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Optimizing Your Time at Ebanista School

First, we recommend you go as far in the Core Class series as you can. Becoming a fine woodworker is not something one learns overnight, nor even in a year. But with all the experience of our instructors, we have seen all our students progress at a very accelerated pace. For most students that will mean starting with the two-part Beginnings I and II classes. Then progressing on with Intermediate I, II, and III.

In addition to the foundational learning of our Core Classes, we recommend supplementing your learning with our workshops. I can’t overemphasize the benefits of learning to sharpen your tools and highly recommend our Sharpening Workshop. We offer a variety of other workshops such as veneering, and finishing, which will make the student a more complete woodworker.

Finally, a class you will not find at many other woodworking schools is our Design Studio. So many people, even those having made a living at this for decades, bemoan the fact that they have little or no background in this important facet of being a woodworker. It is not true by a longshot that everyone can design. But it IS true that everyone can learn.

Students who already have a background in woodworking and are joining Ebanista to raise their skill level further are welcome to contact the school and discuss starting in a class after Beginnings I.

For those who have schedules that don’t allow them to be at Ebanista School over a multiple week period, we are offering 5 day furniture build classes. These were originally intended for the people who have contacted us from around the U.S. and Canada, but they are also becoming popular with people in the Seattle area as well. The 5 day classes, due to time constraints cannot delve so deeply into every aspect of woodworking as the longer classes, but instead focus on a very hands on building process where students ambitiously build a complete piece of furniture.

Beginnings I

$735.00

Update: If your preferred class is sold out, you can request to be placed on our waiting list by emailing assistantebanista@gmail.com. Beginnings I cancellations do occur occasionally.

Fall 2026:

eve: T/Th 6:00pm – 9:00pm, September 8 – October 1
day: M/W 9:00am – 12:00pm, October 19 – November 11
Friday: 9:00am – 1:00pm, September 11 – October 16
Saturday: 11:00am – 3:00pm, September 12 – October 17

Summer 2026:

eve: M/W 6:00pm – 9:00pm, June 1 – June 24
day: T/TH 2:00pm – 5:00pm, July 14 – August 4
Friday: 9:00am – 2:00pm, May 8 – June 5
Saturday: 11:00am – 5:00pm, June 6 – June 27

Spring 2026:

eve: M/W 6:00pm – 9:00pm, March 23 – April 15
day: T/Th 1:00pm – 4:00pm, May 5 – May 28
Friday: 9:00am – 2:00pm, April 3 – May 1
Saturday #1: 11:00am – 3:30pm, March 28 – April 25
Saturday #2: 11:00am – 3:30pm, May 2 – May 30

Skill level: Best place to begin. All levels

Instructor: Ebanista Staff

Tools required: Ear phones (not plugs), eye protection, 10′ or 12′ tape measure,

6″ metal rule. optional: apron, tool tote

Also recommended: Sharpening Workshop, Material Layout & Preparation

Beginnings I is a 24 instructional hour course designed to crack open the door to the amazing world of woodworking. We will help you become skilled, and SAFE, and confident with two of the major tool groups. Machines, including the all-important table saw, and the joiner, drill press, planer, band saw, and disc sander. And hand power tools such as the drill, router, sander, plate joiner, and amazing new Domino. We will also go through an introduction to the most satisfying and versatile group of woodworking tools: hand tools.

Each student will build a handsome serving tray. See photo. A set of good quality chisels will be required by the 3rd class. Ebanista has some very nice German chisels for sale or can advise students who wish to purchase on their own.

*Please visit the Details tab to review our refund/cancellation policy.

Beginnings I

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SKU: BeginningI Category: Core Classes

Beginnings II

$1,205.00

Prerequisite: Beginnings I and Material Layout and Prep. Workshop or permission from the director

UPDATE: If your preferred section is not available, you can request to be placed on our waiting list by emailing assistantebanista@gmail.com.

Fall 2026:

day: T/Th 1:30pm – 5:00pm, September 8 – October 15
eve: T/Th 6:00pm – 9:30pm, October 6 – November 12

Spring 2026:

day: T/Th 12:30pm – 4:00pm, March 24 – April 30
eve: M/W 6:00pm – 9:30pm, April 20 – May 27

Skill level: All Levels (students must have completed Beginnings I and Material Layout and Prep. or been given permission from the director)

Instructor: Ebanista Staff

Project: handmade jewelry/valuables box

Tools required for class: ear and eye protection, tape measure, set (6) of good chisels. Low angle block plane (Most of the following tools are available at Ebanista). 6” adj square, layout tools, low-angle block plane, Japanese saw. plus many others. Call w questions.

Also recommended: Design Studio, Sharpening Workshop, Veneering Workshop

In this 6 week class, we will go more into depth on hand tools, including proper care and techniques and strategies for their use. You will learn why a planed finish is superior to one that is sanded. Why a marking knife is superior to a pencil for laying out joinery. Why accurate use of layout tools such as a combination square and a marking knife are so critical to fine woodworking. Why we believe that an intimate understanding of your chisels will start to reveal what you are capable of doing with wood. We will also start learning some of the joints that are the foundation of building furniture and cabinetry. In Beginnings II we will focus on the splined miter joint and frame-and-panel construction and include them in the class project: a handmade jewelry/valuables box.

There will also be consistent short practice sessions with our new hand planes and sharpening with Japanese water stones. Sharpening is perhaps the most important skill in all of woodworking and one you will continue to improve on and come to love throughout the years you work in wood. Even many people who have worked wood a very long time skip past learning this essential skill and are forever limited in what they are capable of. You should finish this class with a thorough exposure to hand tools and a very solid foundation to begin mastering them and incorporating them into your work. They will be emphasized and practiced in every subsequent class at Ebanista.

Please note: all students are required to be present for the first two sessions of class to ensure proper safety training occurs. Students who miss either of the first two sessions, run the risk of being dropped from the class without refund. The Material Layout and Preparation workshop is a prerequisite for the Beginnings II class. If you have questions about this requirement, please email assistantebanista@gmail.com

*Please visit the ‘Details’ tab to review our refund/cancellation policy.

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SKU: N/A Category: Core Classes

Intermediate Classes

$1,828.00

Fall 2026:

eve: M/W 6:00pm – 9:00pm, Sept. 7 – Nov. 11

Summer 2026:

eve: T/Th 6:00pm – 9:30pm, June 2 – July 2 & July 14 – August 4

Spring 2026:

day: M/W 1:30pm – 4:30pm, March 23 – May 27

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Beginnings II level class at Ebanista, the Sharpening Workshops, and the Material Layout and Prep. Workshop or permission of instructor

In this 10 week course, students will benefit from each other’s experience and the breadth of topics being taught while focusing on their own level-appropriate project. Each level builds on the skills developed in previous levels and projects are designed to provide opportunities for new skill acquisition as well as practice and mastery of the previous.

All section is open to both IM I and IM 2 students.

Instructor: Jonathan Cohen

Projects:

Level 1 – Small Table w/Mortise-and-tenon joinery, spokeshaved/curved legs

Level 2 – Tool Cabinet w dovetailed drawers, F&P doors. A cabinetmaking tour de force!

*Please visit the ‘Details’ tab to review our refund/cancellation policy.

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SKU: N/A Category: Core Classes

Design Studio

$1,390.00

Update: Enrollment is now open for Winter 2026 Design Studio. This course has a major advantage over all our other courses in that it is taught remotely.

Winter 2026: Fridays, January 9th – March 13th, 4:00pm – 7:30pm

Skill level: All

Instructor: Jonathan Cohen

Introduction to design and design studio experience. Principles of design, sketching/rendering, mockups, and participating in and learning the value of critiques. Design is by far the most common part of woodworking that even longtime woodworkers will tell you they lack and wished they had a chance to learn. It is one of the signature classes here at the Ebanista School of Fine Woodworking, as almost no other schools even offer a design course. Building your own work, work that came from your own ideas, rather than from a magazine or a set of plans, is, in our opinion, one of the best reasons to become a woodworker. It really is exciting to see your own ideas reach fruition.

Both visual design and structural design as it pertains to woodworking are covered. Instructor has a degree in design and over 45 years of design experience. This class is one of the most relaxed and fun here at Ebanista. Also available to non-woodworkers (such as interior designers) – who want a better understanding of furniture design. Class hours were designed to not interfere with workweeks, give a Friday afternoon transition time, and still leave the evening open for family and friends.

*Please visit the ‘Details’ tab to review our refund/cancellation policy.

Session

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SKU: DesignStudio Category: Core Classes

Work Bench

Skill Level: Advanced

Instructors: Jonathan Cohen

Dates: TBD

Prerequisite: Intermediate level courses and permission from director

Having a really nice work bench is one of the greatest pleasures for a woodworker. It is also a very strong incentive for doing your best work each time you are next to it. My bench is, after spending thousands of hours at it for over 40 years, still one of my most satisfying pieces.

In this class we will be building the very beautiful and practical Roubo split top bench, that has become very popular in recent years, despite being first made hundreds of years ago. Each participant will custom fit her/his bench to their own needs for height and length, for their choice of woods and hardware, and a number of other special options. These will literally be one-of-a-kind pieces.

Because of the special nature of this project, class registration will need be made far in advance for several reasons. First, class size will be strictly limited, lumber must be purchased and stored at Ebanista so that it will have extra time to season and stabilize to ensure that these benches will be around for a very long time. Class tuition covers studio time, instruction and basic material costs, such as sandpaper and glue. Lumber costs and hardware costs are the responsibility of each student, as individual choices will likely vary. Besides having a very special piece of your work to take home at the end of this class, you should see a noticeable leap forward in your woodworking skills, as building a workbench requires a broad range of woodworking skills.

This course is by permission of the director. If you are interested, please email assistantebanista@gmail.com

SKU: WorkBench Category: Advanced Classes

Chair Making

Skill Level: Advanced

Instructor: Jonathan Cohen

Details: March 24 – May 28, 6:00pm – 9:30pm

Pre-requisites: Intermediate level courses and permission of the instructor, Material Layout and Preparation, Sharpening with Waterstones

Also recommended: Design Studio, Material Layout and Preparation Workshop, Sharpening Workshop

Tools required: see Intermediate Classes above + spokeshave, rabbet plane

Handmade chairs are one of the most difficult pieces in woodworking and therefore, one of the most satisfying. The Chair Making class will be an intense, 10 weeks course, exploring design, talking about ergonomics, discussion of special skills specific to chair making in contrast with those required to make most other furniture, and the construction of one dining chair. Each student will be working on a chair design provided by Ebanista as well as a bit of chair designing for their own future projects.

SKU: Chair Making Category: Advanced Classes

Material Layout & Preparation

$310.00

Fall 2025:

Friday, August 28, 4:00pm – 9:00pm
Sunday, September 13, 11:00am – 4:00pm
Friday, November 6, 4:00pm – 9:00pm

Summer 2026: 11:00am – 4:30pm – Sunday, May 24, June 14, or July 12

Instructor: David Hunzicker or Jonathan Cohen

All students taking Beginnings II or higher are required to take the Material Layout & Prep. workshop or be cleared by the instructor

Starting in Winter 2023, all Ebanista students will be required to take this workshop prior to their first Beginnings II class. It is also highly recommended for anyone past the Beginnings II level who does not feel they have achieved a high skill level in material preparation. It has become more and more clear to us over the years that many students, even in upper level classes, still find this VERY essential part of working to be challenging. We will go over careful layout as well as marking and preparing work before and during projects. It is this work that will make all future work safer, more accurate, and more beautiful. It will also save a lot of wasted time and material.

Material Layout & Prep

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SKU: Material Layout and Prep. Category: Weekend Workshops

The Art of Plane Craft

Date: May 31st, 2026

Time: 11:00am – 4:30pm

Prerequisite: Sharpening with WaterStones Workshop

Instructor: Stephen Barney & Jonathan Cohen

Discover the precision, beauty, and quiet satisfaction of woodworking with hand planes in this immersive 5-hour workshop. Designed for beginners and experienced woodworkers alike, this class explores both Western and Japanese planes, offering a unique side-by-side look at two rich woodworking traditions.

Participants will learn the fundamental principles behind hand planing, including grain direction, tool setup, and achieving a glass-smooth finish straight from the blade. You’ll gain hands-on experience tuning plane irons, adjusting chip breakers, and dialing in your tools for optimal performance. The workshop will also highlight the philosophical and functional differences between Western push-style planes and Japanese pull-style planes. Through guided practice, you’ll explore how each approach influences body mechanics, control, and final surface quality.

*Please visit the ‘Details’ tab to review our refund/cancellation policy.

SKU: PlaneCraft Category: Weekend Workshops

Open Shop Time

Date: TBD

Cost: $93/session

This 3 hour, independent shop time is intended to give Ebanista students a chance to have further access to the shop, with the instructor on site and available for advice and short demonstrations. There will not be class wide teaching, our regular classes are the place for that. This is an opportunity for students to work, as the name suggests, independently. Sessions will be limited to 7 students. If there are not a minimum of 5 students signed up for each session, Ebanista reserves the right to postpone that session and allow the student to sign up for any future time. At this time we are accepting only current or past students of the Ebanista School of Fine Woodworking, including those already signed up for the first time. Please contact assistantebanista@gmail.com with questions or to be placed on the waiting list. Students are expected to provide their own hand tools and materials, with many of these available for purchase through the school.

*Please visit the ‘Details’ tab to review our refund/cancellation policy.

SKU: openshop Category: Weekend Workshops

Shop Economics

$232.00

Date: April 19, 2026, 1:00pm – 4:30pm

Update: if you are interested in taking this workshop and the current offering does not work into your schedule, please email assistantebanista@gmail.com to be placed on the waitlist for future offerings.

Note: this workshop is taught virtually over Zoom and is NOT just for woodworkers thinking of going into business for themselves. If you are thinking of opening a small shop just for your own work, you will learn a specifics designed to get your shop up and manageable.

Skill Level: Open to all

Instructor: Jonathan Cohen

At first glance, this workshop might seem to be an oxymoron. If you wanted to be good at business, why would you become a woodworker? This class is NOT designed to be a crackerjack Economics course, but to teach the very important fundamental aspects of keeping your love for woodworking a viable one. Not taking care of the planning and money will stop you from making a life, or a hobby, as an Ebanista, (or any other craft if you’d like to invite a friend), far quicker than just about any other problem you will face.

We will discuss setting up a shop, machinery and tool purchase, whether to hire any employees if things start taking off, taxes, how to deal with clients, how to calculate costs and give estimates that pay you enough, the very important attention that should be paid to photographing your work and some tricks for keeping those costs under control, and strategies for dealing with galleries if you choose to give your work a wider audience.

I do not think there is anyone who has less interest in being described as a businessperson than I. But if you don’t at least become comfortable with the information in this workshop, you know what they say….ignore it at your own peril. As with most of what is taught at Ebanista, we do not claim to be teaching anything you could not learn on your own, eventually. The question is whether you want to avoid years of pitfalls and obstacles to get to your objectives.

The instructor, Jonathan, has over 47 years of running a professional furniture studio (business) and showing in galleries across the U.S.

*Please visit the ‘Details’ tab to review our refund/cancellation policy.

Shop Economics

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SKU: Shop Economics Category: Weekend Workshops

Saw Your Own Lumber Workshop

Date: TBD

Skill level: Open to all

Instructor: Peter Peterson

(Please note: this workshop is not held at the Ebanista School shop , but rather at a professional saw yard in South Seattle, 1/2mile from the school. Wear clothing that can get dirty, bring earphones, safety glasses, gloves, and boots. Workshop is subject to quick schedule change due to weather.)

Professional full time sawyer Peter Peterson is welcoming us to give an amazing introduction to sawing your own lumber. Much of this will be hands-on. You will watch as he revs up the huge industrial saw that he and Urban Hardwoods use every day to produce their amazing slabs, move down to a much smaller portable horizontal bandsaw mill, and then we will finish with a hand held chainsaw mill. It is mesmerizing to pull off fresh colorful beautiful slabs of wood. join us just for the experience or to give yourself a huge head start in making your own lumber. You will gain an in depth understanding to where ( and why) your lumber comes from.

*Please visit the ‘Details’ tab to review our refund/cancellation policy.

SKU: Lumber Making Category: Weekend Workshops

Wooden Hand Plane Making Workshop

Note: this is a two-day workshop. The first session is to glue up plane bodies, the second to shape and tune them.

Skill level: Open to all levels

Date: TBD

Instructor: Stephen Barney & Jonathan Cohen

Making your own planes is an amazing way to gain a deeper understanding of planecraft and to customize your stable of these iconic hand tools to your own needs. In this class we will de-mystify the process and under the tutelage of extraordinary craftsman Stephen Barney, who has made many of his own planes (in use for decades now), tune them and hone them to become some of your favorite hand tools. Tuition costs include material and $90 handmade extremely high quality plane irons we will be using. After all, what is the point in hand making a plane and using a cheap, factory iron? Students will find it very satisfying at the end of the workshop to carry their own new planes back to their work benches.

*Please visit the ‘Details’ tab to review our refund/cancellation policy.

SKU: Plane Making Category: Weekend Workshops

Sharpening with Water Stones

$284.00

Fall 2026: Sunday, October 18 & Sunday, November 8

Summer 2026: Sunday, June 28 & Sunday, July 19

Spring 2026: Sunday, March 29 & Sunday, May 17

Time: 11:00 am – 4:30 pm

Skill Level: All skill levels

Instructor: Stephen Barney

Sharpening your woodworking tools is the most essential skill of all, vital to achieving the skills to become a fine woodworker. Every person attending these workshops so far has commented on how much this workshop has boosted their woodworking skills. Bring your own tools if you like, or Ebanista will have some planes and chisel sets for sale. There will also be some discussion of Japanese tools. This is a fine opportunity to learn from one of the most experienced woodworkers on the West coast. These classes are always very popular, so we recommend you sign up early.

*Please visit the ‘Details’ tab to review our refund/cancellation policy.

Sharpening

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SKU: Sharpening Category: Weekend Workshops

Veneering Workshop

Winter 2026: Sunday, March 1st

Spring 2026: Sunday, May 3rd

Time: 11:00am – 4:30pm

Skill Level: All skill levels

Instructor: Jonathan Cohen

Class Description: Veneering can be a way to open MANY doors to more kinds of fine furniture. It has been around for thousands of years, and when done well can add great beauty to a fine piece of furniture- especially as much of the most beautiful wood in the world is reserved for veneers. Also, knowing how to use, and make your own veneers can open up endless possibilities in your furniture and cabinet design. In this workshop we will learn how to cut, match and press veneers, as well as how to design with them and how to use them to their maximum advantage. We will work with a cold press and also have a demonstration with an easy to build, inexpensive vacuum press. You might be amazed at how a vacuum press can change your workshop completely, greatly expanding your possibilities.

*Please visit the ‘Details’ tab to review our refund/cancellation policy.

SKU: Veneer Category: Weekend Workshops

The Art of Finishing

Winter: Sunday, January 25, 2026

Time: 11:00am – 4:30pm

Skill Level: All

Instructor: Ebanista Staff

A beautiful project isn’t complete until the finish brings it to life. In this hands-on 5-hour workshop, you’ll explore the transformative art of wood finishing—learning how to enhance grain, add depth, and protect your work with confidence and intention.

Designed for all skill levels, this class demystifies the finishing process and helps you move beyond guesswork. You’ll learn how to properly prepare wood surfaces, including sanding strategies, surface inspection, and techniques to avoid common flaws before a finish is ever applied. Participants will work with a variety of finishes while gaining practical experience in application. The workshop also covers how different finishes interact with wood species, how to build and layer coats, and how to troubleshoot issues like blotching, streaking, or dust contamination. Throughout the session, we’ll emphasize both technique and understanding—so you can choose the right finish for your project and achieve consistent, professional-looking results.

*Please visit the ‘Details’ tab to review our refund/cancellation policy.

SKU: Art of Finishing Category: Weekend Workshops

5 Day Build Workshop

Dates: TBD

Skill level: All Levels

Prerequisite: Material Layout and Prep. Workshop

Instructor: Jonathan Cohen

Introducing 5 day intense building classes. 5 consecutive days, 7+ hours/day. Instructor has designed a cherry writing desk to be built in its’ entirety, which each student will take with them at the end of the course. Early registration is encouraged as the materials will be purchased in advance to start the seasoning process and prepping before class starts. This class represents a bit of a departure from the structure of our 10 week classes. In those, the heavy emphasis is on teaching new skills and information, and the class projects are seen as a hands on manner of practicing those skills. In the 5 day classes the emphasis is on taking a project from start to completion, with a great deal of learning occurring during the process. Ideal also for those outside the Seattle area, or those who cannot fit a 10 week course in to their schedules.

SKU: 5-Day Build Category: 5 Day Workshops

5-Day Advanced Joinery

Date: TBD

Skill Level: all levels

Instructor: Jonathan Cohen

This immersive five-day workshop explores the foundational and refined techniques of traditional and modern woodworking joinery. Designed for beginners through intermediate woodworkers, the course focuses on creating strong, precise, and visually compelling connections between pieces of wood—without relying solely on fasteners.

Throughout the week, students will gain hands-on experience with a range of essential joints, including butt joints, rabbets, dados, mortise and tenon, box joints, and dovetails. Instruction will cover both hand tool and machine-based approaches, allowing participants to develop versatility and confidence in their work. Emphasis is placed on accuracy, layout, tool selection, grain orientation, and the structural and aesthetic considerations that define high-quality joinery.

Participants will learn to use tools such as chisels, hand saws, marking gauges, routers, and table saws, with guidance on proper setup, sharpening, and safe operation. Daily demonstrations are paired with guided practice, ensuring that each student builds skill through repetition and feedback.

SKU: 5-Day Advanced Joinery Category: 5 Day Workshops

5-Day Curves Workshop

Dates: TBD

Instructor: Jonathan Cohen

Prerequisites: Material Layout and Preparation Workshop

Curves are a magnificent way to add so much to your woodworking creations. They can add strength, they can add all kinds of beautiful forms, and perhaps most importantly, in a sublime way, they can give your work an enormous palette of light and motion. Simply put, the day I discovered my compass plane completely changed my work and my sense of aesthetics. It changed my career.

There are so many ways for achieving these curves from band sawing and planing them with a variety of tools such as a block plane, a spokeshave, or the magical compass plane. They can be bent by laminating, infusing them with steam, or forming them in a press. We will be working in both solid wood and stable panels w veneer. There are literally hundreds of techniques and secrets to achieving all this and we will be covering as many as possible. We want to unleash the furniture dancer in you. Be prepared to change the very way you think about woodworking.

SKU: 5-day Curves Category: 5 Day Workshops