Course Format
Three weeks. Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm
Level
Improvers & Advanced
About This Course
Making the Shaker Table
Over three weeks, you’ll build a Shaker-style side table with a drawer, learning how traditional hand skills come together to form a complete piece of furniture. Each stage builds on the last, developing accuracy, judgement and confidence at the bench.
Hand Joinery & Shaping
Legs are carefully planed and tapered by hand, developing sensitivity to line, balance and proportion. Front and back rails are joined using hand-cut dovetails, while the side frames introduce mortise and tenon joinery.
Table Carcass Construction
Solid side panels and a frame-and-panel back form the table carcass. These elements are prepared and brought together in a considered glue-up, where alignment, sequence and steady decision-making are as important as the joints themselves.
Making and Fitting the Drawer
The drawer is central to the Shaker table. You’ll cut half-blind dovetails at the front, dovetails at the back, and fit a cedar drawer bottom using traditional grooves and drawer slips. Time is given to fitting and refinement, learning how small adjustments transform movement and feel.
Turning the Drawer Pull
The drawer is finished with a turned wooden knob, made on the lathe. This introduces controlled turning and reinforces the Shaker belief that even the smallest detail deserves care.
The Tabletop
In the final stages, boards are selected and arranged with attention to grain and colour, then glued and shaped by hand. Edges are softened, surfaces refined, and the table assembled into a quiet, complete whole — ready for finishing and life beyond the workshop.
What You'll Learn
Marking and precision shaping of table components using hand tools
Hand-cutting and fitting joints, frame and panel carcass construction
Traditional drawer construction and fitting techniques
Turning a small drawer pull on the lathe
By the end of the third week you’ll leave with a heirloom-quality side table and a refined ability to take your furnituremaking to the next level.
Practical Details
• All materials included
• Bring a packed lunch
• A detailed welcome email arrives one week before the course
All of this unfolds within the inspiring grounds of Scotney Castle, a setting that adds its own sense of calm and creative energy to the weekend.
Who is this course for?
For improvers and makers with some prior hand-tool experience who are ready to build a complete piece of furniture, deepen their joinery skills, and work steadily and thoughtfully over three immersive weeks.