Name: Handcut Joinery
Instructor: Frank Strazza
Skill Level: Beginner
Prerequisites: None

Format: Weekend In-Person Class

February 1st & 2nd, 2025

Class Description:

In this 2 day hands-on class the instructor, Frank Strazza will share many of the tips and techniques that he employs on a daily basis in hand tool woodworking. Students will learn about hand tools, proper usage, maintenance and cutting joinery from one of the best hand tool woodworkers around. A series of exercises and hands-on practice will help student gain confidence in usage of hand tools and teach them how to incorporate hand-cut joinery into future projects.

A large focus of this course will be on setting up hand tools and cutting joinery including dovetails.

Topics and skills covered will include:

• Sharpening edge tools
• Proper chisel usage
• How to saw accurately
• Using hand planes
• How to cut a dado joint totally by hand
• Cutting through dovetails
• Cutting half blind dovetails
• Mortise and tenons

What you’ll need:

We recommend that you take the time to research and purchase high quality hand tools. Buying the cheapest tools possible will lead to headaches down the road. Please do not buy hand tools from Amazon or Home Improvement Stores. Check out Retail stores like Lee Valley Tools, Woodcraft, Heartwood Tools or tool makers like Lie-Nielson Tool, Bad Axe Tools, or Melbourne Tools.

• Dovetail Saw
  • Western
  • or Japanese
• Chisels, 3/4”, 1/2”, 3/8”, 1/4” ( if you don’t have both a 1” and 3/4” either one is fine)
  • Any brand
• Good 6″ or 12” Square
  • Recommended – Starrett 4R Graduation
  • Or other brand
• Marking Knife
  • Any brand
• Joiners Mallet
  • Any brand
• No 4 or 4 1/2 Smoothing plane
  • Recommended – Lie-Nielsen planes
  • Or other brand
• Card Scraper
  • Any brand
• Coping saw
  • Any brand
• Marking Gauge
  • Recommended – Tite-mark circle cutting gauge
  • Or other brand
• Tape Measure
• Notebook and Pencil

Austin School of Furniture has the right to cancel this class at anytime if the minimum amount of students is not reached.

See our Refund Policy here