Workshops – San Diego Fine Woodworkers

SDFWA

San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association

Japanese Joinery. May 16-17, 2026

SDFWA is proud to present a two-day, hands-on workshop with Dávid Sipos – an Introduction to Traditional Japanese Joinery. This class will cover sharpening, use of Japanese tools including hand-planes, Dozuki and Ryoba saws (pull-saws), chisels, and layout tools.

The two-day workshop is scheduled for May 16-17, Sat-Sun 8am-4pm each day with lunch provided. It will be a combination of lecture, demonstrations, and hands-on work. Each student will practice laying out and cutting and fitting pegged mortise and tenon joints.

Some students may already have Japanese-style hand-tools. While we have enough pull-saws to supply each student, we encourage attendees to bring their own hand-tools if possible – chisels especially (American are fine). If you have pull-saws or Japanese planes, please bring those also. Any layout tools – like marking gauges and marking knives – will be very useful.

Cost for this workshop is $300

Registration is limited to 18 students.

Required:

Chisels (American or Japanese)
Small precision square
Large (up to 12”) precision square
.03-.05 pens or soft pencils for marking
Small ruler with metric and imperial measurements

Additionally recommended, if you have them:

Marking/layout tools
Japanese-style pull-saw
Japanese plane

A limited number of loaner hand-tools will be available, and vendor information will be provided.

Refund Policy

Full refunds: cancel 14 or more days before start of workshop
50% refunds: cancel 7 or more days before start of workshop
No refund: cancel less than one week before start of workshop

REGISTER HERE

Craftsman Referral Terms

BACKGROUND
The San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association (SDFWA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to the education, promotion, and execution of the principles of fine woodworking.
The SDFWA frequently receives requests from people seeking the service of a woodworker. Therefore, although custom woodworking for hire is not the purpose of our organization, we offer this referral service to the public so that they might connect with a woodworker.

SCOPE
SDFWA does not screen or warrant the skills or work of any craftsman. The public should use their own discretion and due diligence before hiring any craftsman, from any source, including this one.
The sole role of SDFWA in this referral service is limited to providing our member woodworkers with your completed form. It is up to each craftsman to initiate a contact with the requester.

PROCEDURE
After a requester submits a project, the form will be emailed to our list of participating craftsmen. If a craftsman is interested in the project, they will contact the client directly, and a two-way conversation can begin.

As the craftsmen themselves choose which projects to respond to, this means that it is probable that some project requests will receive no response. If you do not receive a response in a reasonable time, please submit your request again, using the provided referral form.
Note that contacting SDFWA directly will not achieve the desired results.

DISCLAIMER
By agreeing to these Terms, and by continuing to submit this Referral Form, and by utilizing one or more of the services of any of these craftsmen, you are agreeing to contract exclusively with that individual craftsman and to defend, indemnify and hold harmless the SDFWA Organization, its officers, officials, employees and volunteers from any and all claims, injuries, damages, losses or suits including attorney fees, arising out of or in connection with the performance of this agreement, and any and all failures, damages, or otherwise negative outcomes caused directly or indirectly by the craftsmen you employ to do any project initiated by this Form. This does not preclude you from pursuing legal remedies from the individual craftsman that you employ. But any remedy you pursue is restricted to that individual craftsman, and does not include the SDFWA organization or any of its volunteer members.