Term Classes
Wallace Furniture primarily offers term based classes, one evening a week over 9 weeks. This allows every student to learn at a measured pace, building on their skills week by week. We begin with a series of set projects designed to ground you in the fundamentals of working with timber. These projects include a chopping board, a timber mallet, a serving tray and finally a small piece of furniture such as a stool, coffee or side table. It generally takes two terms to complete these projects. Once you have, you’re encouraged to return to begin making furniture and objects of your own design.
Chopping Board
Every learning path starts somewhere, and for aspiring fine woodworkers it’s almost always sticking a few pieces of timber together. Whether we call it a chopping board, a serving board or a tapas board, this is a great fundamental exercise in how to work timber by hand, imparting an understanding of how timber moves and changes with the seasons. You’ll also learn to use a range of hand tools to shape organic curves.
Mallet
The best tools are so often those made in the workshop, and this class is a great first exercise on that journey. Using only hand tools, you’ll cut and fit an angled mortise and tenon, creating a traditional timber mallet that can be used for assembling joinery or striking chisels. A range of skills will be taught in how to shape the handle and head into a comfortable and ergonomic shape.
Serving Tray
A great class in the finest details of woodworking. In this class, you’ll learn to work with specialised hand tools to cut mitred joints, grooves and rebates, creating a luxury serving tray. Those skills will serve you well in your future woodworking endeavours, particularly in the making of drawers and cabinetry.