Learn Japanese Woodworking (Intermediate Level)

The Shokunin Intermediate Course continues from the Shokunin Beginner Course, and it is structured around the techniques for the creation of a dovetailed box. Dovetail joinery are highly regarded for their strength and sturdiness, and are the hallmark of many joineries found in Japanese architecture and cabinetry.

Find out more about the Shokunin Series here.

Is this course for me?

As this is an intermediate course, there are prerequisite skills required. If you have taken the Shoukunin Beginner Course, then this is a natural progression for you. For intermediate hobbyists / craftsmen / tradesmen, you’ll need to own and know how to use a saw and a hand plane. You’ll be required to bring along your own hand plane and sharpening stone/s for use during the course. The next progression from this intermediate course would be the Shokunin Advance course.

What you will learn:

  • Comprehend the nature of using wood as a material; how to work with it and not against it.

  • Acquire essential competencies of precision sharpening tools. A sharp tool is not only safer to use, it gives the craftsman the ability to craft precisely fitted joints that the Japanese are known for.

  • How to set up a Japanese chisel (nomi) for use. You will receive as part of the course a new professional grade Japanese chisel (nomi) and will learn how to get it ready for use.

  • Learn the intricacies of spacing, marking and cutting dovetails.

  • Develop intermediate psycho-motor carpentry skills. You will develop the hand skills of using the saw and chisel for joinery, and using the hand plane (kanna) to plane a silky smooth surface. You will receive a new dovetail (dozuki) saw as part of the course.

  • At the end of the course, you would have handcrafted a beautiful dovetailed box to take home.

Workshop Details

Workshop Date:

11th - 13th June 2024

8th - 10th July 2024

31st Aug - 2nd Sept 2024

7th - 9th November 2024

13th - 15th December 2024

Class duration : 3 days, 9am - 6pm daily

Suitable for: Age 18 and above

Number of participants: Maximum class size of 4

Course Fees : $980 per participant. Course fees include all materials and the professional-grade woodworking tools you will receive worth $150. Find out more about the tools here. Course fees are non-refundable. This course is not Skillsfuture enabled.

Registration Fee: One-time Mokko Wood Studio registration fee $50. Registration fees are waived for participants who have taken prior courses at Mokko Wood Studio.

Students will be required to bring their personal sharpening stone, kanna and sashigane/ square. Free storage is available for the duration of the workshop.

What you will be doing for the 3 days.

In this course, you will learn more in-depth knowledge to properly set up, tune and maintain the core tools of a Japanese craftsman (shokunin). You will then be guided through the process of crafting a dovetail box.

The first day of the course begins with a lecture on the philosophy of using wood as a medium of construction. Wood is an organic material and continues to live and breathe long after the tree is cut down. It is imperative to understand how wood behaves according to humidity levels and how makers can work with the constantly changing conditions of wood.

You will then be provided with your very own Japanese chisel (nomi) and instructed on how to properly prepare it for work. You will learn how to sharpen the chisel to a super-fine crisp edge and tune it to take precision cuts . You will also receive your very own Japanese dovetail (dozuki) saw and learn how to use the saw correctly and safely.

The second and third day of the course will commence with joinery work, culminating in building a dovetail box. Building begins first with proper planning. You will learn how to layout dovetails, and the intricacies of spacing and angles. Following layout, you will then begin to practice cutting dovetails that will join the main faces of the box.

Proper techniques of sawing, planing and box assembly will be emphasized - because it is not merely the dovetail box that you will take home, more importantly, it is to take home the skills that you will gain to continue building items long after the workshop is over.

Day 1

  • Introduction to philosophy of nature of wood

  • Introduction to the Japanese chisel (nomi)

  • How to prepare and tune the nomi for use

  • Principles of Sharpening woodworking blades

Day 2

  • Using the Japanese chisel (nomi)

  • Keeping to the correct side of the line

  • Sawing technique

  • Dovetail Box Project: Thinking inside a box.

  • Dovetail Box Project: Laying it all out.

  • Dovetail Box Project: Saw and Chop

    Day 3

  • Dovetail Box Project: Kanna finishing

  • Dovetail Box Project: Assembly

  • Project exhibition and debrief

Registration

You will be directed to a registration page to fill in some basic details. We will then be contacting you with payment instructions within 3 days of receiving your registration. Your registration is only confirmed with payment. Accepted forms of payment are bank transfer, PayNow, Paylah!, and PayPal.

Questions?

Please contact us for any queries.

If you’re travelling from abroad, you may find our Support for International Students page helpful with your planning.