Arizan: Tapered Sliding dovetail Platter - KOITOYA Woodworking Class 2025

This is a 2 day course,

$450 + $98 option

25-26 October, Sat - Sun, 2025

Skill focus class, best for intermediate, begginer welcome.

Bring the jig back home with the knowledge of tapered sliding dovetail!!

Content

Making KOITOYA original design, Ari-platter.

This program is about learning sliding dovetail joinery.

You will be bringing back your own platter that can be used for fluit plate, cheese plate or sushi plate!

Not only that、but you will also be able to bring back the unique tapered jig home! (optional)

Well suited for beginners.

Best suited for advanced woodworkers who wants to bring back this special and the traditional technique.

What is "Arizan"?

"Suitsuki-Arizan" refers to the Sliding Dovetail joinery, especially for bracing wide panels. "Arizan" means timber rail (stick) with sliding dovetail.

You can still see widely used in traditionally made tabletops. In olden days the joinery was often seen in the traditional outside gate door making, "Tokoita" floorboard used in Tokonama space (Alcove space in Japanese room) and of course in the traditional table making.

Being able to apply this skill is highly regarded in Japan.

This sliding dovetail joinery is not just simple parallel angle cut. It also has slow taper to wedge itself in.

How much is that tapered angle? How do you make it so perfect? All the secrets and how-to is revealed in this workshop.

Take the jig back home with you! (Optional +$98)

The jig we use for "Suitsuki-Arizan" is a very unique jig for router work. This method is very clever, and you will learn the secret about it. It is easy for the beginner to follow and feel about the high quality woodworking skill. For the advanced people who want to repeat at home, we will be selling the key jig to you so that you can repeat at home and own the skill!

What you can gain

1. Make KOITOYA original designed plate to take home

2. Hands-on knowledge about Japanese traditional sliding dovetail joinery with modern routing method

3. Option to bring your jig home

What kind of work involved

1. Hand router, Table router for tapered sliding dovetail

2. Lap joint using Japanese saw and Japanese chisel

3. Shaping with Japanese hand plane.

4. Table saw cut

Safety

1. All the tools will be well instructed and operated under supervision.

2. SawStop* table saw will be used to prevent the accident

Dates (1 occasion)

1. 25-26 October (Sat~Sun)

Time

9:00-12:00 + 13:00-16:00, 6 hours

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

Proposed schedule

Day 1

AM: Lecture. Prepare the timber to glue up.

PM: Sliding Dovetail (Groove) / Joinery for base

Day 2

AM: Sliding dovetail (tenon) / Shaping

PM: Butterfly joint / Sanding / Glue up / Oil coat

Lecturer

Clare Solomon (KOITOYA Design/Make/Teach)

Koitoya full time furniture maker.

Graduated from ANU School of Art, Furniture. Clare has been an active artist exhibiting their own work.

Clare has been working full-time with Hiroshi since 2016.

Clare has returned from Japan trip in 2023, where they stayed at Japanese woodworkers for further training.

Fee

$450

$548 (with dovetail jig)

Class size

Maximum 8

Location

Koitoya Design/Make/Teach (Fyshwick, ACT)

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.