Fine furniture schools give lessons in woodworking, designing and finishing up projects. The lessons vary depending on the program and the specific course, but provide craftsman training in building various types of furniture, such as tables or chairs. Students learn methods of cutting wood, putting the wood together, sanding and staining or finishing.
Fine furniture schools offer courses of various lengths. There are a few basic length options available: one year programs, summer programs or weekly programs. The weekly programs are courses are usually broken down from beginners to advanced students. Summer programs are medium length programs which break down into specific areas of woodworking, such as carving or tools of the trade. Full-year programs teach skills from the beginning lessons of tools and chiseling to the most advanced techniques of using various types of saws, sanding and finishing.
Fine furniture schools typically offer small class sizes, though exact sizes will vary depending on the school and the selected courses. Class sizes are often around 10 to 15 students. Small class sizes are not only important for learning, but also prevent potential injuries and allow better supervision for new craftsmen.
Costs vary depending on the school and the programs, but typically, the costs of a school of fine furniture are similar to the cost of regular college courses on a per-semester basis. Costs are often calculated on an in state, out of state or out of country basis depending on the student.