Instructors: Brian Schooling
Cost: $120
This introductory course is designed for beginners with little to no prior woodworking experience. Students will learn proper workshop safety, tool identification and handling, and foundational carving techniques. Emphasis is placed on working with hand tools and traditional methods, building a strong skill set applicable to both modern woodworking and historic restoration practices.
Each participant will complete a handcrafted utensil, gaining practical experience in measuring, cutting, assembling, and finishing wood. Along the way, students will be introduced to the principles of material selection, grain orientation, and craftsmanship standards rooted in preservation trades.
Skills & Topics Covered:
Workshop safety and best practices
Introduction to hand tools and their uses
Measuring, marking, and cutting techniques
Basic carving and shaping methods
Finishing techniques
Understanding wood movement and grain
By the end of the course, students will have completed a functional utilitarian stirring/spatula utensil and leave with the foundational skills and confidence to pursue further carving projects or coursework.
Please note, hands will be used throughout this course - reliable hands & grip strength will be essential
Appropriate for students aged 16+. Ages of 16-17 must be accompanied by an adult.
Financial assistance available, if needed. Please email Info@LancasterWorkshop.com.
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Workshop safety and best practices
Introduction to hand tools and their uses
Measuring, marking, and cutting techniques
Basic carving and shaping methods
Finishing techniques
Understanding wood movement and grain
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Brian Schooling is a woodworker, carpenter, furniture builder, and artist whose creative life has been shaped by early hands-on experience, formal study, and decades of working with wood as both material and medium. Encouraged by his mother, who taught him to use common garage tools and envision their creative potential, he developed an early passion for working with wood. He went on to complete a BA in Industrial Arts from California State University Long Beach.
For more than five decades, Brian has worked as a carpenter, furniture builder, and architectural millworker while also cultivating his interest in the use of hand planes to create new works. After working in Philadelphia, Brian relocated to Lancaster with his wife in 1988 to start a family. Throughout his career, he has continually expanded his mastery of woodturning, furniture construction, and traditional hand-plane techniques.
For Brian, a piece of wood is an invitation to imagine what it might become. He finds the preliminary stages of a project are often the most exciting: selecting the lumber, log, or branch from which the finished piece will appear. Working wood with hand tools can make time fall away as each stroke of a plane transforms the surface, leaving shavings on the bench and at his feet until the final shape is realized.
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We know life happens! If you need to cancel or reschedule your workshop, here’s how it works:
More than 7 days before class → Full refund (minus a 10% admin fee) or a 100% credit toward another workshop (good for 6 months).
1 day before class → No refund or credits.
No-shows → Not eligible for refund or credit.
If we cancel a workshop → You’ll get a full refund or a 100% workshop credit — your choice.
*Special note: If you’re sick or have an emergency, please reach out at least 24-48 hours before class. We’ll do our best to offer a credit or transfer.
To cancel or request a change, email us at Info@LancasterWorkshop.com or call 717-951-6037.