Ari High Stool Making

This is a 4-days course-$1390

24-27 April 2026

Content

Making Ari Stool

This program includes lots of technical aspects of joinery and router jig work. Well supported even for beginners.

This program also requires physical skills for hand carving.

Well suited for beginners, with the help of using jigs.

Well suited for intermediate to advanced skill levels to learn about Sliding Dovetail joinery and router jig work.

Ari Stool

The Ari stool was originally designed by Hiroshi for an educational project. The basic design includes a few interesting skills, traditional Sliding dovetail joinery and shaping with a curved plane.

"Ari" is a Japanese word for dovetail joinery, which refers to the shape of ant's antenna. Do you prefer Dovetail or ant's antenna?!

Hiroshi has designed a few versions, and so have his students! Come and make your version of Ari stool!

Previously, the Ari Stool was designed at a normal height (H450mm). There were technical difficulty to make it higher. Now we have changed a few elements to make it possible for it to become a popular high stool!

This program suits beginners to advanced woodworker.

This course is designed for beginners. But the secretive elements of making Sliding Dovetail joinery, and use of Japanese small planes will inspire advanced makers.

This course uses routers very heavily. Your safety will be assured with lectures and jigs we use. Also, there will be lots of handwork, shaping with a plane and chiseling.

You will gain the following from signing up

An Ari stool, all made by yourself by hand and power tools
Hands-on experience on sliding dovetail joinery.
Hands-on experience on a curved Japanese plane.
Advanced routing knowledge with jig work.
Steam bending experience for the seat.

Design Brief

Size about W500 x D250 x H600~700mm
Leg angle is a set angle.
Free to design details
Profiles - round, curved, or angled

Dates (1 occasion)

1. 24-27 April 2026 (Fri~Mon)

Time

4 days, 24 hours in total

9:00-12:00 | 13:00-16:00

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

Schedule

Day 1

AM: Design the details, Lectures, glue up the seat

PM: Sliding dovetail 1, (Steam bend the seat)

Day 2

AM: Sliding dovetail 2

PM: Shaping the seating tops

Day 3

AM: Other joinery work and sanding

PM: Glue up

Day 4

AM: Middle rails & pins

PM: Finishing

Lecturer

Hiroshi Yamaguchi (KOITOYA Design/Make/Teach)

28 years of experience. Learned in Takayama, Japan.

About Hiroshi Yamaguchi

Fee

$1390

Class size

Maximum 8

Location

Koitoya Design/Make/Teach (Fyshwick, ACT)

Address

4/18 Maryborough Street, Fyshwick ACT 2609

Search "Koitoya Design" rather than our address on Google Map

Parking

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

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

Way to the workshop

Search "Koitoya Design" rather than our address on Google Map

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.

There are two access driveways, one next to Aqua Safe Water Filters, and one next to J Racing.

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

Things to bring

Please wear working shoes and dress for the season.

Bring your own water bottle and lunch.

Things to be supplied

Tea and coffee, snacks, filtered water

Refund Policy

Personal cancelation

Refunds up to 30 days before event

$100 administration cost and Humanitix fee is nonrefundable.

for more information, please contact Hiroshi

koitoya@gmail.com / 0412340619

Photos

Following photos are a good example of what subtle elements previous students have included in their pieces.

Please also see the "Ari Stool" Album for reference.

Album from a similar past workshop

Past Ari Stool Workshop Album

Ari High Stool Making - Koitoya Woodworking Class 2026

Choose your tickets

4 Days Workshop (Ari High Stool) ticket