Carpentry: Building Furniture with Hand Tools
A course by Israel Martín , Designer and Carpenter
Learn how to create furniture out of wood with your own hands, from selecting material to the final touches
Designer and carpenter Israel Martín believes that building a handmade piece of solid wood furniture requires not only an excellent design and finish, but a huge amount of attention to detail, and he achieves it with the use of hand tools.
In this course, build a small cabinet with timelessly simple lines that will stand the test of time. Design your piece, choose your materials, and build and varnish your piece.
What will you learn in this online course?
14 lessons & 23 downloads
- 97% positive reviews (256)
- 13,173 students
- 14 lessons (1h 56m)
- 23 additional resources (9 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Spanish, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Make a solid wood piece of furniture using just hand tools.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Beginners and professionals who want to broaden their knowledge of furniture making with manual woodworking tools.
Requirements and materials
No previous knowledge is necessary for this course.
In terms of materials, you need wood, manual woodworking tools such as a right-angle ruler, brushes, chisels, and a selection of saws and hammers.
Reviews
Israel Martín
A course by Israel Martín
Israel Martín began making wood creations more than 20 years ago starting with small artisan pieces and furniture for his own house. Over the past 8 years he has specialized in the creation of pieces with hand tools.
Israel is a largely self-taught carpenter who has completed brief training sessions with industry names such as furniture maker Garrett Hack. He has also participated in organizing events in Madrid dedicated to wood like "Lignorium", with the aim of familiarizing people with the trade and his own work. His work has been featured in top English-language carpentry magazines such as Fine Woodworking, Australian Wood Review, and Furniture and Cabinet Making Magazine.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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Presentation
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Influences
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U2
Preparation and design
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Tools
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Workspace: Sharpening and Safety
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Furniture design and wood selection
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Preparation of wood and pieces
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U3
Let's do it
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Structure: dovetail assembly 1
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Structure: dovetail assembly 2
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Structure: blind slot assembly 1
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Structure: blind slot assembly 2
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Elaboration of drawer 1
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Elaboration of drawer 2
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U4
Finishing and maintenance
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Furniture completion
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Finishing, conservation and maintenance
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FP
Final project
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Carpentry: Building Furniture with Hand Tools
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
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Learn from the best professionals
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Meet expert teachers
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Certificates
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Get front-row seats
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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FAQs
You’ll learn traditional woodworking techniques—from selecting and preparing wood to assembling, fitting drawers, applying natural finishes, and preserving solid wood furniture using hand tools.
This course is designed for those with basic carpentry knowledge who want to refine manual skills and achieve professional-quality finishes on wooden furniture.
You’ll need planes, chisels, hand saws, marking gauges, squares, marking knives, rulers, a hand drill, sharpening stones, plus basic materials like solid wood and adhesives.
You’ll be able to design and build small solid wood furniture pieces like drawers, shelves, Japanese boxes, and items using traditional techniques like dovetail joints and precise joinery.
Yes, you’ll learn how to sharpen and maintain chisels, plane blades, and other tools using various stones and traditional methods.
It’s recommended to work with hardwoods like oak, walnut, or jeben, selecting stable, defect-free pieces suited to your project to ensure durability and a quality finish.
The course teaches precise fitting, proper glue application, dry assembly techniques, squaring, clamping pressure, and curing times to create strong joints.
Excelente curso. Me encantó.
de facil execurçao..parabéns
Amazing !
Un curso inicial pero muy completo. Me encantaron las referencias y la explicación. Muchas gracias.
Excelente Curso. Muy bien explicado todo y sin duda me genero mucha motivación para comenzar a dar mis primeros pasos!