OP Woodcraft reviews

28 Jan 19'

Mary Pearson reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - 2 Day Beginners/Intermediate Workshop

"This was a fantastic course which I enjoyed enormously. I learned so much in just 2 days and was thrilled by the results I achieved on my pieces of furniture. Ollie was extremely helpful and informative and showed a great deal of patience! It was fascinating to learn not only the technique of French Polishing but also about the wood and construction of my pieces. Seeing furniture through Ollie’s eyes has brought me another level of respect for even our most utilitarian pieces. I now feel ready to tackle French polishing at home and with Ollie’s notes and advice package I feel confident I can achieve great results. I cannot recommend this course highly enough."

21 Nov 18'

Phil Tanebrne reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"Highly recommended I thoroughly enjoyed the one day course run by Ollie. His knowledge and passion combined with an easy going style made for a very good learning environment. I wanted to learn more about restoring old wood to its former glory and feel very well equipped now to do that."

18 Nov 18'

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

"I spent two enjoyable days attending a furniture painting course with Ollie and found it very professional and informative. He was very patient and has given me the confidence to continue with upcyling my existing furniture. This course is very good value for money."

29 Oct 18'

Victoria Morrow reviewed: Contemporary Furniture Refinishing & Upcycling with Woodcare - 1 Day Beginners

"Did a one day furniture painting course and it was fantastic. Far superior to anything else you'll find this course is incredibly informative and I learnt absolutely loads. Ollie is passionate and knowledgeable and made it a very enjoyable day. Although the cost may seem high it really is worth the price and you achieve a good finish. I would happily return for the french polishing course and recommend to all my friends."

11 Oct 18'

Claire Delwiche reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"I attended the two day French Polishing class earlier this week. As a keen furniture upcycler it was great to be able to learn different techniques, Ollie showed me not only French Polishing but also how to paint furniture correctly to achieve a better, more professional finish. I thoroughly enjoyed the course, Ollie is a fantastic tutor, patient, knowledgeable and very encouraging. I highly recommend this course and will definitely be back!"

10 Oct 18'

Aaron perrins reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"Really enjoyed this course and feel it’s a craft I will continue to study and enjoy. It’s a great feeling to restore /up-cycle a piece of furniture, knowing that you are doing something good for the environment and hopefully preventing more things ending up in landfill. Ollie was a great teacher, extremely patient and knowledgeable and enjoyed learning from him. I would offer one piece of advice to new students and that’s to find your own piece to take with you to work on. It’s nice to take something away from the course and see the result of your hard work. I strongly recommend this course and OP Woodcraft. Regards Aaron"

10 Oct 18'

Kay Lyon reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"I finished the two day French Polishing course yesterday. It was a really informative few days and I managed to complete a lovely piece. I was able to also learn some restoration techniques , like restoring a broken foot and filling in and painting over a crack. It was really nice to learn in a small group setting as we were also able to learn from each other as we tackled different challenges. Ollie was a good teacher and was ready to answer all our questions."

3 Oct 18'

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

"Having completed the 2 day course with Ollie and as a complete novice to woodcare I feel very confident to continue with the craft. Ollie is highly engaging and knowledgeable and was encouraging and supportive thoughout the process. This was time very well spent."

3 Oct 18'

Martin Osicka reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"I have just done the two day course with Ollie in his new work shop. It was very enjoyable and I have learnt a lot about the art of French polishing. Ollie is a very knowledgeable guy and he makes the tea! Great couple of days. thank you. Looking forward to doing other wood craft courses with Ollie ?"

27 Sep 18'

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

"What a wonderful day from start to finish. I learnt so much and was amazed at the finish I could attain as a complete beginner! Ollie is a natural teacher that is very patient, who spends the time to explain and show all the steps necessary. He comes highly recommended! I'll be booking up for my next course with him very soon."

25 Sep 18'

Paul Swan reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"I have just spent a day with Ollie, and have been amazed how much I learned, and was able to achieve, in a single day. Ollie is a brilliant tutor and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of his subject. He is patient and encouraging and has given me real confidence. I am a box-maker, and wanted to add french polishing as an option I can offer to clients in the future. I believe that I can now do that."

29 Aug 18'

Robert Dick reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"I attended a two day course covering French Polishing and other furniture finishes. I completed the restoration of two pieces of furniture which I am extremely pleased with and have used the skills to restore some other pieces at home. Ollie was very helpful and patient throughout the processes and I would recommend his courses to anyone who wanted to learn the basics or improve their skills."

15 Aug 18'

Marie Kraus reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"I attended Ollie’s one day furniture restoration course. It was a very enjoyable day, and completely transformed my piece of furniture. I now feel able to take on more projects at home, confident in the process I have been taught. Ollie is very informative, patient and supportive. He matches the pace you need, explained everything fully and demonstrated techniques clearly. A very educational and fun day."

15 Aug 18'

Margaret Thompson reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"Attended a very enjoyable 1 day french polishing course. With Ollie's help transformed a very shabby, old hall table into something stunning! Good notes were provided and the teaching was excellent. Felt I learned enough to be confident to tackle more projects. Ollie was fully supportive at every stage of the project. He was also very good company. I would thoroughly recommend the experience!"

7 Aug 18'

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

"As someone new to wood finishing and not sure where to begin, I contacted Jay Blade from Jay and Co asking him for some tips on how to get started. Jay highly recommended Ollie from OP Woodcraft. I contacted Ollie and completed the two-day French polishing course with him at his workshop, which I found extremely valuable. Over the two-days I learnt how to remove existing finishes from wood, how to prepare wood to get a flawless finish and then moved on to work through the different stages of french polishing. We went through different techniques on how to stain, grain fill, french polish and finish wood to achieve a high quality gloss and matt finish. I also learnt painting techniques that showed me how to get a high quality factory finish using a brush. Overall the course was excellent. Ollie expertly explained different techniques and also gave me a list of materials to purchase along with details of suppliers. I would recomend this course to anyone wanting to get started in wood finishing techniques. I would also recommend that you take along a small piece of furniture that you would like to work on and you will be amazed at the stunning results that can be achieved."

2 Aug 18'

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

"I attended this course so I could add French polishing as a finish to the guitars I build. Ollie was a very good tutor and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him if you are interested in the art of French Polishing."

26 Jul 18'

caroline bruce reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"My friend and i did a day course with Ollie and learnt to french polish. Between us we managed to revive three pieces of furniture which we brought with us and the course was well organised, interesting and fun. We both felt we'd learnt a lot and enjoyed our day!"

22 Jul 18'

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

"I attended a one day course with my husband and couldn’t have wished for a better Christmas present. I refurbished a small mirror and David a barley twist table. Ollie explained what we were to do and showed us exactly how to achieve the finish we wanted in his well equipped workshop. It was a brilliant day and has definitely laid the foundation for further projects. We hope to return for another course soon."

17 Jul 18'

Mick Guy reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"I spent a very interesting 2 days stripping and refurbishing a folding chair. The pace of progress was just right with plenty of opportunities to see how other learners were overcoming any challenges. The calm setting and atmosphere was doubly beneficial to me as I do suffer from PTSD."

16 Jul 18'

Andrew Smith reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"I did the one-day course with Ollie, working on a coffee table for a client of mine. As an upcycler and woodworker myself, I have asked Ollie's advice many times regarding finishes and finishing. The course was excellent, with lots of ideas, detail, knowledge shared and the finished table looked amazing. Ollie was a great host, very professional, giving me detailed notes to take away and structuring the day really well. I can highly recommend his course whether you are a complete novice or experienced woodworker looking to top up your skills!"

16 Jul 18'

Pamela Higgins reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"I really enjoyed the 2 day french polishing course with Ollie. It was very 'hands on' and each step in the process was explained so that I knew what the result should be. I took several pieces of old and tatty furniture, and was amazed at the way they were transformed into glowing rich treasures."

13 Jul 18'

Alastair Barclay reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"I found the course held at Ardington interesting and rewarding. Although it was only one day I came away with a good insight into various techniques which I hope to build on in the future."

13 Jul 18'

Lucy Williams reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"I recently attended a French Polishing course run by Ollie and it was by far the best and most informative course I have been on. I was given one to one tuition which meant that I learnt in one day what probably would have taken a week in a full class. Ollie tailored the course specifically for the type of furniture I wanted to work with, so instead of learning lots of things that weren't necessary, it was all relevant to me. Ollie was patient and very knowledgeable and encouraged me to ask questions if something wasn't clear. It was hugely practical and I have gone on to use what I learnt in this course on a daily basis as I now restore and sell furniture. I am so happy that I chose this course from all the many others that are out there."

13 Jul 18'

Denise Goode reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"I recently attended a two day, Renovation & French polishing course with Ollie. He took the time before the course to find out what I wanted to get out of the time and I brought along two good, mid-century pieces of furniture that looked ‘wrecked’. Ollie is a brilliant tutor, he really listens, explains thoroughly, demonstrates and then encourages you to try it out. I couldn’t have enjoyed the days more! I got everything I wanted out of the course (and more) and have already started putting my new found skills to use. And as far as the ‘wrecked’ furniture is concerned I could not believe how they were transformed. Thank you Ollie for such a good course and looking forward to the next one."

13 Jul 18'

Caryn Paladina reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"The two day course run by Ollie which I recently attended was tremendously enjoyable and informative. It was very well planned and executed and we all benefited from a lot of patient individual attention, with everything being carefully explained and demonstrated. Can't recommend Ollie highly enough and I'm very much looking forward to my next furniture renovation course."