
Picture frame
Mallet
Keepsake box
Stool or side table
What students learn
Furniture-making skills that connect.
Furniture making is a sequence. The classes connect the individual techniques so students can see how decisions at the start affect the final fit, surface and structure.
Timber preparation
Inspect material, establish reliable reference surfaces and size components in a controlled order.
Marking and layout
Transfer dimensions clearly and mark the finished part before cutting away waste.
Tools and machinery
Build familiarity with hand tools, workshop processes and machine setup under teacher direction.
Joinery and fitting
Understand how joints are formed, tested and adjusted before assembly.
Assembly
Plan the order of work, manage alignment and bring prepared components together accurately.
Surface and finish
Refine the work so its surfaces, edges and details feel resolved.
From first project to fine furniture
Accuracy develops through practice.
Students interested in fine furniture making need more than a single technique. Timber selection, preparation, layout, joint fitting, proportion, surface quality and finishing all have to work together. The term format gives students time to repeat those processes and understand where accuracy comes from.
After the six foundation projects, students begin designing and making their own work with guidance from working furniture makers and designers. The workshop includes students at different stages, from a first cheese board to cabinets, tables and seating.
Useful reading before class: how to prepare timber, checking reference surfaces and sharpening chisels and plane blades.
Common questions
Before you book.
Are beginners welcome?
Yes. Complete beginners start with the six foundation projects in sequence. Returning students continue from where they left off.
What is included?
Timber, tools, machinery and normal consumables are supplied for the first six projects. Students supply timber and special materials for their own later projects.
Is this a short workshop?
No. Term classes run for nine sessions of three hours. This gives students time to practise connected skills and progress through more than a one-off project. Separate short courses are listed when available.
Is this accredited training?
No. These are recreational furniture-making and woodworking classes for adults, rather than an apprenticeship or formal trade qualification.
What happens if I miss a class?
A maximum of two make-up classes per term may be available with at least 24 hours notice. Make-ups depend on space, cannot roll over and are not available in the final week.
Where are the classes?
Chisel & Dowel is at 10 Commercial Road, Kingsgrove NSW 2208, alongside the professional designer-makers of Splinter Workshop.
Find a class time that works.
Current places and class times are shown in the booking catalogue. Choose the class you want and complete the booking to secure the place.
Planning for next year instead? Register your interest in 2027 classes.