Sharpening
A one-day workshop in techniques to get and stay sharp.
Sharpening is a gateway drug for fine woodworking.
But sharp is not one thing. A chisel sharp enough to pare end grain to a knife line is a different proposition to a mortise chisel driving through hardwood. What you need to raise a whisper-thin shaving from a smoothing plane is not what you need from a scrub plane taking wood down fast.
This one-day workshop is about developing judgement, understanding what level of sharpness each task actually requires, and the techniques to get there efficiently and consistently. Not sharpening for its own sake, but sharpening in service of the work.
The focus is chisels and plane irons. These are the tools most makers reach for most often, and the principles here carry into everything else.
What you will cover
Sharpening is taught differently by almost everyone who teaches it. There are genuine differences of opinion about stones, systems, angles and technique, and most of them work, in the right hands, with the right tools.
We will work with a range of sharpening techniques and media to find approaches that will work for you, your tools and your budget. The goal is not to convert you to a particular system, or to convince you to buy our latest gadget, but to leave you with a method you understand, can repeat, and can adapt as your toolkit grows.
Workshop details
Duration: 1 day
Location: Mount Egerton VIC 3352
Group size: Maximum 4 participants
Experience: Open to all levels, beginners welcome
Price: $250 per person (all stones and equipment supplied)
Dates: Dates announced to the EOI list first, register your interest below
Mount Egerton is located on Wadawurrung Country in Central Victoria, approximately 90 minutes from Melbourne and 30 minutes from Ballarat. The studio is easily reached from Melbourne's west and from Geelong, Daylesford and regional Victoria.
What to bring
Bring your own chisels and plane irons if you have them. We will look at your tools together and talk about what they need. All sharpening equipment and media is supplied.
Who this workshop suits
This workshop is for anyone who uses edge tools and wants to understand sharpening properly. That includes beginners who want to start right, and experienced makers who have always found sharpening inconsistent or time-consuming.
It is a good starting point for the Moonlite program, and a useful standalone workshop for anyone who works with wood, regardless of where they are in their practice.
About the teaching
Ross Annels has been making furniture for over 25 years. Sharpening is not a topic he teaches separately from making, it is part of how he works every day. The workshop is built around demonstration, direct practice, and honest conversation about what actually works and what does not.
Small group sizes mean there is time to work carefully, ask questions, and develop confidence in what you are doing.
Express your interest
Dates for this workshop are announced to the interest list first. If you would like to be notified when bookings open, contact Ross directly.
Where this leads
Sharpening is the foundation for everything that follows. Participants who complete this workshop are well placed to move into:
Hand Tools Fundamentals, a 5-day intensive covering bench skills, joinery and material understanding
Introduction to Wood Bending, a 2-day comparative introduction to steam, kerf, laminated and coopered bending
Moonlite Studios is a working furniture making and creative practice based in Mount Egerton, on Wadawurrung Country in Central Victoria. Courses and mentoring are offered year-round in small groups within a studio environment.
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