COURSE SCHEDULE FOR THE 1 YEAR (36 WEEK) DIPLOMA Course IN ANTIQUE FURNITURE CONSERVATION, RESTORATION & REFINISHING TECHNIQUES

(Including French Polishing)

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Please contact Peter Thomson on 01392 432786 if you have questions.
Course Dates: 28^th September 2020 to 21st May 2021

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Accommodation Travel and Visas

As you will see from the course schedule below, it will be necessary for students to find accommodation and travel twice to our workshops in central Exeter to complete the practical parts of this course. The duration of each of the two practical parts of the course is 5 weeks. Students will work at home completing the home study course for the remaining 26 weeks.

Exeter airport, the M5 motorway and railway stations are all close to our workshops. We are very happy to help students from outside the UK to get visas, help with travel arrangements and find accommodation.

QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE SCHEDULE

1. The Pre-course Home Study Section:

This pre-course section is 8 weeks long and is designed to prepare students for the start of the course on 28^th September 2020. It must be completed by this date.

2. The First Part Of The Home Study Section:

This part of the course is four weeks long, to be completed at your home from the 28^th September 2020 to 23rd October 2020.

3. The First Of Two 5 Week Blocks Of Personal Practical Tuition:

To be completed at our workshops from the 26^th October 2020 to 27^th November 2020.

4. The Second Part Of The Home Study Section:

This part of the course is 14 weeks long, to be completed at your home from the 30^th November 2020 to 26^th March 2021.

5. The Second Of Two 5 Week Blocks Of Personal Practical Tuition:

To be completed at our workshops from the 19^th April 2021 to 21st May 2021.

Course End

VIEW COURSE CALENDAR

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSE SCHEDULE

1. The Pre-course Home Study Section:

This pre-course section is 8 weeks long and is designed to prepare students for the start of the course on 28^th September 2020. It must be completed by this date. It is 8 weeks long, a student booking more than 8 weeks before the start of the course can begin it straight after booking.

It is designed to prepare you and your work area/workshop at home for the home study parts of this course. If you have any questions you are welcome to call or Skype Peter Thomson.

Examples of a few of the exercises included in this pre-course part of the home study manual are:

• A. Deciding the location of your workshop/work area & fitting it out, buying tools, equipment and materials.
• B. Find high quality pieces of antique furniture that you will restore during the course. These will be your test pieces; Peter Thomson will help you select the right furniture.

2. The First Part Of The Home Study Section:

This second part of the course is 4 weeks long, to be completed at your home from the 28^th September 2020 to 23rd October 2020.

It is designed to prepare you for the personal, practical tuition weeks carried out at our workshops. If you have any questions you are welcome to call or Skype Peter Thomson.

Examples of a few of the exercises included in this part of the home study manual are:

• A. Read & become familiar with the entire home study & course manuals, so you can ask any questions you may have on the first week of personal tuition.
• B. Practice using hand tools; make a dovetail and other joints as perfectly as you can. (You will bring them to the first week of personal tuition for evaluation.)
• C. Carry out colour recognition exercises, designed to develop your ability to see and match colours.

3. The First Of Two 5 Week Blocks Of Personal Practical Tuition:

This third part of the course is the first of two 5 week blocks of personal practical tuition. To be completed at our workshops in Exeter from the 26^th October 2020 to 27^th November 2020.

It is a combination of:

• Part one, conservation, repair and restoration.
• Part two, refinishing techniques and French polishing systems.

There will be no more than 2 to 3 students on this course. Peter and Josie Thomson will be your tutors.

This is the hands on part of the course where you put into practice what you have been learning during the previous home study weeks.

Please see the full list of topics covered in parts 1 & 2 in The description of this course.

Examples of what this part of the course includes:

• A. Answering any questions you have about the course and the home study/course manuals. Go over health and safety issues and become familiar with the workshops.
• B. We will evaluate your:
  • Tools skills (your ability to use hand tools.)
  • Colour recognition (your ability to see colour for Polishing and colour matching.)
• C. You will start work on a piece of fine antique furniture during the first week. Students often say they are nervous about working on high quality furniture at the start of the course. There are a maximum of only 3 students per course so we can ensure there is little danger of you making a mistake.
• D. You will participate in cabinet repair and polishing exercises and see demonstrations.
• E. We will look over the furniture you have purchased prior to the course to restore at home during the home study weeks. We will together prepare a list of the restoration work and the materials needed to carry out these restoration projects. We will also source the materials needed with you, ensuring you will have all you need at home.
• F. We will set personal home study exercises in accordance with the evaluation made of your work over the 5 week block of personal tuition.

4. The Second Part Of The Home Study Section:

This fourth part of the course is 14 weeks long, to be completed at your home from the 30^th November 2020 to 26^th March 2021.

You will be well supported by the course manuals and conversations over the phone or Skype with Peter Thomson when needed.

• A. You will carry out the personal home study exercises designed for you in accordance with our evaluation made of your work over the previous 5 week block of personal tuition.
• B. You will continue to carry out the exercises in the home study course manual that will help you perfect the many skills you have been practicing and learning about. The exercises in the manual will also prepare you for the second 5 week block of personal practical tuition at our workshops in Exeter.
• C. You will also restore your test pieces of antique furniture, following the instructions given to you during the previous 5 week block of personal tuition weeks. This will of course, be a challenge but it will stretch you and show you the areas you need to further develop your skills. You will be supported by the course manuals and conversations over the phone or Skype with Peter Thomson when needed.

5. The Second Of Two 5 Week Blocks Of Personal Practical Tuition:

This fifth part of the course is the last of two 5 week blocks of personal practical tuition. To be completed at our workshops in Exeter from the 19^th April 2021 to 21st May 2021.

As before, it is a combination of:

• A. The previous in-depth 14 week home study section will have clearly shown you where your skills and knowledge are lacking. We will start by addressing your questions and conducting the necessary tuition to bring these skills up to scratch.
• B. We will look over your restoration project you carried out at home and advise on what is missing.
• C. You will continue to work on your furniture restoration projects.
• D. You will participate in cabinet repair and polishing exercises and see demonstrations.
• E. We will complete the topics listed in The description of this course

Course End

Print		THOMSON ANTIQUES RESTORATION COURSES
August 2020		Course schedule for: The 1 Academic Year (36 week) Diploma Course in Antique Furniture Conservation, Restoration & Refinishing Techniques (Including French polishing) Page 1
Sun	Mon		Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
							1
2	3 Pre-Course Home study		4 Pre-Course Home study	5 Pre-Course Home study	6 Pre-Course Home study	7 Pre-Course Home study	8
9	10 Pre-Course Home study		11 Pre-Course Home study	12 Pre-Course Home study	13 Pre-Course Home study	14 Pre-Course Home study	15
16	17 Pre-Course Home study		18 Pre-Course Home study	19 Pre-Course Home study	20 Pre-Course Home study	21 Pre-Course Home study	22
23	24 Pre-Course Home study		25 Pre-Course Home study	26 Pre-Course Home study	27 Pre-Course Home study	28 Pre-Course Home study	29
30	31 Pre-Course Home study

Print		THOMSON ANTIQUES RESTORATION COURSES
September 2020		Course schedule for: The 1 Academic Year (36 week) Diploma Course in Antique Furniture Conservation, Restoration & Refinishing Techniques (Including French polishing) Page 2
Sun	Mon		Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
			1 Pre-Course Home study	2 Pre-Course Home study	3 Pre-Course Home study	4 Pre-Course Home study	5
6	7 Pre-Course Home study		8 Pre-Course Home study	9 Pre-Course Home study	10 Pre-Course Home study	11 Pre-Course Home study	12
13	14 Pre-Course Home study		15 Pre-Course Home study	16 Pre-Course Home study	17 Pre-Course Home study	18 Pre-Course Home study	19
20	21 Pre-Course Home study		22 Pre-Course Home study	23 Pre-Course Home study	24 Pre-Course Home study	25 Pre-Course Home study	26
27	28 Home study		29 Home study	30 Home study

Print		THOMSON ANTIQUES RESTORATION COURSES
October 2020		Course schedule for: The 1 Academic Year (36 week) Diploma Course in Antique Furniture Conservation, Restoration & Refinishing Techniques (Including French polishing) Page 3
Sun	Mon		Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
					1 Home study	2 Home study	3
4	5 Home study		6 Home study	7 Home study	8 Home study	9 Home study	10
11	12 Home study		13 Home study	14 Home study	15 Home study	16 Home study	17
18	19 Home study		20 Home study	21 Home study	22 Home study	23 Home study	24
25	26 Personal tuition		27 Personal tuition	28 Personal tuition	29 Personal tuition	30 Personal tuition	31 Halloween

Print		THOMSON ANTIQUES RESTORATION COURSES
November 2020		Course schedule for: The 1 Academic Year (36 week) Diploma Course in Antique Furniture Conservation, Restoration & Refinishing Techniques (Including French polishing) Page 4
Sun	Mon		Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
1	2 Personal tuition		3 Personal tuition	4 Personal tuition	5 Personal tuition	6 Personal tuition	7
8	9 Personal tuition		10 Personal tuition	11 Personal tuition	12 Personal tuition	13 Personal tuition	14
15	16 Personal tuition		17 Personal tuition	18 Personal tuition	19 Personal tuition	20 Personal tuition	21
22	23 Personal tuition		24 Personal tuition	25 Personal tuition	26 Personal tuition	27 Personal tuition	28
29	30 Home study

Print		THOMSON ANTIQUES RESTORATION COURSES
December 2020		Course schedule for: The 1 Academic Year (36 week) Diploma Course in Antique Furniture Conservation, Restoration & Refinishing Techniques (Including French polishing) Page 5
Sun	Mon		Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
			1 Home study	2 Home study	3 Home study	4 Home study	5
6	7 Home study		8 Home study	9 Home study	10 Home study	11 Home study	12
13	14 Home study		15 Home study	16 Home study	17 Home study	18 Home study	19
20	21		22	23	24	25 Christmas	26
27	28		29	30	31

Print		THOMSON ANTIQUES RESTORATION COURSES
January 2021		Course schedule for: The 1 Academic Year (36 week) Diploma Course in Antique Furniture Conservation, Restoration & Refinishing Techniques (Including French polishing) Page 6
Sun	Mon		Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
						1 New Year's Day	2
3	4		5	6	7	8	9
10	11 Home study		12 Home study	13 Home study	14 Home study	15 Home study	16
17	18 Home study		19 Home study	20 Home study	21 Home study	22 Home study	23
24	25 Home study		26 Home study	27 Home study	28 Home study	29 Home study	30
31

Print		THOMSON ANTIQUES RESTORATION COURSES
February 2021		Course schedule for: The 1 Academic Year (36 week) Diploma Course in Antique Furniture Conservation, Restoration & Refinishing Techniques (Including French polishing) Page 7
Sun	Mon		Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
	1 Home study		2 Home study	3 Home study	4 Home study	5 Home study	6
7	8 Home study		9 Home study	10 Home study	11 Home study	12 Home study	13
14	15 Home study		16 Home study	17 Home study	18 Home study	19 Home study	20
21	22 Home study		23 Home study	24 Home study	25 Home study	26 Home study	27
28

Print		THOMSON ANTIQUES RESTORATION COURSES
March 2021		Course schedule for: The 1 Academic Year (36 week) Diploma Course in Antique Furniture Conservation, Restoration & Refinishing Techniques (Including French polishing) Page 8
Sun	Mon		Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
	1 Home study		2 Home study	3 Home study	4 Home study	5 Home study	6
7	8 Home study		9 Home study	10 Home study	11 Home study	12 Home study	13
14	15 Home study		16 Home study	17 Home study	18 Home study	19 Home study	20
21	22 Home study		23 Home study	24 Home study	25 Home study	26 Home study	27
28	29		30	31

Print		THOMSON ANTIQUES RESTORATION COURSES
April 2021		Course schedule for: The 1 Academic Year (36 week) Diploma Course in Antique Furniture Conservation, Restoration & Refinishing Techniques (Including French polishing) Page 9
Sun	Mon		Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
					1	2 Good Friday	3
4 Easter Sunday	5		6	7	8	9	10
11	12		13	14	15	16	17
18	19 Personal tuition		20 Personal tuition	21 Personal tuition	22 Personal tuition	23 Personal tuition	24
25	26 Personal tuition		27 Personal tuition	28 Personal tuition	29 Personal tuition	30 Personal tuition

Print		THOMSON ANTIQUES RESTORATION COURSES
May 2021		Course schedule for: The 1 Academic Year (36 week) Diploma Course in Antique Furniture Conservation, Restoration & Refinishing Techniques (Including French polishing) Page 10
Sun	Mon		Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
							1
2	3 Personal tuition		4 Personal tuition	5 Personal tuition	6 Personal tuition	7 Personal tuition	8
9	10 Personal tuition		11 Personal tuition	12 Personal tuition	13 Personal tuition	14 Personal tuition	15
16	17 Personal tuition		18 Personal tuition	19 Personal tuition	20 Personal tuition	21 Personal tuition	22
23	24		25	26	27	28	29
30	31