Come to our Mt Horeb workshop to learn how to use hand tools effectively and efficiently.

I am currently accepting students for private & semi-private lessons. Schedule a time for you (or you and a friend) to learn:

  • The basics of hand tools, how to find them, & how to use them

  • How to sharpen and fine-tune your tools

  • How to set up a hand tool woodworking shop (it’s cheaper and smaller than you might think)

  • How to build a hand tool woodworking bench

  • How to use dovetail and mortise & tenon joinery to create furniture

    The first step is to stop in the workshop to chat about what your current skill level is and what you would like to learn.

There are multiple reasons to do woodworking with hand tools, instead of using loud, dust-spewing power tools:

  • Less expensive - for the cost of one large woodworking machine, you can outfit yourself with an entire, proper hand tool collection

  • Space - a hand tool shop can be set up in a fraction of the space of power tools

  • Noise - the gentle sound of a hand plane allows you to listen to the radio without hearing protection

  • Safety - you really have to try hard to cut your finger off with a hand saw; not so with a table saw

  • Hand tools provide a connection to history through a timeless craft