Arigumi Box - Dovetail Joint

This is a 3-day course

$880 inc. GST

4-6 October, Sat-Mon, 2025

Skill focus class, best for intermediate, begginers welcome.

Step by step learning, breaking down the elements of dovetail joint.

Using unique had cut angle jig.

Arigumi-Box — Final outcome by a student

Content

Making a box with Japanese traditional joinery, Arigumi, Dovetail Joint.

Excellent educational program to learn about handmade joinery, by using pre-cut teaching kit.

A Chigiri (Butterfly joint) will be used in the timber that forms the lid of the box.

Well suited for intermediate woodworkers.

Well suited for beginners who want to start learning about detailed joinery work.

Welcoming to total beginers who wants to experience deeper end of fine woodwork using pre-cut joinery teaching kit, and bring this beutiful box home in 3 days.

Highly detailed instruction and demonstration.

Ari-Gumi

Ari-Gumi is the name of dovetail joint in japanese, using 1-way angled cut. "Ari" means ant in English and refers to ant jaws in this context. In English, they are called Dovetail joint.

It is a difficult joint, but this program will focus on the basics of the joinery skills, like marking skill, chisel skill, jigs. And how you can apply these basic joinery skills into this Ari Gumi. In the end, it is about learning and upgrading basic skills.

Material you get will be partially pre-cut to start from easy step and step by step, develop into more difficult elements of the work, as you proceed.

You will gain the following from signing up

1. Exploration of joinery techniques used in building a box
2. Hands-on knowledge about Japanese tools (chisels and saws)
3. Detailed knowledge about dovetail joinery skills.
4. Inspiration and confidence for your next project

Date

4 - 6 October 2025 (Sat - Mon) Long weekend in ACT, NSW, SA.

Time

3 days, 24 hours in total

9:00-12:00 | 13:00-17:00

* Please be flexible with your schedule after the class. Sometimes your project requires extra time to finish.

Schedule

Day 1
AM: Overview of Project, Foundations of dovetail Joint
PM: Commence work on dovetail joint
Day 2
AM: Continue work on remaining dovetail joints
PM: Cut butterfly joint
Day 3
AM: Complete work on twist joints,
PM: Glue Up, Finish

Album from past workshop

Photo album from past workshop

Lecturer

Hiroshi Yamaguchi (KOITOYA Design/Make/Teach)

30 years of experience. Learned in Takayama, Japan.

A bout Hiroshi Yamaguchi

Fee

$880.00

Class size

Maximum 12

Location

Koitoya Design/Make/Teach (Fyshwick, ACT)

New address

4/18 Maryborough Street, Fyshwick ACT 2609

Parking

Please park your car in the public parking area along Maryborough Street (Free), opposite J Racing.

We have two parking spots officially. Please contact me for the spot if you need to walk less for your health condition.

Way to the workshop

18 Maryborough Street is a battle axe block, located inside of the block, so you will be walking through the driveway that leads to the block from Maryborough Street.

The driveway has 2 accesses, one next to, and one next to Tania Maras Bridal, and one next to J Racing.

Unit 4 is a blue painted building on the right-hand side of the block.

Things to bring

Please wear working shoes.

Bring your own water bottle and lunch.

Things to be supplied

Tea and coffee, snacks, filtered water

Refund Policy

Personal cancelation

Refunds up to 14 days before event

Humanitix fee, admin is nonrefundable (10%).

for more information, please contact Hiroshi

koitoya@gmail.com / 0412340619

Student's comment — "As a total begginer, it was difficult works but I totally enjoyed the detailed work of joinery!"

Final outcome by a student — Student's work

Marking & cutting jigs — Simple but unique jigs