Japanese Woodworking Bootcamp

from $1,369.00

Early Bird Pricing in Effect until 90 Days before Class Begins

Multiple Dates
6 Day Workshop, Meals Included

A deep dive into the foundation of Japanese woodworking. Students will learn how to sharpen and set up chisels and kanna planes, use saws, chop clean mortises and cut tenons, and practice basic layout techniques used in both furniture and timber work. This is the class for building strong habits with hand tools—accuracy through repetition, patience through care. Expect to spend as much time at the stone as at the bench.

Dates:

Early Bird Pricing in Effect until 90 Days before Class Begins

Multiple Dates
6 Day Workshop, Meals Included

Add a Donation to the School

from $10.00

Level:

All right grunts! It’s time to get serious! Whether you want a no mercy refresher on the fundamental skills of Japanese woodworking or you are a beginner and want to be prepared for our Timber Framing Workshops, then this is the training block for you!

Drill instructor Jason Fox is gonna transform you from weak, soft clay into mortise cutting machines! In six full, action packed days, we will set up and sharpen a Japanese chisel, learn basic layout, and using hand and power tools drill on cutting mortise and tenon joinery until your face bleeds! Finally we will end with time trials to quickly improve your joinery abilities. Stand by to GET SOME!

All joking aside, this will be an accelerated learning experience that will push you beyond your false limitations. We will start each morning at dawn with stretches, sharpening, and a warm up exercise. The days will be a combination of instruction and practice drills. And the evenings will be available for continued practice and review. You will get out as much as you put in.

“The best way to learn about joinery is to cut joints. Jason’s system of time-boxing and progressive increments proves to you (by a trial of fire) that you can cut the joint, because you must.”

— Morgan Donn, Apprentice

Topics Covered

Japanese chisels aren’t ready to use out-of-the-box: we will cover the step-by-step process of setting up a brand new Japanese chisel and all the little tricks to make it perform.
Learn water stone sharpening process from first principles, how to condition your stones, maintain them, and use them to get hair-popping razor sharp woodworking tools.
Understanding basic layout marks and the principles of cutting joinery
Using a Japanese handsaw to cut wood, understanding your body in relation to the saw, cutting to the line.
Use of the handsaw, power saw, drill and chisel to chop a mortise and cut a tenon.
Joinery time trials, using time to force focus on joinery.
Setting up your first Japanese Hand plane, applying sharpening techniques and adjustment process to unlock the power of the hand-planed surface!

Schedule

Day 1 - Orientation, Tool Check, Chisel Set-up, Sharpening
Day 2 - Sharpening, Chopping a Mortise
Day 3 - Sawing instruction, Cutting a Tenon
Day 4 - Sharpening, Kanna Set-up
Day 5 - Kanna Set-up, Joinery Trials
Day 6 - Final Joinery Trial, Hand planing

Daily Schedule

Our days follow a consistent rhythm. Meals are shared, cleanup is shared, and the schedule is the layout for the day - we hold to it. Typically those traveling in will arrive a day before to be on time for the first day.

Days 1 through 5


7:30 am	Breakfast - Be On Time
8:00 am	Breakfast cleanup -- all hands
8:20 am	Warm-up circle
8:30 am	Class begins
10:00 am	10-minute break
12:00 pm	Lunch and cleanup (45 minutes)
1:00 pm	Class resumes
3:00 pm	15-minute break
5:40 pm	All-hands workspace cleanup
6:00 pm	Class ends for the day
6:30 pm	Dinner
7:45 pm	Dinner cleanup

Evenings are yours. The shop stays open until 8:00 pm for continued practice, sharpening, or review - you will get out as much as you put in.

Day 6 - Final Day


7:30 am	Breakfast
8:00 am	Breakfast cleanup -- all hands
8:20 am	Warm-up circle
8:30 am	Final joinery trial
10:00 am	10-minute break
12:00 pm	Lunch and cleanup (45 minutes)
12:30 pm	Group feedback exercise
1:15 pm	Class resumes
3:00 pm	Closing circle and final group cleanup
3:30 pm	Class officially ends - work areas shut down
4:00 pm	Departure

Dinner is not provided on the final day. Anyone with travel arrangements the following morning is welcome to stay the evening - just let us know in advance. Otherwise, plan to be on the road by 4:00 pm. Often the post lunch period on the last day is final exercises and practice and more coaching than instruction so if travel arragments require you to leave a little early, you won't miss out.

Included with Tuition

Meals Included - This workshop includes Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner each day, you’re gonna need fuel because we will be burning hot!

Prerequisites

None, come as you are!

Required Tools

The following tools are required to get the most out of your experience. Bringing incorrect, poor quality, or damaged tools will limit your ability to participate in the class. Please contact us for assistance in purchasing tools prior the the workshop. We are unable to loan tools required for this workshop.

1000 Grit Water Stone (combo 2 side stones are not recommended)
6000 Grit Water Stone (Or similar higher grit finish stone 5k, 8k, 10k etc)
Diamond Flattening Plate (new, or not previously used for metal sharpening) OR three each of either 220, 400, or 1000 grit stones like King
240-270mm Ryoba Saw
18 or 24mm Japanese Chisel (Brand new, unused, Tataki/Timber or Chu Tataki/ Medium Timber preferred)
Japanese Hammer (350-500g)
150 or 300mm Sashigane / Square (in Metric)
Small, new Japanese hand plane (48-55mm) with laminated blade and chip breaker
Pencil and thin pen

Optional Tools

Chisel Ring/Hoop Setter tool
Other grits of sharpening stones as you like
Drill or Impact Driver with quality 15mm - 18mm auger bit (Star M or Wood Owl)
Kanna scraper (see below)
Blade fitting scraper (see below)
Straight edge (see below)
Wooden mallet (see below)
Marking gauge (Japanese kebiki preferred)

Buy Tools for this Workshop

All tools, both required and most optional tools related to this workshop are listed below. You may purchase them along with your workshop registration and pick them up at the beginning of the workshop. Not all tools below are required, see above in the class description for the required items. Contact us if you are unsure of what you might need or have a suitable substitute.

Featured

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Basic Kanna Adjustment Straight Edge

$28.00

A laser-cut stainless steel straight edge for tuning the dai (body) of a Japanese hand plane (kanna). A cutout near the mouth keeps the blade safe during use. A hole in the long end doubles as a hang point and removes weight to shift the balance point toward the back for a natural feel in hand.

A great starting point for beginners learning kanna setup.

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NSB 2 Way Blade Fitting Scraper

$21.00

A hand-made, hand-ground scraper for fitting Japanese hand planes. One end has a broad tip for the blade bed; the other a narrow chisel tip for the sides of the blade groove. Grind a square edge, raise a burr, and scrape the dai (plane body) to seat the kanna (Japanese plane) blade correctly. Hardened 1095 steel.

Recommended but optional for students in our beginner kanna classes.

Sashigane Metric Carpenter's Square Niigata Seki

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Sashigane Metric Carpenter's Square Niigata Seki

from $50.05

This Sashigane is an L-shaped carpenter's square designed with metric (mm) markings on all edges. It features a stair step marking pattern to easily differentiate between the millimeter graduations. The Sashigane, or Japanese carpenter's square, is an indispensable tool used for measuring lengths, drawing layouts, and calculating angles. It is essential for accurately marking lines on material. This tool is often used with a sumitsubo (inkpot) or a sumisashi (marking pen) to scribe lines.

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Star-M Auger Drill

from $18.59

The Star-M Auger Wood Drill Bit is a Japanese-manufactured tool designed for clean and efficient wood boring. This specific design features a spur blade that severs the wood fibers before the scoop extracts the waste material. This mechanism ensures minimal blowout, which is a common issue with most auger bits available in the West. It is typically used for quickly and effectively removing bulk waste from deep holes or mortises, preparing the hole for final shaping and smoothing with a sharp chisel.

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Wooden Kanna Adjusting Mallet

$29.00

Use this wooden mallet to maintain the proper setting of a Japanese hand plane (kanna). This mallet is specifically designed to adjust the kanna blade's position within the wooden plane body (dai). The tool is typically used by striking the back of the blade to advance it, or by lightly striking the end of the dai to retract the blade, ensuring precise control over the blade projection.

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Etsuoh Precision Straight Edge

$213.07

The Etsuoh Precision Straight Edge is a specialized tool for tuning a Japanese hand plane (kanna). It is designed to accurately check the bottom surface of your plane block (dai). Features include a small cutout, which ensures the kanna blade does not hit the straight edge during use, and an adjustable end stop for precise positioning. The tool is specifically intended for verifying the flatness of the kanna dai when tuning the plane.

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Kanna Dai Scraper Yamamoto

$170.17

The Yamamoto dai scraper is a specialized scraping blade, designed for the essential maintenance of wooden kanna bodies (dai). This specific model features a new design resulting from a collaboration between Kanata Tools and Yamamoto, utilizing a blade with a 6mm thickness. It removes minimal material, allowing the user to accurately adjust the contact points on the sole for optimal planing performance.

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Blade Fitting Scraper

$26.00

This Blade Fitting Scraper is a specialized woodworking tool constructed from hardened steel. By grinding a square edge a burr can be formed and used to carefully scrape away wood to fit the blade of a kanna (Japanese plane) to its seat within the plane dai (plane body). This fitting process ensures the blade is seated correctly for optimal plane operation.

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Kanna 64mm Yamamoto

$283.14

The 64mm Yamamoto Kanna is a traditional Japanese hand plane designed for precision woodworking. This Kanna features a high-performance blade forged from Blue Paper #1 Steel, a premium high-carbon steel known for its exceptional hardness and superior edge retention. The Yamamoto name is associated with a multi-generational blacksmith family tradition. The tool is typically used for the final smoothing phase of a wooden surface, capable of producing a glassy, polished finish superior to sanding. Unlike Western planes, the Kanna is operated by pulling it toward the user in a steady, controlled motion. The technique involves holding the plane with a light but firm grip and using a full-body movement to apply consistent downward pressure while pulling the plane, ensuring an even and accurate cut across the wood grain. When properly set and used, it produces ultra-thin shavings and an exceptionally clean, smooth, and water-resistant surface.

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Kanna 48mm Yamamoto

$171.60

This is a 48mm Yamamoto Kanna (Japanese hand plane) featuring a blade crafted from Blue Paper #1 Steel. The Yamamoto blacksmith family is noted for their quality tools, and this Kanna is a recommended model for beginners to learn the essential setup and maintenance skills. The Kanna is a traditional woodworking tool designed for precision shaving to achieve exceptionally smooth surfaces. Unlike a Western plane, it is used with a pulling motion toward the user.

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Chisel Hoop Setter

$32.89

The Chisel Hoop Setter is a tool designed to adjust and permanently seat the metal katsura (hoop) onto the handle of a Japanese striking chisel. The primary purpose of the hoop is to reinforce the handle and prevent it from splitting when struck with a hammer. New chisels are shipped with a loose or barely fitted hoop, requiring the user to set it before use. The Setter is used with a mallet or hammer to distribute even pressure and drive the hoop down the handle, typically seating it typically 2–3mm (1/32"–1/16") below the wood. This process ensures a tight fit and prepares the wood fibers for the final step of mushrooming them outward over the hoop's edge to secure it in place.

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Genno Japanese Hammer 150 Monme

$70.07

The Genno Japanese Hammer has a head size of 150 Monme, which is equivalent to approximately 560 grams. This weight places it in the medium-heavy range, making it suitable for both general carpentry and heavier striking tasks, such as cutting deep mortises or working on timber framing. The Genno is a specialist double-faced Japanese hammer. One face is flat and is used for striking Japanese chisels (Nomi). The opposing face has a slightly convex or domed shape. This domed face is used for fine adjustments and setting nails, allowing them to be driven flush or below the surface of the wood without leaving marks on the surrounding material. It is also employed for "kigoroshi," a technique of temporarily compressing wood fibers for tight joinery.

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15mm Tataki Nomi Japanese Timber Chisel

$125.84

The 15mm Tataki Nomi Japanese Timber Chisel is a professional-grade striking chisel designed for heavy-duty material removal and structural woodworking. This type of chisel is engineered to withstand repeated mallet or hammer strikes, making it an essential tool for cutting deep, square-sided mortises for mortise-and-tenon joinery, general joinery, and chopping tasks. It features a forge-welded blade, typically consisting of a hard steel cutting edge supported by a soft iron backing. Key design elements include a hollow-ground back (ura) to reduce friction during cutting and simplify honing, and a tapered blade profile for improved clearance during deep cuts. The handle, often constructed from Japanese oak, is reinforced with a steel hoop (ferrule) to prevent splitting from the impact of striking.

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24mm Tataki Nomi Japanese Timber Chisel

$163.02

The 24mm Tataki Nomi Japanese Timber Chisel is a professional-grade striking chisel designed for heavy-duty material removal and structural woodworking. This type of chisel is engineered to withstand repeated mallet or hammer strikes, making it an essential tool for cutting deep, square-sided mortises for mortise-and-tenon joinery, general joinery, and chopping tasks. It features a forge-welded blade, typically consisting of a hard steel cutting edge supported by a soft iron backing. Key design elements include a hollow-ground back (ura) to reduce friction during cutting and simplify honing, and a tapered blade profile for improved clearance during deep cuts. The handle, often constructed from Japanese oak, is reinforced with a steel hoop (ferrule) to prevent splitting from the impact of striking.

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18mm Tataki Nomi Japanese Timber Chisel

$127.27

The 18mm Tataki Nomi Japanese Timber Chisel is a professional-grade striking chisel designed for heavy-duty material removal and structural woodworking. This type of chisel is engineered to withstand repeated mallet or hammer strikes, making it an essential tool for cutting deep, square-sided mortises for mortise-and-tenon joinery, general joinery, and chopping tasks. It features a forge-welded blade, typically consisting of a hard steel cutting edge supported by a soft iron backing. Key design elements include a hollow-ground back (ura) to reduce friction during cutting and simplify honing, and a tapered blade profile for improved clearance during deep cuts. The handle, often constructed from Japanese oak, is reinforced with a steel hoop (ferrule) to prevent splitting from the impact of striking.

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240mm Ryoba Saw Hishika

$78.65

The Hishika 240mm Ryoba Saw is a versatile, double-edged Japanese pull saw. The term Ryoba signifies the dual-edge design, featuring a crosscut blade on one side and a rip cut blade on the opposite side, making it a general-purpose saw suitable for a wide range of woodworking tasks, including deeper cuts, dimensioning wood, and joinery. The 240mm size is a standard, popular length for general work. This Hishika saw is noted for its quality at its price point, as the blade is hand tensioned and scraped by artisans, which results in a thinner, stiffer, and more accurate cutting instrument than a typical replaceable blade saw. This precision tool is also considered a good saw for beginners to learn the Japanese pull-stroke technique, where the saw cuts as it is drawn toward the user.

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270mm Ryoba Saw Hishika

$84.37

The Hishika 270mm Ryoba Saw is a versatile, double-edged Japanese pull saw, featuring separate teeth for rip cuts (along the grain) and crosscuts (across the grain). As a workhorse saw, it is ideal for general carpentry, dimensioning lumber, and making deep cuts, and the 270mm size is well-suited for larger projects or timber-frame joinery. This Hishika brand saw is hand tensioned and scraped, offering a quality upgrade over a replaceable blade saw and making it an excellent tool for beginners.

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Diamond Flattening Plate Atoma

$84.37

The Atoma 140 Grit Diamond Flattening Plate is a coarse tool designed for aggressive material removal and precision stone maintenance. This Atoma Brand plate features precision-placed clusters of monocrystalline diamonds electro-bonded to a stainless steel sheet, which is mounted on a precision-flattened aluminum base. Its primary function is as a lapping plate, effectively and quickly flattening all types of whetstones (water stones) without wearing down or losing flatness over time. The geometric pattern of the diamond clusters is designed to prevent clogging and hydraulic lock while flattening stones, and the abrasive diamond sheets are replaceable. It is recommend you only use these flattening plates for surfacing your water stones and not for adjusting steel tools.

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6000 Grit Sharpening Stone Hibiki

$102.96

The Naniwa Hibiki 6000 Grit Sharpening Stone is a resinoid-bonded aluminum oxide stone made in Japan. This stone is known for its extreme hardness, durability, and resistance to wear, allowing it to maintain a flat surface for extended use. The 6000-grit classification places it in the fine-grit range, suitable for edge finishing to create a highly refined, smooth edge on blades. It is primarily recommended for sharpening woodworking tools, such as chisels and plane blades, and high-hardness single-bevel knives. The stone is a soaking type and must be immersed in water for 10 to 20 minutes before use. Water should be applied to the surface as needed during the sharpening process. For care, rinse the stone, wipe it dry, and allow it to air dry completely at room temperature; do not store it in water. Regular flattening is necessary to ensure optimal sharpening performance.

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1000 Grit Sharpening Stone Bester

$60.06

The Bester 1000 Grit Sharpening Stone is a medium-grit abrasive tool designated for general sharpening and edge maintenance. The 1000 grit level is used to refine the scratch pattern left by coarser stones, remove minor nicks, and establish a sharp working edge. This stone is typically employed as an intermediate step to transition the blade from a coarse grit (for fixing chips or severely blunt edges) to a finer finishing grit (for polishing the edge). It is suitable for regular touch-ups to maintain an existing sharp edge. This stone is a soaking type and benefits from a short soak before use.