Finbarr Lucas

Contact name: Finbarr Lucas

10
Total bookings

Rating

(6)

over 1 year
with CraftCourses

Maker's bio

Finbarr Lucas is a master-craftsman with a portfolio of furniture work stretching back 25 years. He has made work for the RHS at Chatsworth, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and Sheffield Botanical Gardens. He has also created numerous hardwood pieces for private and commercial customers, and he was the Workshop Expert on BBC’s Jay’s Yorkshire Workshop.

Courses, kits & gifts

silver award

Sheffield

Hardwood table furniture-making course with Finbarr Lucas

3 days

Next date: 9th Apr 2025

(6)

£395.00

silver award

Sheffield

Sharpening course for chisel and plane blades

4½ hours

Next date: 31st Mar 2025

6 places left

£149.00

Recent reviews

All maker's reviews

16 Feb 25'

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. "

20 Jan 25'

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. "

15 Jun 24'

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!"

5 May 24'

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!"