Finbarr Lucas reviews

Matthew reviewed: Hardwood table furniture-making course with Finbarr Lucas

"Fantastic course. Finbarr has an impressive eye for detail and is a patient teacher, as well as good company. There were only four people on the course which meant plenty of 1-1 instruction. The workshop itself is well organised and equipped and in a nice location. I would happily come back and make another piece to accompany the table."

Finbarr Lucas responded:

"Thank you Matty - It was a really lovely three day course, and you were fastidious in your work, producing a really lovely little table that was a testament to the care you took. I was delighted to meet you and the others, and hopefully I'll see you at another course soon! "

Aileen Burgess reviewed: Hardwood table furniture-making course with Finbarr Lucas

"I really enjoyed this three day course making a hardwood side table. It was extremely well organised and this enabled me, as a beginner, to produce a table that I am very pleased with. Finbarr’s organisation and processes enabled me to learn a lot about wood working over the three day course. I would thoroughly recommend this course to anyone who is interested in learning about and producing a high quality piece of furniture. In addition, as a tutor, Finbarr sensitively managed and encouraged individuals within a supportive and calm environment."

Finbarr Lucas responded:

"I’m really grateful for your considered and detailed review Aileen! Thanks so much for joining the course - I really enjoyed meeting you and the others and facilitating your experience of making a table. You produced a really lovely piece of furniture, with carefully made joints and fine finishing. I hope I’ll see you again on a future course!"

Michael Milner reviewed: Hardwood table furniture-making course with Finbarr Lucas

"Had a great time and learned so much, thank you!! Finbarr is an outstanding craftsman and teacher, and creates a relaxed, friendly environment in his workshop. Learned numerous techniques using primarily hand tools, along with some power tools and machines, and made a beautiful oak table to take home at the end. Also excellent cakes. Highly recommend this course! "

Finbarr Lucas responded:

"I’m so pleased you enjoyed the course Mike, and thank you for this positive review. It was fantastic to have you in the workshop, and help you as you created your table. As we discussed, the course is a bit of a hybrid, using mainly hand tools but employing some machinery as well, giving I hope a good range of activities and skills to practise, and also ensuring everything gets made in the three days! You worked diligently and carefully and your table reflected this approach, with lovely neat joints and finely sanded oak parts. Well done!"

Oliver Foggin reviewed: Hardwood table furniture-making course with Finbarr Lucas

"Really enjoyed the course. Three packed days of woodwork and concentrating and learning. Had excellent fun on the course and Finbarr is an excellent teacher. Came home the proud owner (parent?) of a new oak side table! It will take pride of place in the living room! Will be keeping an eye out for more courses from Finbarr as I’d love to attend them and hone my skills! Thanks so much"

Finbarr Lucas responded:

"Thank you Oliver - I’m delighted you enjoyed the course so much. You made a really super table, with great skill and enthusiasm, and like the rest of the group, in a pretty quick time as well! I really enjoyed spending time with you in the workshop, and it was lovely to facilitate your making process over the course of the three days. I trust your table will be in a prominent position in your new home. Looking forward to seeing you on another course in future. "

Anthony Jones reviewed: Hardwood table furniture-making course with Finbarr Lucas

"Finbarr's table making course was a delightful balance of learning and hands-on practice, with steady progress over three days resulting in a lovely oak table I made myself. The course was well designed to provide everything the small class needed, from tools and materials to guidance and insights from an experienced craftsman. We gained hands-on experience of saws and chisels, machines and finishes. Beyond this, we also came to better appreciate the deliberate planning and thinking involved in creating furniture, including grain direction, choice and design of joints, and how to correct (or hide!) mistakes. Finbarr was always available to provide up-close guidance on how to hold a chisel, where a mortice needed further work, how much glue to apply, which small errors didn't matter, where to clamp, and so on - the small class size really helped to ensure everyone had support as and where needed. I wholeheartedly recommend Finbarr's course, the experience certainly surpassed my expectations, and after years of dithering I am finally back in my own workshop with enthusiasm and confidence. Thank you Finbarr!"

Finbarr Lucas responded:

"Anthony, that’s a wonderful, positive review. Thank you so much! You’ve been really comprehensive in your description of what the course includes, with a lot of useful detail that I’m sure will help visitors to my listing get a really good idea of what the course involves if they sign up. It was a pleasure to have you and the others in the workshop last month, and you all made wonderful tables. I’m really glad to be part of your woodworking experience, and doubly delighted that you are coming along to the sharpening course in a few weeks time as well. Looking forward to seeing you then. Thanks again Anthony."

Mike Robinson reviewed: Hardwood table furniture-making course with Finbarr Lucas

"This was a well thought out course, with the right level of tuition, demonstrations, guidance and praise. This all contributed towards my growing confidence levels and pride in my work. All down to Finbarr. Excellent"

Gwilym Hayes reviewed: Hardwood table furniture-making course with Finbarr Lucas

"An excellent course; learnt a bunch of new skills in a non- pressured environment. The end product is really nice and worth the cost of the course in its own right (purely down to Finbarr’s tutelage as opposed to any innate ability on my part). I really hope Finbarr will run a longer course in the near future so I can make an even bigger table! All in all a really enjoyable three days, and absolutely nothing I could think to change to make it better."

Finbarr Lucas responded:

"I’m delighted you enjoyed the course so much Gwilym. It was a pleasure to spend the three days with you and facilitate your table-making experience, and you made a really lovely little table which I trust has a prominent place at home! I’ll definitely be creating a longer course at some point, and I hope to see you back in the workshop when it’s up and running. "

Mark Ellis reviewed: Hardwood table furniture-making course with Finbarr Lucas

"WOW, what a fantastic course. I thoroughly enjoyed this from start to finish and never expected to be able to build such a high quality Oak table. Finbar was excellent, with helpful tips and advice throughout. Hi teaching was exceptional and included responses to questions related to any tools, materials, wood treatment, method or techniques. his knowledge and experience along with the quality of his work was appreciated by the whole class. And not only that the cakes made by his wife were fantastic. I cant recommend this course enough to anyone wishing to gain or improve their skills with wood."

Finbarr Lucas responded:

"Thanks so much for this positive review Mark. It was an absolute delight to have you on the course this weekend! You really got stuck into all the many tasks involved in making the table, and the piece of furniture you walked away with on Sunday afternoon was a testament to the dedication you put in. And the cakes Jess baked only added to the experience! I really hope that the skills you gained, and the tips and tricks you learned along the way, will help when you are working on your campervan project as well. I hope I’ll see you again. "

Stephen reviewed: Hardwood table furniture-making course with Finbarr Lucas

"This was a great course to be on! I learned a lot, especially having had no experience with any of the tools or machinery being used, but Finbarr was an excellent teacher and very patient with the group as we worked on all the bits to assemble our tables. I now have a table to put things on! And most importantly, knowledge on building a table like this, that I can hopefully expand upon in the future. Thank you Finbarr! "

Finbarr Lucas responded:

"Thank you Stephen, for coming along and applying yourself with great effort to the many tasks involved on this 3-day course. I'm amazed that you say you had no previous making experience, as you made each joint with great care and skill, and you set about each part of the process with determination and with great attention to detail. Your final table was as good as any I've seen. Well done!"

Linda reviewed: Hardwood table furniture-making course with Finbarr Lucas

"I recently had the delight of attending Finbarr’s 3-day table making course. His small class size means he’s always on hand to guide students. He is immensely knowledgeable and has a unique style of teaching. In the same way that a yoga teacher or physiotherapist uses their hands to correct your stance, Finbarr positions you so that you apply the correct pressure where wood and blade meet. Finally, I can make straight cuts!!! Not only did I learn loads, but I had a wonderful, relaxed weekend with friendly people. Oh, and delicious cake!!"

Finbarr Lucas responded:

"Many thanks, Linda. It was a delight to meet you and the other students on the course last weekend, and I thoroughly enjoyed the three days. There are a lot of different skills to take on on this course, from marking and measuring, cutting and shaping, chopping and drilling, to sanding, finishing and waxing, and you applied yourself to all of them enthusiastically and with determination. You should be very proud of the table you produced, and I hope it takes pride of place in your home. My partner Jess was very chuffed to have mention of her home-made cakes as well!"

Jack reviewed: Hardwood table furniture-making course with Finbarr Lucas

"Absolutely loved this course! Going in with practically no experience, I came out with new skills, a table I’m proud of, and inspiration to go and make more! Finbarr is an excellent teacher who oozed patience and experience. I would recommend this course to everyone"

Finbarr Lucas responded:

"Thanks so much for this glowing review Jack! It was a fantastic three days with all of you in the workshop, and I was delighted to be part of the process as each of your tables took shape. The fact that you came to the course with very little experience and yet produced such a beautiful and well made table, is testament to the care and attention that you put in. Well done, and I hope I’ll see you again. "

Alistair Scott reviewed: Hardwood table furniture-making course with Finbarr Lucas

"This was an excellent 3 day course. Finbarr was a brilliant teacher who was very informative and happy to explain the reasons behind all the new techniques that were demonstrated and practised. From the very first pencil mark to the tightening of the last screw, he was engaged, supportive and encouraging. You were able to work at your own pace and it was a very pleasant environment to learn and develop new skills. The table is really nice and I was proud to take it home."

Finbarr Lucas responded:

"Thanks Alistair. You were keen and focused at all stages, and I know you took particular care to chop the through-tenons as well as possible, knowing that this detail would draw the eye when the table was complete. Your attention to this stage paid off as you knocked the little wedges home and cleaned up the exposed joints, and you’re right to be proud of the final work. It was great to meet you and be able to help at every turn, and I hope to see you at another course in the future!"