Caveat Academy course · Grades 9 to 12

Woodworking

The knowledge behind good woodwork: shop safety and protective equipment, wood species, grain and movement, lumber sizes and board feet, measuring and layout, hand tools, the main power tools and how to use them safely, joinery and gluing, finishing, and planning projects and careers. Six modules at your own pace, with shop math worked step by step and a certificate at the end.

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$19one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $19

Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Career and trades courses, $79 for 18 items.

6 modules · 18 lessonsabout 12 hours$19

Six modules, eighteen lessons

Each module ends with a practice set that tracks mastery, an explain-it-back prompt, a short written response and a module exam. The final opens when every module is proficient; passing it earns a certificate with a verification code.

  1. Module 1: Shop safety

    Identify shop hazards, including kickback, entanglement, dust and oily rags, and choose the protective equipment and habits that control them.

    • Shop rules and protective equipment
    • Power tool hazards
    • Dust, fire and chemicals
    about 2.1 h

  2. Module 2: Wood as a material

    Compare wood species and cuts, explain wood movement, and compute actual lumber sizes and board feet.

    • Hardwood, softwood and grain
    • Wood movement and moisture
    • Lumber sizes and board feet
    about 2.1 h

  3. Module 3: Measuring, layout and hand tools

    Measure and add shop fractions, lay out and check square, and choose and use hand tools with the grain.

    • Measuring and shop fractions
    • Layout tools and marking
    • Hand saws, chisels and planes
    about 2.1 h

  4. Module 4: Power tools

    Explain the correct and safe method for common cuts on the table saw, miter saw, band saw, drill press and router.

    • Table saw and miter saw
    • Band saw, drill press and router
    • Drills, drivers, sanders and fasteners
    about 2.1 h

  5. Module 5: Joinery

    Choose and size joints for the forces on them and plan a glue-up.

    • Basic joints
    • Mortise and tenon and dovetails
    • Glue and clamping
    about 2.1 h

  6. Module 6: Finishing, planning and careers

    Plan sanding and finishing for a project's use, write a cut list with an allowance, and describe woodworking career paths.

    • Sanding and surface preparation
    • Finishes
    • Planning a project and careers
    about 2.1 h

Try it before you start

This is how every lesson works: step through a worked example at your own pace, then answer a check and get the reason right away. Nothing here is saved; the course keeps your progress.

Module 2 · Lumber sizes and board feet

Worked example: board feet

  1. Formula: board feet = thickness in inches × width in inches × length in feet ÷ 12.

A lesson check from each module

The checks need JavaScript turned on. The course itself works the same way.

What you get

Vocations · Job Skills$19 · included with the Academy pass and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A finished course in woodworking fundamentals: you can name the hazards of a wood shop and the habits and equipment that control them, explain kickback and how to prevent it, tell hardwood from softwood and choose a species and cut for a job, design for wood movement, convert nominal lumber sizes and compute board feet, add shop fractions and allow for kerf, check a box for square, describe the right method for common cuts on each major power tool, choose and size joints and plan a glue-up, and plan sanding, finishing and a cut list for a real project. Passing the final earns a Caveat certificate of completion.
Who it is for
Students in grades 9 to 12 taking or preparing for a woodworking, construction or wood technology class, students considering carpentry, cabinetmaking or another building trade, and homeschool families who want the knowledge and safety side of woodworking before hands-on work. It is not a substitute for supervised shop training.
Format
An online self-paced course: 6 modules and 18 lessons with worked examples you reveal step by step, 144 practice and exam items (multiple choice, numeric, fill-in and ordering), an explain-it-back prompt and a rubric-checked short response in every module, module exams with one retake, a 24-question final and a certificate with a verification code. About 12 hours in all; works on a phone or a computer.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the course opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Career and trades courses ($79) and the Vocations Suite pass ($99), and 1 more bundle. Progress is saved in this browser on this device, and the certificate page lets you download your record.
Where it lives
The Job Skills space in Caveat Vocations.
Support
Access, a receipt, a refund or a correction to the course: team@caveatacademic.com.

How it works

  1. Open the course and start Module 1. Each lesson takes about 25 to 35 minutes; two or three a week finishes the course in about a semester.
  2. Answer the checks as you read. Every answer shows the reason, and a miss links you back to the lesson that covers it.
  3. Finish each module with its practice set and exam. Proficient on every module opens the final; 70 percent passes it.
  4. Print or download your certificate and record from the certificate page.

Start the course

Sources and accuracy

The lessons are original writing by Caveat Academic Services. Facts were checked against these free, open references, which are also good places to read further.

  1. OSHA, woodworking eTool and machine guarding guidance: osha.gov
  2. CDC NIOSH, wood dust health hazards: cdc.gov/niosh
  3. USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material, 2021, for movement, moisture and Janka hardness: fpl.fs.usda.gov
  4. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, safety alert on spontaneous combustion of oily rags
  5. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, carpenters and woodworkers: bls.gov/ooh

Woodworking is a self-paced course from Caveat Academic Services. It teaches concepts, vocabulary, safety rules and shop math; it is not a substitute for hands-on training in a supervised shop, and no one should use a power tool without instruction, protective equipment and a qualified adult present. Always follow the tool manufacturer's manual and your shop's rules. Prices and hardness values are examples or approximations. It does not replace a school course and awards no credit. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.