What tools will I need? Every student will be expected to acquire the basic set of hand tools on our
Required Tools list before the class term starts. Although Week One covers sharpening, it would be wise to have a good portion of your tools already tuned-up before the class begins, as there will not be time for serious tool restoration. We encourage new registrants to get a head start on sharpening so that they are not struggling to finish all their sharpening during the first week. Refer to Joshua’s
Foundations video at timestamp 00:18:48 to get started.
What lumber will I need for the assignments? There is a basic
Required Materials list that contains everything you need to complete the weekly assignments. You will have to acquire these few items before the start date of the program.
Do I need my own workshop space? Yes. While hand tools do not require much, you will need a workbench of some sort in a space where you can make sawdust and some chopping noise. If you’ve always wanted your own craft space, but never made it a priority, we encourage you to use this opportunity to set up shop. Make the space now. The more accessible your tools are to you, the more craft you will end up having in your life.
Do I need to have access to a forest? You do not need your own woodlot, but in order to complete the assigned work for the green woodworking lesson, you will need to find a small diameter (5"-6") tree to fell. Connecting with an arborist or a family member who owns woods or can turn up leads. That said, only 7 of the 8 weeks are required for completion, so if it is not possible to secure a tree, you will still be able to graduate the program.
What is required for completion? By the end of the 8 weeks, apprentices must complete the following:
- 7 of the 8 weekly bench assignments
- 7 of the 8 weekly reading assignments
- A 500-word essay reflecting on your apprenticeship experience
What is on the required reading list? To assist the handwork, apprentices will read Joshua A. Klein’s
Joined: A Bench Guide to Furniture Joinery. But this course is about more than simple how-to instruction. To think more deeply about the value of working by hand, apprentices will also read William Coperthwaite’s
A Handmade Life, and David Pye’s
The Nature and Art of Workmanship. Though not required, we also provide brief selections from Joseph Moxon’s
Mechanick Exercises, Peter Nicholson’s
Mechanic’s Companion, and David Denning’s
The Art and Craft of Cabinet-Making.
How is this program different from the Apprenticeship Series instructional videos? The Apprenticeship Program is not just a collection of videos; it is a structured and guided mentorship that focuses on developing one skill at a time. The course content is made up of previously unreleased videos from Joshua and Mike, excerpts from the Apprenticeship videos, informational PDFs, and the required reading list above.
How much time per week will this take me? It will take 5-10 hours per week to watch and read the course materials and to do the projects. The ultimate goal of this program is to integrate craft into your life, not to burn you out because you pushed yourself so hard. We want these patterns to become life-long habits.
What sort of acknowledgment do I get for completion? We will be mailing all graduates a congratulations package at the end of their term, the contents of which we are keeping under wraps. You’ve got to finish the program to find out.
What is the “Journeyman Challenge?” In addition to the basic weekly assignments, you can earn the
“Journeyman” status by completing at least 5 of the 8 journeyman projects during the course of your apprenticeship:
- Restore a wooden-bodied handplane
- Build a staked bench
- Build a small table with mortise-and-tenon joinery
- Build a small dovetailed box
- Build a half-blind dovetailed drawer
- Build a bookshelf
- Carve a spoon and eat a meal with it
- Apply decorative/creative painting to one of your projects
What are “Office Hours?” Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday before 12 p.m. Eastern, Joshua and/or Mike will post their video-format answers to the questions that have arisen in the Weekly Lessons forum. The link will be available in the contents of that day’s lesson. The recording will be available throughout the remainder of your term.
Do you offer a military and first responder discount for tuition? Yes. Email us at
apprenticeship@mortiseandtenonmag.com to get set up with the 15% military and first responder discount. We at M&T thank you for your service.
Is this program open to people outside the USA? Absolutely. We are excited about the opportunity to reach people all around the world. The only difference is that we will be invoicing international students for the extra postage for the “welcome” and “graduation” packages.