Stool Making Green Woodworking Course
Learn traditional green woodworking skills and make your own three-legged stool on this practical stool making course in Monmouthshire, South Wales.
Learn traditional green woodworking skills and make your own three-legged stool using freshly felled timber and hand tools on this practical green woodworking course in Monmouthshire, South Wales.
This 2 day hands-on green woodworking stool making course is suitable for beginners and anyone wanting to develop their traditional woodworking skills. Over the course, you'll learn how to work with green wood using traditional tools including axes, drawknives, spokeshaves and hand planes, whilst putting those skills into practice to create your own stool.
Our green woodworking courses take place at Golden Hill Wood, a working woodland between Bristol, Newport and Chepstow. You'll spend the day outdoors in our woodland workshop, learning traditional green wood techniques in a relaxed and supportive environment.
What you'll learn on this green woodworking course:
• Sourcing and selecting wood for the stool.
• Basic green woodworking or ‘bodging’ theory, how and where to split, cleave and axe wood, how to work with the grain.
• Cleaving out leg blanks from a log and splitting timber
• Using a side axe and/or carving axes to shape the legs and seat
• Using a shave horse and drawknife to shape legs and make wedges for joints
• Using hand tools including a spoke shave to smooth and finish the seat
• Using hand tools to shape the leg tenons including a green woodworking rounding plane
• Assembling the stool and joining the components together
• How to level the stool
•Tips on how to finish the stool
A practical green woodworking workshop
The first day of this green woodworking course will begin with a health and safety briefing and a bit of history about green woodworking. We will then move on to splitting the legs from a log, axing them to shape and shaping the tenons on the shavehorse. In the afternoon we will start working on the seat, marking out and drill holes. On day 2 of this green woodworking course we will finish the seat and legs, make the wedges and assemble the stool and level it.
We will have regular tea brakes, tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided, and participants are welcome to camp in our field for free, we will also provide firewood for a fire. There is a compost loo on site but no shower.
Who is this green woodworking course suitable for?
This green wood course is designed for complete beginners, although it's also suitable for anyone who has already tried some green woodworking and wants to develop their skills. There is a certain level of manual dexterity required and a couple of the the tasks involved can be a bit physically demanding, but help is always on hand if requested.
Where is this green woodworking course?
This green wood course takes place at Golden Hill Wood between Usk and Chepstow in Monmouthshire, South Wales. It is set in an outdoor workshop nestled in the woodland itself.
Golden Hill Wood is between Usk and Chepstow in Monmouthshire, making the course easily accessible from Newport, Bristol and Cardiff. We are around 20 minutes from Newport, 40 minutes from Bristol and 45 minutes from Cardiff, and are also within easy reach of the Forest of Dean and Gloucestershire.
About Celi the green woodworking course tutor, and Golden Hill Wood
Celi has been working with green wood since 2010, they were self taught and then took on an apprenticeship in teaching the craft, woodland management and green building in 2017. Since then they have worked in forestry, making and selling their craft, and teaching, as well as setting up the project at Golden Hill Wood. Golden Hill Wood is run by myself, Celi and my partner, Reyna. It is a woman owned project and we endeavour to use female and diverse gender teachers wherever possible.
We also engage the public through volunteer days and projects to aid the management of the land and help people to develop skills.
“Celi has a kind and gentle presence combined with a sense of deep knowledge and connection to the subject. Celi created an environment that was very safe and welcoming” - course participant.
This a sheltered but outdoor course please bring suitable clothing and wear sturdy toe covered shoes.
Please inform us of any dietary requirements and we will do our best to accommodate.Participants must be 16 or over.
Please note this green woodworking course requires a good level of manual dexterity on your fingers & you will need to be able to stand whilst working. Some people can find elements of it quite physically demanding. This course does not include lunch.
Green Woodworking Course FAQ's
Is this green woodworking course suitable for beginners?
Yes. The course is designed for beginners and no previous woodworking experience is required.
What do I need to bring on this green woodworking course
This green woodworking course is taught in a sheltered but outdoor course please bring suitable clothing and wear sturdy toe covered shoes.
Please also bring lunch for each day and if you are camping, everything you need for that and your own water for the evening as we dont have any on site.
What is green woodworking?
You'll make your own three-legged wooden stool using traditional green woodworking techniques.
What will I make on this green woodworking course?
Green woodworking is the traditional practice of working freshly felled or unseasoned timber using hand tools such as axes, drawknives, spokeshaves and planes.
Explore our full range of green woodworking courses and workshops at Golden Hill Wood:
-
Pole lathe turning green woodworking course
-
Lovespoon making course