Make a Dovetailed Carrying Tote: Traditional hand-tool woodworking

Course overview

A great way to improve existing woodworking skills, in this course with maximum 8 learners, you will use traditional hand tool techniques to create an attractive and useful wooden tote, an attractive and useful item for carrying or storing small items such as tools, art supplies, garden clippings or kindling.

In a relaxed, fun and supportive learning environment, you will master hand cut dovetail and mortise and tenon joints and explore a variety of additional techniques, including routing grooves and rebates and wood veneering.

The course is led by an experienced, qualified tutor, Ben Foster-Cairns, and is held in the fully-equipped workshops of the renowned Rycotewood Furniture Centre. Places are limited to eight learners, and all materials and equipment are provided.

Quiet and methodical by nature, hand tool woodworking can be a very mindful activity, and we hope you will find this course relaxing and fun, as well as informative. At the end of the course, you will take home the tote that you have made and will hopefully have the skills and confidence to pursue further woodworking projects and/or attend another of our classes.

Perfect For

  • Those looking to improve existing skills
  • Anyone interested in traditional craftsmanship

 This course runs term-time only.

 

The core skills taught during this course are:

Foundational techniques including accurate measuring and marking, timber selection and preparation, safe tool handling and maintenance and basic joinery principles.

Hand tool techniques using chisels, hand saws, bench planes, mallets, hammers and more.

Specialised Skills such as creating dovetail joints, safely using a table-mounted power router, wood finishing techniques, surface preparation and assembly methods, and gluing up.

Our experienced tutor will provide group demonstrations and individual instruction, guidance and mentoring within a supportive learning environment.

For this intermediate woodwork course, we advise you to have previously completed an entry-level course or have some previous woodworking experience.

All tools and materials are provided. Please wear sturdy closed-toe footwear and clothes you don’t mind getting covered in sawdust.

There are aprons, goggles, and ear defenders in the workshop that you are able to use, but feel free to bring your own PPE if you prefer. It can get quite noisy at times.

On completion of the course, you will be ready to pursue your own DIY projects and/or progress to one of our other courses.

Course Starts in 98 Days

Thu 17 September 2026

Enquire about this course

Alternatively enrol by phone quoting OXAEL003EA

Meet the tutors

We want our learners to feel welcome, safe and at ease when attending our classes, especially if this is your first time attending an adult education class or if you're coming back to education after a break.
If you're interested in one of courses, meet our tutors first! You'll see they have similar passions and interests and, most importantly, the right qualifications to help you make the most of your time and money.

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