Stool making course

8th-12th July 2024

Learn how to make stools using razor sharp hand-tools.

Registration is now open for this new course 

What does this course cover?

Join us in the Wood School workshops to create two stools 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 measuring and marking out, sharpening tools to a razor-sharp edge and the preparation and use of hand-planes and spokeshaves. You will be guided to use these skills to make two stools. You will begin with an octagonal legged stool (illustrated) where we will guide you step by step using hand tools to move from blanks to refined components and finally a finished stool. We will then support you to refine the skills further in making a second stool, this time with some freedom to be more creative.

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 stools 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:         Joseph Bray 

When: 8th - 12th 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.