The Goodlife Centre - Practical Workshops in Central London

Bookable via our website ➡️ https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/follow-on-woodwork-4/
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Directed at those people who have completed one of our longer woodwork courses, or those with confident woodwork skills, we offer an eleven-day week opportunity to build an individual project.

During this course, run by experienced carpenter/joiner/furniture maker Ruth Thomson, you will learn how to manage a practical project from sketching it, making a technical drawing, writing a cutting list, costing, marking out and construction to produce a piece of wood furniture.

The group will visit a timber yard to learn how to select lengths of soft woods.

You will learn the safe use and versatility of a router, a biscuit jointer, a jigsaw and other power tools as needed and learn when and how to make jigs to help fabricate accurate shapes. Using basic workshop machines including a bandsaw and a belt sander, as well as classic hand tools, you will cut and assemble and then learn how to sand, glue and finish your project to completion.

We are happy to discuss your personal project if you already have something in mind. There is a size limitation due to time constraints and project storage. Call Alison on 0207 7607613 or send a photo or sketch to info@thegoodlifecentre.co.uk

Each learner will pay for their own materials. We can take delivery of timber if externally sourced. Please note that we cannot handle MDF in the workshop as the dust requires special extraction and respiratory equipment. Plywood or solid timber will be pre-machined for you on our planer thicknesser and table saw.

Bookable via our website ➡️ https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/upholstery-bring-your-own-chair-daytime-24/
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KEY PROJECT: RE-UPHOLSTERING YOUR OWN CHAIR.
Suitable for beginners and fun for advanced learners.
This workshop is led by Krasmira Nikolova, an experienced upholsterer.

We provide the use of all upholstery tools and equipment including compressed air staple guns. Basic upholstery materials that you require for your project will be moderately charged on a pay-as-you-use basis and will be dependent on each chair’s requirements. We can advise you on the purchase of your top fabric and we have a lovely library of fabric samples to help make up your mind. The Goodlife Centre sells all the basic tools and materials for use on projects worked on at home.

This is a fantastic chance to up-cycle and personalise a family piece you have at home or a junk shop find and a great way to immerse yourself into the wonderful world of upholstery.

The course is suitable for both beginners and those who have a basic knowledge but little experience who wish to extend their expertise.

Choosing a suitable chair
If you are a newcomer to upholstery, there are a couple of pointers to help you choose a chair to work on. Choose something that has one or two flat planes – a seat and a back – as curves and arms are more complex and take longer to achieve.

If you are a complete beginner, you could bring something more simple such as an upholstered footstool. More experienced upholsters can bring more complex pieces. Your chair can be traditionally built or modern, but be aware that some modern pieces have been constructed using machinery and are difficult to recreate by hand.

Click here for a detailed PDF of suitable chairs.

Please email info@thegoodlifecentre.co.uk with a photo of your chair prior to the course so we can answer any suitability questions and advise if your chair is suitable.

We have very limited storage at the centre, so we can only store smaller pieces during the course. Please make sure the total dimensions are less than 1000mm high by 750mm wide, with a depth of 750mm.

The use of tools and machinery is included.
All materials will be charged at nominal rates. Some materials will not be kept in stock but can be ordered. Approved projects can be stored at the centre. We cannot offer additional time to work on your project outside of workshop times.

Bookable via our website ➡️ https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/make-a-wood-chair-12-evenings-20/
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A brand new varied and multi-skill twelve-week evening course.

Over twelve evenings you will learn how to make a planked redwood seat and fit splayed oak or sapele legs and back rails to make an elegant ‘Staked’ chair.

This version is derived from an ‘open source’ drawing in the Anarchist’s Design Book by Lost Art Press. The prototype has been made by the tutor- Auram Desforge, who grew up working on timber frame houses with his father in Canada.

Each stage of the process will be demonstrated and then, using mostly traditional hand tools, you will produce a chair using the classic ‘Through wedged tenons’ with an elegant, curved back created from glueing together bent veneers in a press. You will be able to learn the pleasure of handling spokeshaves, a ‘bit and brace’ and fine finishing with cabinet scrapers. There is also some use of our workshop machines that you will be trained to use.

Learn to measure, mark and make. Use the evenings to immerse yourself into the calming mental space of woodwork.

Suitable for beginners. Trust the tools. You don’t have to be a lumberjack to master this chair.

The use of all materials and tools is included.

Bookable via our website ➡️ https://www.thegoodlifecentre.co.uk/events/console-table/
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Suitable for: Absolute beginners. No prior experience in woodworking is required for this course.

About: Learn traditional carpentry skills using a mixture of hand tools and modern drills to create a beautiful console table at the height of your choice.

This is a twelve evening course to make an elegant console table for your home.

The workshop is suitable for confident beginners and will teach how to measure and mark your work and how to use saws, chisels , planes as you construct bridle, mortise and tenons and shoulder joints.

The design of the table can be altered in height to adapt to a coffee table, a small breakfast bar or hall table.

The base is constructed in pine and the top is furniture grade plywood.

These 12 evenings are a perfect starting point for many aspects of woodwork that will give you confidence to choose and replicate basic wood joints into other projects.

Using a mixture of traditional hand tools and modern drills and saws, our experienced tutor will guide and inspire you as they teach age old techniques in carpentry. As you begin making wood joints traditionally constructed from seasoned pine, you will learn how to use and care for chisels, saws, planes and spoke-shaves.

Maximum dimensions:
Table top: 18mm Birch plywood – 80cm x 40cm – Base H82cm x W68cm x D33cm – overall table height 85cm