Dovetailed tray making course

15th - 19th July 2024

Learn the importance of accurate measuring and marking out.

We hope to de-mystify the cutting of dovetail joints

Registration is now open for this new course 

What does this course cover?

Join us in the Wood School workshops to hand-cut dovetails and make a tray using home-grown timber. This week-long course has been designed for beginners as an introduction to our professional workshop and introduce basic woodworking hand-skills. We will cover the essentials of measuring and marking out and hope to de-mystify the cutting of dovetail joints. You will be guided by our experienced tutors to first practice these skills and then use them to make your tray. We will also cover sharpening chisels to a razor-sharp edge and carry out some basic operations on some of our fixed machinery. 

The dovetail joint is often seen as a marker of craftspersonship and can be daunting to woodworkers of all levels. Experience tells us that with some guidance and practice everyone can achieve a good result! 


You will be introduced to Sylva Foundation’s environmental work and passion for well managed woodlands and use of home-grown timber. We will walk in our Future Forest and learn more about timber from a variety of buildings and projects across the site. All of the materials we use will be Grown in Britain certified or local to our Wood Centre in Oxfordshire. 

This course is available for those aged 18+ (or 14+with an accompanying and participating adult). You do not require any previous experience of woodworking.

All materials will be provided and the tray will be yours to take away and cherish!

Course highlights

Cost:            £575 -  8 places available

Age: 18+  (or 14+ with an accompanying and participating adult)

Venue:        Sylva Wood Centre, Oxfordshire, OX14 4QT

Tutor:         Phil Gullam 

When: 15th - 19th July 


Monday to Friday inclusive 

9.00am to 4.30pm each day 

Location:

Sylva Wood Centre
Little Wittenham Rd
Long Wittenham
OXFORDSHIRE
OX14 4QT

Contact: Phone: 01865 408018  Email: joe@sylva.org.uk

An introduction to the tutors

Joseph joined Sylva Foundation in 2018 after 13 years of delivering furniture programmes at Rycotewood Furniture in Oxford. He has been directly involved in the furniture industry for over 25 years. After completing a BA(Hons) and MA in Furniture Design he initially worked as a bespoke furniture designer, maker and production coordinator, before returning to educate the next generation of furniture designers and craftspeople firstly at Rycotewood and more recently at Sylva Foundation's Wood School. Over the past five years he has established the Wood School and its innovative courses.  


Phil joined Sylva Foundation in 2022 to support teaching at the Sylva Wood School. He previously taught at Rycotewood across various furniture-making courses. He brings to the role a breadth of experience gained over a whole career in the furniture industry. Phil has been involved in the teaching and assessing qualifications for wood occupations for more than 15 years. Most recently this was as the nationwide quality assurer of furniture qualifications and as an assessor of furniture-making apprenticeships. Prior to this, he was a workshop manager for several high-profile furniture/kitchen makers, and has successfully run his own workshop.