Woodworking Department

The Crucible’s woodworking courses teach you to use hand tools and power tools, to carve and turn wood, and to apply this knowledge to your own projects. Students become familiar with different types of woods, appropriate techniques for working with them, and gain an understanding of basic furniture-making and cabinetry design.

Adult Classes

The Crucible offers a wide variety of adult classes teaching different woodworking skills. Whether you want to learn the fundamentals of cabinetry or how to master the table saw, The Crucible has you covered. See the complete list of woodworking classes offered below.

A Finer Table

Come with ideas to design, plan, and build a table with a drawer. Students who enjoyed making the mortise and tenon table in Woodworking I can go deeper into the process. The first session will be devoted to designing the tables, drawing up the plans, and making cutting lists. Students must provide their own wood by the second session. An optional field trip will be organized to the lumber supply to help select materials.

PREREQUISITE: Woodworking I

Build a Skateboard

Build your very own custom skateboard from seven layers of hard maple veneer. Learn to shape a foam mold, the woodworking techniques, and the concepts of vacuum press veneering for bending wood. You will practice using basic woodworking power tools, including the band saw and power sanders, as well as hand tools, such as files, rasps, and planes. Apply a basic wood finish and set up your skateboard deck to ride.

Carving the Tudor Rose

Carve the traditional and historical Tudor Rose design, while learning to work with chisels, gouges, and techniques for creating detail and three-dimensional visualization. By combining stylistic and historical references, you will get to experience wood carving as a centuries-old tradition and a modern means to express your creativity.

Frames and Panels 

From picture frames to doors, we’ll look at ways to join wood into frames. We will start with building a mitered-corner picture frame and then proceed to make a traditional mortise and tenon door with a floating raised panel. Students will be required to mill their parts from solid lumber as learned in Woodworking I. The doors made in this class can be used on the cabinet made in Woodworking II, if desired.
PREREQUISITE: Woodworking I

Fundamentals of Woodworking

Begin your woodworking experience in this introduction to tools and techniques. We will cover the basics of wood technology, what hand tools and power tools to use, how to use them, and how to care for them, as well as an intro to finishing, and a discussion of joinery vs. structure. Bring a notebook and comfortable shoes, as this will be a fast-paced, hands-on overview.

Hand Tools

This introduction to hand planes, chisels, saws, and proper workbenches is meant for people who would like to work with wood without using machines. Sharpening, traditional jigs, and work holding methods will be covered. Students learn how to cut and plane boards, then build a tray, box, or similar object.

Hand-Cut Dovetails

Cutting dovetail joints by hand is a milestone in the path of a fine woodworker. Students learn how to use chisels and saws to cut dovetails precisely, getting feedback on how to improve their work with hand tools. This class is appropriate for beginners and those with some woodworking experience who wish to further their hand tool skills.

Marquetry

Learn the basics of handling veneer and the decorative technique of marquetry, where you use small, variously colored veneer to create an image. You will make at least two coaster-sized projects, one of which will have the traditional leaf design. You will learn both classic methods that can be done at home, as well as more modern techniques that utilize woodworking machines and laser cutters.

Pen In One Day

Students will make two pens at the lathe, one of solid wood and one of your own design built up from several pieces of wood. Since turning pens is a quick process, we will have time to teach you how to choose woods, how to prepare and mount wood on the lathe, and several of the more popular finishes. We will cover safe operation of a lathe, demonstrate how to use common woodworking tools, practice tool sharpening techniques, and discuss options for what kind of lathe you might want in the future, from a small pen lathe to more robust machines that can handle much bigger projects. Bring clothes that can get dirty.

Spoon Carving By Hand

Learn basic principles of working with wood while making your own carved wooden spoon. Topics covered include different types of wood, grain direction, carving, shaping, and food safe finishes. Through short demonstrations and lectures, we will use a combination of power and hand tools, exploring the material for its functionality as a creative medium. At the end of the workshop, students leave with a unique spoon, ready to use!

Take Home Jigs

Craftspeople have traditionally used jigs to improve the speed and accuracy of their hand tool work, but making them well by hand is challenging. Learn about how to properly use jigs, then use the machines in our workshop to make a precise bench hook and a shooting board with miter attachments. Bring your own bench or block plane, or use ours to see what will be right for you.

The Bandsaw Box

You don’t need a fully equipped shop to enjoy woodworking! In this class, you will learn to design, make, and finish a unique wood box. With an emphasis on tool safety and material exploration, we will use a combination of power tools and hand tools to make boxes of all shapes and sizes. Beginning with a solid block of wood, you will learn how to lie out, cut, sculpt, and reassemble the block into the form of a box. Demonstrated techniques will include hidden hinges, small drawers, pull knobs, and fitted lids, as well as texturing, carving, burning, painting, and finishing. Suitable for beginning and intermediate students, all materials provided.

Traditional Dovetails

Dovetails have long been seen as a mark of craftsmanship as they’re famously tricky to do well. This class will go over the complete construction of a drawer or box made from solid lumber, including half-blind dovetails at the front, full dovetails in the back, and a bottom panel floating in a dado. Using skills from Woodworking I, students will use machines to mill lumber to their drawer’s dimensions, then learn to cut the various types of dovetails by hand. A drawer made in this class can be used in the cabinet made in Woodworking II, if desired. PREREQUISITE: Woodworking I

Wood + Metal

Learn the fundamental properties of woodworking and welding in this multimedia class. Students will create a custom bench, no bigger than 18” x 18” x 72”, with a wooden seat and a metal frame. Your original piece will highlight the ways each material complements the other.

Wood Tool Sharpening

Whether one works by hand or mainly with machines, keeping a keen edge on your hand tools is vital. Sharpening can seem like a deep skill to master, but getting going with it isn’t so bad, so the sooner you start the better. In this class, we’ll teach you the basic methods of sharpening edged tools using waterstones, and give you enough knowledge to purchase what supplies you need to continue at home. Bring a couple of your own tools to practice on if you wish.

January-early-member-registration

Wooden Bench

Learn basic concepts and techniques of woodworking, including how to use power tools and traditional and modern hand tools to create a simple wooden bench. Explore how to create strong joints for connecting wood and the proper way to glue boards together to make a wooden bench.

Wooden Box

Create a tabletop wooden box for everything you need to keep in one place! After a basic introduction to woodworking handtools, create a small, functional wooden box to take home. Use for work, special keepsakes, or as a jewelry box.

Wooden Toy

Build a unique, customizable wooden toy! Learn to safely use woodworking tools and machines, then complete your project with colorful, foodsafe finishes. Class projects include wooden pull toys, simple dollhouses, or animal rattles. You will leave with a beautiful heirloom toy to last for generations.

Woodturning I

Use a lathe to turn a rough piece of wood into a beautifully shaped spindle or bowl. In this jam-packed course, you will learn the basics of the turning process. The class will cover tool usage and sharpening, as well as wood selection, preparation, and finishing.

Woodturning II

Explore more advanced projects, now that you are comfortable using the lathe and understand basic tool usage. This class gives students more time on the machines with the guidance of the instructor. Demonstrations in additive sculpture will be emphasized.

PREREQUISITE: Woodturning II

Woodworking I

Learn how to use power tools, as well as traditional and modern hand tools, safely and effectively. Class assignments introduce basic concepts and techniques, to give you the skills needed for many woodworking projects, such as mill board flattening and straightening, creating strong joints for connecting wood, and gluing boards together to make a panel. Students leave with a strong foundation for more advanced wood classes and a small end table. All tools for learning are provided.

Woodworking II

Build on the skills you developed in Woodworking I through the construction of a small cabinet. Woodworking II introduces students to miter and dado joints, hardware installation, and re-sawing on the bandsaw. Please bring a sketch for a small cabinet you would like to build to the first class. NOTE: Students are responsible for their own materials in this class.

PREREQUISITE: Woodworking I

Woodworking Lab

Lab sessions are a great benefit, exclusively for Crucible members! Practice the skills you learn in class and explore new possibilities with your craft. No instruction is provided during lab sessions, but a lab monitor will be present to answer questions, manage safety, and provide overall support. You are free to come and go at your convenience during open lab hours, however you must provide your own materials.

PREREQUISITE: Woodworking I and Crucible membership

Youth Classes

In the Woodworking Department, we offer youth classes specifically for ages 8-18. In these classes, The Crucible provides a unique setting for youth to get hands-on with tools, wood, and more, exploring their creative voices and absorbing real-life lessons in science, technology, engineering, and math. You can see all The Crucible’s offerings for youth here.

Youth Skateboard Building

Design and build your very own custom skateboard from seven layers of hard maple veneer. Learn woodworking techniques and the concepts of vacuum press veneering and bending wood. You will practice using basic woodworking power tools, including the band saw and power sanders, as well as hand tools, such as files, rasps, and planes. Apply a basic wood finish and set up your skateboard deck to ride. This course is based on the book The Handmade Skateboard, by Matt Berger.

Youth Woodcarving and Sculpting (ages 8-11)

Learn the history, cultural significance, and process of woodcarving and sculpting, including design and carving approaches. Through hands-on demonstration and approach, students get expert guidance through every step of the carving process, from brainstorming to adding fine detail. You will create a unique 3-D project of your own.

Youth Woodturning (ages 12-18)

Using a lathe, you can turn a rough piece of wood into a beautifully shaped spindle or bowl. In this jam-packed class, you will learn the basics of the turning process as you explore small bowl turning and spindle turning. The class will cover tool usage and sharpening, as well as wood selection, preparation, and finishing.

Youth Woodworking I (ages 14-18)

Learn to use hand and power tools to shape wood into objects that will last for decades. You will learn about the properties of lumber, safe tool use, measurement and layout, and fundamental woodworking joints. You will leave with an end-grain cutting board, a mitered corner box, and the skills to build an unlimited range of wooden objects.

Youth Woodworking II (ages 14-18)

Dive deep in this continuing level youth workshop. Students take an immersive step into weeklong study, becoming young artisans along the way. You will also be exposed to theory, principles, and extensive techniques that let you design and create your own unique project.

Meet The Woodworking Department Heads

Jolie Karno

Jolie Karno is a skilled woodturner and accomplished instructor at Techshop in San Francisco and The Crucible in Oakland. She loves teaching, and has introduced scores of people to fine woodworking. She is the Director at The Lower 48, a maker space in Oakland with the mission to welcome more people, especially more women and people of color, to the joy of turning wood into beautiful objects. Jolie is known for her contagious enthusiasm about all this wooden and loves to turn, teach, and play with animals.

Miles Boudreaux

Miles has been passionate about working with wood for almost 30 years and loves to indoctrinate new recruits. He believes that woodworking has so much to offer to artists, craftspeople, linear thinkers, designers, accountants, daycare providers, introverts, extroverts, ambiverts, and on and on and on. Miles is absolutely thrilled to be cultivating an enthusiasm for woodworking with his students at The Crucible and continues to be so impressed with the quality and the designs of the projects that they create.

Being Prepared For Your Woodworking Class

Woodworking classes are held on the first floor of our building. Please contact us if you have any questions about accessibility and we will be happy to accommodate.

Students must arrive for class in all-natural fiber clothing, long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long hair must be tied back. Nylon, polyester, spandex, or other synthetics are not allowed around machines, equipment, or processes that can produce hot fragments, sparks, or flames.

The Crucible requests students always arrive in studio safe clothing when working. Layers are encouraged as the studio can be very cold or very hot. Learn more about woodworking in our online guide.

Ready to get hands-on in Woodworking?

The Crucible has Woodworking classes starting each month