Refine Woodwork

"I had a great experience learning woodworking with Gareth at Refine Woodworking. He’s clearly very knowledgeable and explains things in a way that’s easy to follow. I particularly liked learning how to do a mortise and tenon joint with a decorative end on the tenon. I started as an absolute beginner and came away feeling much more confident and have since made a couple of small boxes using the joints that I've learned. I’d definitely recommend him to anyone interested in learning, he is calm, knowledgeable and patient. Thank you, Gareth."

"I've always wanted to build my own household furniture and decor, Gareth was a great teacher in getting my head thinking in the right ways and how to work with wood, we made some joints, went over tools and using them, how wood behaves and creates strong bonds to itself, drank a cuppa (which I often forgot about because I was too engrossed in the activity), talked about typical beginner projects and what kit to buy to get started at home. I can see this being great for anyone who was in the same space as me, just wanting to have a crack at it and having 0 experience, there are also courses for people with much more experience but don't have the tools or space to crack on. Besides the actual activities Gareth was understanding, patient and just overall great to talk to and work with, I really recommend you give it a go. To top it all off the price of the courses is extremely well placed."

"Skill Starters - Basic Joints course. I recently took this course and really enjoyed the experience. As a relative novice woodworker, I found that the course had just the right balance between developing a core set of skills and doing something slightly different with them in each session. As someone who works in education, I can say that Gareth is an excellent teacher. He's patient, positive and encouraging. Once he's explained something to you, he'll try to elicit it back from you, which keeps you on your toes and aware of what you have and haven't taken in. The atmosphere was relaxed but focussed. I hope to be able to learn more from Gareth in the future."

"I attended a woodwork taster session with Refine Woodwork and it was fantastic. Gareth was patient and knowledgeable. The setting is relaxed and homely and I came away with a finished product that is now one of my prized possessions! Highly recommend this course if you want a digital detox day to focus and calm your mind from modern noise and produce something beautiful."

"I undertook the joints course as a Christmas gift from my partner. An excellent course covering lots of basics with scope to hone and add some finesse your techniques. Taught with clarity and diligence. I'd been on a group woodworking course before, but the difference between that and Gareth at Refine was night and day. The low teaching ratio (1 to 1, or 1 to 2) ensures you get amazing supervision and tuition to improve your skills. Really like his teaching style, which is logical, calm and encouraging. Fun and enjoyable course. Highly recommended!"