OP Woodcraft reviews

18 Aug 19'

Bob Clayton reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - 2 Day Beginners/Intermediate Workshop

"I thoroughly enjoyed working with Ollie on the French Polishing Course. He makes the process so much easier that I thought possible! I focussed upon colour touching up of damaged veneer, as well as French Polishing and was well chuffed with the final outcome! Given that my previous experience had not resulted in a good finish, through Ollie’s instruction and help the outcome was far, far better. I cannot recommend the course highly enough, you will gain so much information and develop new skills that will leave you infinitely more equipped to carry out the art of French Polishing and related activities in the future."

24 Jul 19'

Becky Ellison reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"I would highly recommend doing Oliver's course. I had very little knowledge of French polishing but by the end of the day I felt as if I had gained an enormous amount of knowledge and skills. I took a leaf from a large Victorian dining table as my project and by the end of the day it had been restored beautifully. The notes Oliver provides are excellent and he divides his time very well between everyone on the course. He provided everything that was required and the facilities are good. I agree he is an excellent tutor. This was a day very well spent!"

23 Jul 19'

susie stanway reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"I wanted to do this course to supplement my upholstery services so that I can offer more professional wood restoration services to clients. Although it's perfect for hobbyists I would say that it's also suited to anyone looking to develop their skills in a professional capacity too. I've just finished the Association of Master Upholsterers 3 stage diploma and it's been a fantastic bolt on to my training. Ollie is extremely generous with his knowledge and his own work has a really nice contemporary style which fits with the type of upholstery I like to do, because of this I felt really confident that his advice would result in the type of finish I wanted and it did! Highly recommended."

18 Jul 19'

Linda Stone reviewed: Contemporary Furniture Refinishing & Upcycling with Woodcare - 1 Day Beginners

"I finished my first workshop course at OP Woodcraft on 2nd July. My teacher Ollie has a wealth of knowledge and tailored the course to fit my specific needs. I wanted a hands-on class that would teach me the best ways to strip, prime, paint and finish my MCM furniture. I drove away that afternoon knowing how to work with the recommended products and what equipment I should be using to get the best results. I now have more confidence to start working on my collection. Thank you, Ollie, for sharing your knowledge with me."

16 Jul 19'

Rich Smith reviewed: Contemporary Furniture Refinishing & Upcycling with Woodcare - 2 Day Workshop

"Really fantastic couple of days with Ollie. He was super knowledgable and excited to share all he could with me and help me along my way. I brought in a very tired and old looking dressing table that just looks fantastic now, all thanks to Ollie's patience with me and ideas and expertise. The course structure was perfect, allowing me to decide which elements I was more interested in over others. Location and workshop set up were also brilliant. I would highly recommend taking this course, and I'd love to go back and take another course of Ollie's soon."

15 Jul 19'

James reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"I would recommend taking the 2-day or 5-day courses to really give yourself the time needed to upgrade antique furniture. Having said that, the one day course is fully comprehensive, and teaches you how to turn your old furniture into something that you will be proud to show your friends and family. Oliver is a great teacher, all the materials are top quality (all mixed and prepared by Oliver), and the class sizes are small so you get more time to ask your own questions."

15 Jul 19'

Bob Clayton reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"I found the course superb! The amount of knowledge gained was excellent and it has helped me enormously in developing my own skills. Ollie was tremendously helpful and knowledgeable. I would definitely go back for additional courses. Thanks Bob"

14 Jul 19'

Josef Aquilina reviewed: 5 Day Professional Furniture Refinishing Workshop - Traditional & Contemporary

"Oliver is a very dedicated and knowledgable professional with whom I had the pleasure to work and train for a whole week in July 2019. I highly recommend this course to professionally trained furniture conservators like myself as this insight into the craft sheds light onto the manufacturing process of wood polishing. I felt extremely welcome and Oliver was very keen to share his knowledge and experience with his students."

12 Jun 19'

ALEX EASTERBROOK reviewed: 5 Day Professional Furniture Refinishing Workshop - Traditional & Contemporary

"I found this course really beneficial after having done the two day intensive course. Ollie really does pay great attention and give good support for this 5 day course. I took three complicated pieces of furniture all with different needs with me and we got them all done. I took notes but there are also good course notes to compare with and it’s great to get to know different products in the market and what to use. I remain in contact with Ollie now to get his advice and thoughts on different pieces I’m working on. If you’ve got interest in restoring furniture and french polishing and using the skills you acquire on a regular basis I would recommend this five day course."

9 Jun 19'

Jane Elms reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - 2 Day Beginners/Intermediate Workshop

"Absolutely brilliant! I didn't arrive at Ollie's peaceful and well-equipped workshop space thinking I would do French polishing, I originally signed up for the painted furniture course...but it was quickly decided that the cabinet I brought for renovation was too good to paint! Ollie is generous of spirit and knowledge, pragmatic and good humoured, a great tutor for my first foray into the world of woodcare. Couldn't have been a better intro. Sign up, you'll get so much out of it not least skills, tips, ideas and lots of inspiration."

9 Jun 19'

Jane Elms reviewed: Contemporary Furniture Refinishing & Upcycling with Woodcare - 2 Day Workshop

"Wow, what a fantastic course! I got so much out of my two days, more than was on the course brief, essentially down to Ollie's passion and willingness to tailor and tweak the content to my needs and level of expertise. I learnt so much and have now got a beautifully restored and painted mirror to boot! The learning environment and teaching style were ideal for me - I like to explore and experiment, and just wanted to soak everything up, rather than be restricted to a definitive structure and timings. Ollie gives you the space and freedom, whilst keeping an eye on working towards an outcome, in a skilful and supportive way. It also helped that there were only 2 students, so lots of dedicated attention and time was amazingly refreshing and indulgent! Do the course, you won't regret it."

3 Jun 19'

Ben Joyner reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"An excellent course! I thoroughly enjoyed the day, Ollie was a great teacher, very clear tuition with lots of helpful tips and I was over the moon with my finished chair. I now feel confident enough to take on small projects at home. I'll definitely be back for a further course!"

29 May 19'

Graham Phillips reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"I attended the one day Beginners French Polishing Course and I loved every minute of it. Ollie is a first class instructor with a great blend of instruction, demonstration and practical experience. The location and the studio is excellent too and containing the class to a relatively small number of participants helps to ensure great levels of tuition. I worked on a coffee table and it was astounding to see it come back to life in such a relatively small period of time. It has given me great help and confidence to work on some further items at home but I am also equally sure I may return for further tuition and help in the future. Thanks again Ollie for a great course!"

29 May 19'

Jackie Pain reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"Every aspect of the day was inspirational and everyone made masses of progress and produced really astonishing work. We were shown every aspect of reinvigorating our individual pieces of furniture, transforming them from tatty, damaged bits of wood to elegant, polished pieces of art. I took in my Gran’s old side table and I think she’d be pleased. Ollie is an outstanding teacher and I look forward to attending further courses of his."

28 May 19'

Andy Halsey reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"A great one day introduction to french polishing, all hands on and working at my own pace, with guidance from a very knowledgeable tutor. Everything was explained as I went along and at the end of the day I finished the piece I had taken with me to a very good standard."

22 May 19'

Sue Naismith reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"An excellent one day course with plenty of time to work on a small piece of furniture with an end result to be proud of. Ollie spends lots of one-to-one time with each student as well as explaining each process to the whole class. Very detailed notes which then enable students to go home with the confidence to work alone."

22 May 19'

Jon Townsin reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"A really enjoyable day's course which has given me the impetus to restore an old table. Ollie, is a friendly and knowledgeable teacher who explains the process well and helps out when needed. The links to materials and course notes make the next steps easy. An excellent introduction to french polishing and furniture restoration. Thanks Ollie."

25 Apr 19'

ALEX EASTERBROOK reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - 2 Day Beginners/Intermediate Workshop

"Oliver was a brilliant teacher and I found the whole experience very rewarding, relaxing and satisfying. I’ve now signed up to the advanced course. Communication was great, we learnt the processes in depth and it was a great atmosphere. Would recommend!"

11 Mar 19'

Chris Chapman reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"Ollie is a brilliant teacher very knowledgeable and his teaching style is very relaxed and informative. I would not hesitate to recommend this course to anyone. I am going to book on the two day course later this summer"

11 Mar 19'

Paul Cooper reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - 2 Day Beginners/Intermediate Workshop

"An excellent 2 days, Ollie made things very clear throughout and was very helpful. I feel I have achieved a great result"

9 Mar 19'

Katy Sullivan reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - 2 Day Beginners/Intermediate Workshop

"I loved the course. I learnt a lot in a short space of time. The pieces I brought really were possibly a bit challenging for a beginner but with Ollie's patient and knowledgeable guidance, pieces that looked suitable for a bonfire were turned into little beauties. It was the stepping stone I needed to be able to restore furniture at home with a view to starting a small business. His course notes are excellent - a really helpful guide for future projects. The workshop itself is light, well equipped and spacious as well as being in a beautiful part of the Cotswolds."

8 Feb 19'

Belinda reviewed: Contemporary Furniture Refinishing & Upcycling with Woodcare - 2 Day Workshop

"Oliver has loads of knowledge and was happy to share anything we were after. The class size was small (3 ppl) so we all got time with him individually. As each student did different items we got to listen and learn about other furniture too. He has a high finishing standard and is keen to pass on this work ethic so you end up with a piece of work which is yours, and looks great. The workshop is warm (even thought it is super cold outside) with all tools you need in reach, light and airy - I really liked this 2 day course, I traveled up from London to attend and it was well worth it."

29 Jan 19'

Bernie O'Leary reviewed: Contemporary Furniture Refinishing & Upcycling with Woodcare - 2 Day Workshop

"Oliver is such a passionate advocate of his own furniture restoration that it is impossible not to be inspired by the process of adding value to a decrepit piece of furniture that will live on looking lovely and lasting longer. The atmosphere in the bright workshop is energetic and relaxed and Oliver uses the Socratic teaching method to perfection; result is a piece that a novice will feel proud of. Cups of tea are extraordinarily good too. Thank you."

29 Jan 19'

Cate Sirkett reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"Ollie is a brilliant teacher. The workshop is calm and spacious and well equipped. Bring a piece you want to restore and you will be amazed at what you can do in a relatively short time. As an amateur restorer myself, I wanted to extend my knowledge of finishing techniques and I am very happy to now be able to practice French Polishing along with my other finishes. Thank you Ollie for a great day learning something new!"

28 Jan 19'

Jean D reviewed: 5 Day Professional Furniture Refinishing Workshop - Traditional & Contemporary

"I was a total novice to re-finishing furniture (except for painting); I had many pieces that needed attention and I was too frightened to just 'have a go'. I decided it was time to acquire some skills...so booked up with Ollie for 5 days. For me, it was definitely worth it. I'd brought 6 pieces with me (including a pine breakfast bar and an Ercol chair) and we managed to work on four of them. I feel much more confident about oiling/waxing pieces; painting (including masking-up furniture for painting patterns) and even french polishing. Ollie is friendly, approachable and patient and has a nice, big, bright workshop to work in. Ollie provides plenty of information about products to use and since there were only a few in the class, I got lots of attention, which is what I think I needed to really embed what I was learning....and now I have 3 more Ercol chairs to strip and re-finish...."