England’s West Dean College is an amazing place to take a class, unlike no other. It’s 6000 acres deep in the rolling chalk hills of The Downs with grazing sheep, extensive arboretum, ornate outbuildings, and 12 acres of walled gardens, hothouses, and orchards. Everything centers on the huge manor house with classrooms and shops for woodworking, metalworking, drawing, pottery, weaving — from making to conservation. We work together and eat together, have tea in the afternoon and cocktails in the bar in the evening. It’s quite a posh place really.

So, about the tables we will build. They are an ideal project to explore some new ideas: inlays, a leg shape, table-top edge profile, top overhang, chamfers, curves, and apron details.  We’ll build from start to finish, from drawings to the shellac, and end with an extremely useful critique of what we've made.  The Fun-O-Meter will be high this week!

The tables I have in mind have uncomplicated joinery, with the slight twist the legs are splayed for aesthetic and stability reasons.  Beyond that, you design the proportions and different aspects with my help and plenty of demos of the possibilities.  Since the joinery is simple, you’ll have plenty of time to focus on the other parts and all-important details.  We will talk about fitting a drawer into your table, but not build them.

Naturally hand tools will figure prominently, for efficiency, accuracy, and for the high quality work they are capable of.  We'll also discuss ways of working, from using patterns to story sticks, producing useful drawings, construction strategies, alluring details, using different materials, and how to make some of the small tools you will need. We’ll have a wide-ranging conversation about building beautiful and useful furniture.