There’s something deeply rewarding about making your own woodworking tools—especially ones you’ll actually use in the shop. In earlier times, toolmaking was a natural part of every woodworker’s journey. These days, it’s become a bit of a lost art. Let’s change that.

Join Vic Tesolin for a five-day exploration into the craft of toolmaking. You’ll start by building a pull-style smoothing plane, a design Vic developed by blending the function of a Japanese plane with the construction styles of both James Krenov and classic English plane making. The result is a tool that’s straightforward to make, feels great in the hand, and performs beautifully.

While your plane’s glue sets, you’ll turn your attention to a wooden plane-adjusting hammer—a simple but essential companion for fine-tuning your new tool. Next, you’ll build a planing board that pairs perfectly with your plane, ideal for smoothing, flattening, shooting, and joinery work.

To finish the week, you’ll craft a dovetailed box with a sliding lid to store your handmade plane. Along the way, Vic will guide you through sharpening, setup, and use, ensuring you leave not just with a set of handmade tools, but with the knowledge and confidence to use them well.

Five days, four projects, and one memorable experience. Come learn the joy of making tools with your own hands, and rediscover a timeless part of the woodworker’s craft.

Pre-requisites: Mastering Machinery or equivalent. This course is suitable for all woodworkers with the ability to safely operate basic woodworking machinery.