Furniture Repair & Restoration Workshop (at The Bower)

Learn how to Repair and Restore Furniture with one of our Woodwork Courses in Sydney.

This course will teach you how to carry out basic repairs to your favourite piece of furniture with one of our Woodwork Courses in Sydney. 

Learn how to repair joints and replace worn out or missing parts of timber pieces. Our experienced woodworking tutor will show you how to fix wobbly chairs and table legs as well as how to give new life to a preloved piece of furniture. 

This is a hands-on workshop where we will teach you how to use simple hand tools, a power sander and a heat gun (for paint stripping), reinforce joints if necessary and how to select the right tool for the job. 

We strongly recommend you bring your own project to work on in class, and you will go home with functional and great furniture that you will enjoy using again.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this furniture repair and restoration workshop you should be able to:

• Perform basic techniques for repairing timber furniture

Course content

What will be covered in this furniture repair and restoration workshop?

• Introduction
• Safety and Housekeeping
• Using timber glues, furniture waxing and polishing
• Using hand tools and clamps
• Learn how to repair joints
• Discover how to freshen up metal fittings

Intended audience

Who is this furniture repair & restoration workshop for?

This course is for anyone. No prior skills are required.

Course venue

Redfern

The Bower Reuse & Repair Centre Workshop
107 Redfern Street, Redfern
(Entry via Turner Street (opposite 23 Turner Street) from the rear of the building)

The entrance to the Bower workshop is via Turner Street, which is at the rear of 107 Redfern Street and is almost opposite no. 25. You should find there a hand-painted sign "The Bower Woodworks". If you do find the door locked, please do not hesitate to press the doorbell on the left-hand side of the garage door. Please note, that the doors for the venue will be open from 5:30 pm.

Public transport is the easiest way to get to the workshop as we’re very close (300m) to the Redfern train station. However, if coming by car most of the parking is 2-hour-timed (including some paid parking on Redfern St) though it clicks over to untimed at 8 pm, a good option if you can find a park there before 6 pm. 

The untimed parking is available on Pitt St between Phillip and Wellington St. Turn right from Turner St and head down Pitt St for two blocks. Untimed parking is on your right.

If you have trouble locating the entrance or encounter any emergencies, please contact the workshop manager at 0422 840 471.

Course materials

What to bring to class

Please bring 1 or 2 small items of your own to work on (eg. a chair or coffee table). It doesn’t have to be a prized possession– even roadside finds will suffice.

You could also try:

• Garage sales
• Weekend markets
• Facebook Marketplace
• Gumtree

Additional information

Please note the following:

• Lunch is not supplied. Please bring your own, or select from one of the many cafes nearby
• Wear old clothes you don’t mind getting dirty
• Preferably wear a hat or cap
• If you have long hair, please tie it back
• Wear closed-in shoes, no open-toe sandals or heels
• Please do not wear necklaces or bracelets