Woodworking

About this course

This elective teaches woodworking from the ground up, beginning with the dignity of skilled work and the habits of a safe shop. It covers hand tools and how to use and sharpen them, the common power tools and what each one demands of the person running it, joinery from butt and lap joints through dados, pocket holes, and an introduction to dovetails, measuring and planning work including cut lists, scaled drawings, fractions on a tape measure, and board feet, finishing with sandpaper, stains, oils, varnish, paint, and wax, ten beginner projects from a cutting board and birdhouse up to a step stool, tool tote, and small bench, home carpentry such as framing, shelving, hanging a door, trim, and furniture repair, and the wood itself: softwoods and hardwoods, plywood and engineered sheet goods, grades and lumber-yard terms, reclaimed stock, wood movement, storage, and responsible sourcing. Every lesson opens with a verse from the King James Bible, and the closing unit turns toward patience, learning from mistakes, caring for tools, apprenticeship, honest pricing, and building things for the church and community.

The course is 10 units of 10 lessons each, 100 lessons in all, self-paced rather than tied to a daily schedule. A lesson is a short reading, usually 300 to 720 words, followed by a ten-question multiple-choice quiz that grades itself. The writing is plain high school prose that names each tool and term as it introduces it, so a student with no shop background can follow it. Arithmetic with fractions is used often enough that it is worth being comfortable with, and the course teaches how to read a tape measure directly.

Please read this part carefully. Safety is taught seriously and in detail throughout, not tucked into one lesson. The course covers eye, ear, and respiratory protection and when a paper dust mask is not enough, why gloves are wrong around rotating tools, never removing guards or cutting freehand, table saw kickback and where to stand, ventilation and fumes when finishing, and the fact that rags soaked in oil finish can catch fire on their own if they are piled up, along with the exact disposal steps. That instruction is real and worth having, and it is also only reading. Finishing the lessons and passing the quizzes does not make a student shop-safe, and this course does not certify anyone to operate anything. Nothing here checks a setup, a stance, or a cut. Doing the projects requires real tools, a workspace, materials to buy, and hands-on adult supervision from someone who is competent with the tools involved, especially before a student ever touches a table saw, circular saw, miter saw, or router. Please treat the reading as preparation for supervised work and decide for yourself which tools your student is ready for. A student with no tools can still complete every lesson and quiz, and working through the course first is a sensible way to decide what to buy and in what order.

What the course covers

• Shop setup, safety habits, and personal protective equipment
• Hand tools: saws, chisels, planes, clamps, squares, and sharpening
• Power tools: circular saw, jigsaw, drill, sander, router, table saw, miter saw
• Joinery: butt, lap, miter, dado, pocket-hole, and dovetail joints
• Measuring and planning: cut lists, scaled drawings, fractions, and board feet
• Finishing: sanding progression, stains, oil finishes, varnish, paint, and wax
• Beginner projects: cutting board, box, birdhouse, frame, step stool, bench
• Home carpentry: framing, shelving, hanging a door, trim, and repairs
• Wood selection: softwoods, hardwoods, plywood, grades, and wood movement
• Craftsmanship, tool care, apprenticeship, pricing, and community service

What your student will be able to do

• Set up a clean, well-lit shop and follow consistent safety habits
• Read a tape measure, a cut list, and a simple scaled plan accurately
• Choose the right joint, tool, and wood species for a given project
• Estimate materials, board feet, and cost for a project before starting
• Sand, stain, and finish a piece safely, including proper rag disposal
• Diagnose common problems such as wobbly joints, warping, and wood movement

Scope and sequence

All 10 units of Woodworking for Grade 11, in the order they are taught.

Inside the course

These photographs appear in the lessons themselves, not just on this page. Every one is freely licensed and credited to its photographer at the foot of this page.

Every lesson, by title

All 100 lesson titles are listed here — nothing is withheld until you download. Open a unit to read its contents.

One whole lesson, exactly as it comes

This is a real lesson taken from the middle of the course — the teaching text, the practice, the homework, and the first three quiz questions with their answers. It is not a marketing excerpt.

Unit 6: The Art of Finishing — Sanding, Stains & Protection · Lesson 1

Why Finish Wood? Protection and Beauty

When you finish a woodworking project, you've invested countless hours designing, selecting materials, cutting, joining, and sanding. The wood itself is beautiful, but applying the right finish is what transforms your hard work into something that will truly last and shine. Understanding why we finish wood helps you make better choices about which finish to use and how to apply it.

Protection is Essential

Wood is a living material, even after it's been harvested and dried. It wants to absorb and release moisture from the air around it, which causes it to swell and shrink. This movement can crack your carefully made joints, warp flat surfaces, and invite mold and insects to damage your work. A good finish is a barrier between the wood and the moisture in the air. Stains, oils, and polyurethanes all create a protective layer that slows this moisture exchange dramatically. The better the finish, the longer your project will protect itself and remain beautiful.

Beauty and Color Enhancement

Have you ever noticed how raw, sanded wood looks dull and chalky? That's because the cellular structure of the wood scatters light in random directions. When you apply a finish—especially an oil or varnish—the wood comes alive. The finish fills the grain, adds depth, and makes the natural colors glow. Stains can enhance or completely change the color, bringing out character in different wood species.

Professionalism and Stewardship

Finishing wood properly is how you show respect for the materials God has given you. Your woodworking projects, finished well, reflect your care and skill. When you give a finished piece to someone, they see that you valued the work enough to protect it and make it beautiful. This is good stewardship of what God provides. A well-finished piece can last generations, becoming a family treasure.

The first three of this lesson's 10 questions

What is one main reason wood naturally absorbs and releases moisture?

1. Wood is a living material, even after harvesting and drying
2. Sawdust particles attract humidity
3. Moisture helps prevent cracking
4. Wood needs water to maintain its color

Show the answer

Answer: Wood is a living material, even after harvesting and drying

What does applying a finish primarily do to protect wood?

1. It hardens the wood fibers permanently
2. It completely stops all moisture movement
3. It makes the wood waterproof forever
4. It creates a barrier that slows moisture exchange

Show the answer

Answer: It creates a barrier that slows moisture exchange

According to Proverbs 22:29, what happens to a man diligent in his business?

1. He will have no troubles
2. He becomes wealthy immediately
3. He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men
4. He will work alone

Show the answer

Answer: He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men

Another 7 questions follow in the lesson itself, each one graded the moment it is answered.

What you will need

Drawn from the materials named across all 100 lessons of this course. Most families already own most of it.