Building Furniture: Design and Fabricate a Wooden Bench

About the Course

Learn Custom Woodworking: Design & Build Furniture in Our Philadelphia Woodshop

Create a handmade bench through NextFab’s comprehensive woodworking classes and workshops! Whether you’re a seasoned woodworker, looking to learn a new craft, or an eager beginner ready to dive in, our woodshop is the perfect place to start. We’ll discuss design, material selection, and joinery. In the woodshop, you’ll use the jointer and planer to work with rough-sawn lumber and the tablesaw, bandsaw, and router to shape furniture parts.

By the end of this Maker’s Series, you’ll walk away with a finished custom bench and the experience to tackle larger, more complicated projects. Expand your creative vision with our CNC training program, learn to use the ShopBot router for intricate designs, or introduce upholstery to your freshly created bench.

Note: The materials included are to create a hardwood bench and to practice the process, though feel free to source your own material and scale your project to fit your budget. Some outside-class independent work is expected.

NextFab’s Maker Series is a two-month program that gives you up to 5 classes, unlimited shop access, and a cohort to learn alongside. Our Maker Series are currently closed. To be the first to know when our next series opens for enrollment, fill out the Maker Series Interest Form here.

Q. What is included in the Maker Series package?

A. Registration in a Maker Series grants you:

• The scheduled classes and training to complete the selected project (over $600 of class instruction)
• 2 months of active NextFab Membership, starting on the first class date (over $400 value)
• Adobe at Home Access ($120 value over 2 months!)
• Special member pricing to continue membership beyond the 2 months: $149/month (over 30% discount from standard membership)
• A cohort of peers, new skills and confidence gained, and a sense of community within the Philadelphia creative ecosystem (priceless value!)

Q: Is the Maker Series right for me? I have ZERO experience!

A: Yes! The Maker Series programming was developed with the true beginner in mind. In six weeks, you could go from zero experience to confidently navigating an active studio and future projects.

Not only is NextFab’s Maker Series designed to teach you how to use the most common equipment within the area of your program, but also how to think about design when creating something from scratch. Knowing how to follow a blueprint or plan is incredibly valuable, but designing your own project plans is what will differentiate you from the hobbyist who is “just winging it.”

Q: If I am a previous member of NextFab, can I join the Maker Series?

A: Absolutely! If you are a previous member and looking to complete the class project or get a major refresh of skills you haven’t used for a while, the Maker Series is a perfect way to get your feet wet again.

Q: I have a schedule conflict with one of the class dates. Can I make it up?

A: Yes. The Maker Series package accounts for one (1) makeup class date per student at no additional cost. Advance notice/active communication with your instructor is required to coordinate when you can make up the lesson before the next scheduled class date. Subsequent absences from the pre-scheduled classes will incur an educational fee of $60/hr to make up the material.

Q: Should I join the Maker Series or join as a regular member and take classes?

A: This depends on your goals. If you are feeling inspired and want to learn new skills but don’t have a particular project in mind, the Maker Series is perfectly suited to get your feet wet and help you find your way in the craft.

If you have a particular project in mind and want to learn all the skills needed and complete your specific project, Monthly Ultimate membership ($319/mo) is your golden ticket. Ultimate membership comes with $200 of class credits monthly, so you can get started taking the classes you need, on your schedule. You can even book Private Training sessions with those credits if you need hands-on help completing your project.

• Day One: Group Session: Project Planning
• • Discuss designing a bench, material selection, and making a cut list. Plan joinery (simple – antique nails, domino jointer, dados, and/or dowels).
• Day Two: Wood Shop Orientation
  • Review the project. Focus on how to use a bandsaw, drill press, and sanding machines to cut the legs of the bench (arches, etc).
• Day Three: Tablesaw I and Wood Milling
  • Review cutting board project. Demo wood prep from miter saw → jointer → planer → table saw.
• Day Four: Group Session: Joinery
  • Discuss and demo how to cut dados on the table saw, how to use a domino/biscuit joiner, and how to install decorative nails.
• Day Five: Group Session: Assembly
  • Glue up!
• Day Six: Wood Finishing
  • Apply a basic finish on your bench

What’s Next:

• Use the learned foundation to take on another project!
• Take Upholstery I to create a cushion to add to your bench
• Take Leatherworking I to learn how to add something special to a piece of furniture