Our workshop range
Introduction to the Wood Workshop
This very popular series of workshops covers a range of equipment found in our wood workshop. It’s suitable for novices or anyone wishing to upskill, particularly in power-tools and machinery.
Each session will offer the chance to use different skills, tools and machinery in a supportive, friendly setting whilst making items for our local community, environmental groups or for our community partners like Urban Ark – Manawa Taiao including:
- timber basics, marking and measuring,
- hand-saws and circular saws
- power-tools such as planers and drop saws
- drills, bits and drivers
- drill presses, jigsaws and bandsaws
- rotary tools (Dremel) and working with metal including cutting and grinding
- basic joints, assembling work, screw/nail fixings
Introduction to Woodwork
Designed to fit in with busy schedules, this is our popular one day workshop. If you’ve not tried your hand at woodwork before, or you’re looking for some confidence in power tools often used in the home environment, this is the perfect workshop for you.
Our small class sizes and supportive, friendly approach will enable you learn about common woodworking tools and equipment and gain confidence in their use whilst also doing good for the local wildlife, building items to support the work of our community partner Urban Ark – Manawa Taiao.
The day includes:
- timber basics
- measuring equipment
- chiselling
- hand and electric saws
- jigsaws
- drills
- Dremels (if time)
Introduction to DIY Carpentry
Are you ready to take charge of your home maintenance, repairs, and upgrades? Join us for an empowering workshop designed to support your DIY journey!
In this practical workshop, you’ll delve into essential aspects of home improvement and learn about essential carpentry tools and their uses, including saws, drills and impact drivers, learning the right tool for the task. No more guesswork — just practical skills you can apply right away.
In particular, you will:
- construct a mock-up of a framed wall, learning measuring, squaring, cutting and joining techniques so you understand how to tackle basic repairs and modifications with confidence.
- learn how to securely hang pictures and shelves
- learn the different types of mouldings and practice installing
If we have time, we’ll also cover door hardware including hooks, handles and hinges.
There are opportunities to ask questions about your own projects throughout the sessions and share your experiences with your fellow workshoppers.
Learn to design and build a simple piece of furniture to take home and admire forever. Using basic cabinetry techniques and materials you will learn a design that can be adapted to create something for yourself such as a bedside table, a stool, a laptop table or a kid’s desk.
It is an opportunity to be creative whilst learning and embedding cutting, joining and assembling skills, in a supportive and friendly women-only environment at our unrivalled extensive central Auckland workshop. Tools and machinery available to use include the track saw, dropsaw, benchsaw, jigsaw, drill press, electric and hand planes, sanders, etc.
This workshop works better for women who have some previous experience with power-tools. If you’re a complete novice, we recommend doing our Introduction to the Wood Workshop (see above) series first to gain some confidence in working with the power-tools and machinery used in this workshop.
This introductory workshop series is perfect for women | wāhine who are interested in making something functional to take home. The process of creating our uniquely designed planter box in a welcoming and supportive environment will not only give you the opportunity to become proficient in a range of skills and equipment found in our wood workshop, it will build your confidence to have a go at other projects at home.
It is suitable for those who are just beginning their woodworking journey and includes:
- introduction to design principles, cutting lists and reading plans
- drop-, circular and table saw techniques
- clamping techniques, fixings and brad nailers
- joints including butt, mitre and rebates
We like to think of this as our ‘level 2’ workshop. We’ve designed the content for those who have completed our Introduction to the Wood Workshop, or women with some experience but want the opportunity to try their hand at some finer woodworking skills, by making a wall hanging shelf. The principles learnt can be applied to lots of other wood working projects that require a joint.
It is a unique opportunity to be both creative whilst learning new, and embedding existing skills.
Tools and machinery available to use include
- hand tools such as chisels and hand planes
- skilsaws, drop-saws and bench saws
- edge and plunge routers
- jigsaws, electric planes, drill press
- planer/thicknesser, sanders, etc.
