Serious Furniture Making Training — Without Leaving Your Life Behind

EOIs for 2026 now open

Expressions of Interest

MSF20322 Certificate II in Cabinet Making and Timber Technology

You’ve admired schools like the Sturt School for Wood, Centre for Fine Woodworking (NZ) or Centre for Furniture Craftsmanship (US). You dream of immersing yourself in that world of craft, design, and rigour — but the reality is, you can’t move your family or put your career on hold for a year.

At SkillBuild Mount Egerton, we bring that same commitment to fine furniture making into a modular, flexible format. Serious training. Recognised outcomes. A pathway you can build piece by piece, without uprooting your life.

What You'll Learn in this furniture making course

Hand tools — foundational skills in craftsmanship: develop precision and confidence using quality chisels, planes, saws, and other essential tools.
Power tools & workshop machinery — safe, efficient use of equipment for accurate and repeatable work.
Furniture making techniques — from selecting and preparing material through joinery, to bending, shaping, and finishing.
Design and craftsmanship — understanding wood as a living material, developing form, and embedding story into your work.
Professional practice — how to work as a furniture maker: organising and running a workshop, and exploring pathways into furniture making as a vocation or second career.

Why Choose Skillbuild

Rigour + Flexibility: Build your training through short, intensive courses that stack towards formal qualifications.
Accredited Pathways: Gain Statements of Attainment (AQF recognised) as you go, working towards Certificate II MSF20322 in Cabinet Making and Timber Technology with a focus on furniture making.
Small Groups, Expert Mentoring: Maximum of six participants per course, taught by experienced makers and educators.
A Supportive, Inclusive Studio: A safe, welcoming space to learn, experiment, and grow.
Fit Training Into Your Life: No need to relocate — instead study in short bursts, then return to work and family with new skills in hand.

Who It's For

Mid-career professionals wanting to take woodworking seriously.
People considering a career change into craft or furniture making.
Dedicated hobbyists who want to move beyond YouTube and weekend classes.
Teachers, designers, and creatives looking for accredited professional development.

Course Duration

Monday - Thursday 8 am to 4 pm, Friday 8 am - 12 pm, across six intensive week-long modules scheduled over four months. Delivery mode: face-to-face workshop-based training at Mount Egerton VIC.

Course Cost

$7,500 + GST payable in three payments.
Includes tuition, assessment, studio access, core consumables, and safety induction.
Excludes accommodation, meals and optional materials upgrades.
Refunds and withdrawals are subject to Skillbuild’s Terms and Conditions on our Home Page.

Furniture Making Course Schedule — Semester 1 (2026)

Projects and learning will be intensive and focussed, and the emphasis will be on developing skills and competencies,
not on producing objects through preprepared pathways. The completed projects can combine to produce a useful set of
aids and tools for a woodworkers studio or workshop. To receive a Certificate II, all six courses need to be completed satisfactorily.

Week 1
Mon 13 - Fri 17 April

Seeing the Wood & the Trees — Fine Furniture Making Essentials

Focus: Trees, forests & timber — species, growth, ecology, sustainability & conversion; wood anatomy & structure; sharpening & edge maintenance; preparing & dimensioning stock by hand; bridle, lap, and mortise-and-tenon joints; safe work practices & workshop orientation.

Project: Studio Saw Pony — a Maker’s Saw Horse

Week 2
Mon 11 - Fri 15 May

Precision & Skill — Hand Tools Essentials

Focus: Using bench tools to develop precision and material responsiveness.

Project: Classic Marking Gauge; Joiner’s Mallet

Week 3
Mon 15 - Fri 19 June

Efficiency & Safety — Static Machinery Essentials

Focus: Safe setup & operation of jointer, thicknesser, bandsaw, mortiser, and table saw; jigs & fixtures; dust extraction; workflow design.

Project: Workshop Stool with Compound-Angled Joinery

Week 4
Mon 13 - Fri 17 July

Joinery — Boxes

Focus: Choosing appropriate joinery by hand and machine (butt joints, brads, dowels, dados, slots, grooves, rabbets, finger joints, mitres, keys, tenons & dovetails); achieving precision, assembly accuracy & clean detailing.

Project: Storage Boxes and Dovetailed Tool Tote

Week 5
Mon 17 - Fri 21 August

Cabinetry — Part 1

Focus: Carcass construction from solid timber & manufactured board materials.

Project: Hanging Tool Cabinet — Carcase

Week 6
Mon 14 - Fri 18 September

Cabinetry — Part 2

Focus: Frame and panel door with veneered panel.

Project: Hanging Tool Cabinet

Take the first step towards serious craftsmanship. Explore our upcoming courses and see how you can build your pathway, one module at a time.

Contact Ross 0407489227 [email protected] to register interest in our upcoming intakes.

You will need the capability to spend whole days in a workshop, working with your hands and your head.

CODE	TITLE
MSFFM2013	Use furniture making hand and power tools
MSFFM2029	Select timbers for furniture production
MSFFM2017	Hand make timber joints
MSFFM2016	Join solid timber
MSFFM2018	Operate basic static machines safely
MSFFM3028	Prepare and apply decorative surfaces for furnishing products
MSFGN2001	Make measurements and calculations
MSFGN2004	Prepare simple scale drawings by hand
MSMENV272	Participate in environmentally sustainable work practices
MSMSUP102	Communicate in the workplace
MSMSUP106	Work in a team
MSMWGS200	Work safely

From boutique retreats in Daylesford and Hepburn Springs, to country B&Bs in Mt Egerton, Gordon, Lal Lal and Ballan, caravan parks and campgrounds, through to modern hotels in Ballarat there’s something to suit every preference and budget within a 30-minute radius.