Diploma in Traditional Joinery and Wooden Body Framing
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in traditional joinery and wooden body framing: 8 modules covering timber in classic coachwork, the coachbuilder’s tools and workshop, traditional joints, bending and laminating, framing, treatments and protection, and fitting metal panels, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Traditional Joinery and Wooden Body Framing — studying from Canada
Canada has an active classic and heritage vehicle community, supported by clubs, restoration specialists and museums across the country. Restoration work requires skills in engineering drawings, metalworking, electrical systems and historical research. Heritage vehicle collections and automotive museums, such as the Canadian Automotive Museum in Oshawa, sustain professional and volunteer expertise. Specialist businesses and independent workshops are the main employers in this niche.
Fees for Canada: C$1,400 (Canadian dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Canada
Typical roles
Questions from Canada
Is this programme recognised by professional bodies in Canada for vehicle restoration work?
SEIUM's qualifications are private, not official state degrees, and carry no national accreditation in Canada. Restoration is largely a trade and enthusiast field in Canada, with recognition typically driven by reputation, workshop experience and clubs or heritage organisations rather than a single licensing body. Confirm with any prospective client or employer how they regard private qualifications.
What career use could this have in Canada's classic vehicle sector?
Potential uses include working with specialist restoration workshops, dealerships, collectors or heritage vehicle organisations. Employers and clients decide how to value a private qualification, and hands-on experience is usually the strongest factor in this sector. The final project may serve as a portfolio example, but it does not guarantee work.
Can I study this online with my own schedule from Canada?
Yes, the programme is 100% online and taught in English, so it suits learners across Canada and no student visa is needed to study from home. Programme lengths are 300, 800 or 1,900 hours depending on the level. Fees are payable in instalments, employer sponsorship is possible, and an assigned technical tutor supports your progress.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Select suitable timbers for classic coachwork.
Use hand tools and machines safely.
Cut traditional joints accurately.
Bend and laminate timber parts.
Reproduce body frames from the original.
Protect and conserve timber components.
Integrate metal panels onto the wooden frame.
Who it's for
- Coachbuilders who make wooden body frames.
- Automotive cabinetmakers.
- Classic bodywork restorers.
- Coachbuilding workshop technicians.
- Bent-wood craftspeople.
- Timber conservation technicians.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter classic vehicle restoration.
What you'll work with
- UNE-EN 350 (durability of wood and wood-based products)
- UNE-EN 335 (use classes for wood and wood-based products)
- UNE-EN 13183-1 (moisture content of sawn timber, oven-dry method)
- UNE-EN 942 (timber in joinery, general requirements)
- UNE-EN 204 (classification of non-structural wood adhesives)
- Regulation (EU) 995/2010 (EU Timber Regulation, legally harvested timber)
- Royal Decree 1215/1997 (safe use of work equipment)
- FIVA Technical Code (historic vehicle classification and originality)
- SketchUp
- Autodesk Fusion
- Rhinoceros
8 modules
1.1History of hand-built coachwork1.2Ash, beech and oak1.3Mechanical properties of timber1.4Moisture content and hygroscopic equilibrium1.5Shrinkage and stability1.6Selecting boards1.7Timber defects1.8Drying and storage1.9Legally sourced timber1.10Practical: selecting ash boards
2.1Smoothing and jointer planes2.2Chisels and gouges2.3Hand saws2.4Bandsaw2.5Spindle moulder and thicknesser2.6Sharpening tools2.7Templates and gauges2.8Workshop organisation2.9Machine safety2.10Workshop: sharpening and tuning tools
3.1Mortise and tenon3.2Through and wedged tenons3.3Dovetails3.4Half-lap joints3.5Mitre joints3.6Bolted joints3.7Adhesives and gluing3.8Accuracy and clearances3.9Joint strength3.10Practical: mortise and tenon in ash
4.1Steam bending4.2Laminating over a former4.3Adhesives for laminations4.4Springback4.5Moulds and presses4.6Compound-curved parts4.7Carving curved parts4.8Dimensional control4.9Defects and their correction4.10Laboratory: laminating a roof bow
5.1The concept of wooden body framing5.2Wooden ribs and rails5.3Templates taken from the original panels5.4Reproducing parts5.5Door pillars5.6Framed roofs5.7Joints with the metal chassis5.8Fitting the frame5.9Recording original parts5.10Workshop: reproducing a door pillar
6.1Fungi and rot6.2Fungicides and insecticides6.3Consolidants6.4Primers and sealers6.5Insulating wood from metal6.6Galvanic corrosion at nails6.7Conserving original timber6.8Reversible treatments6.9Maintenance6.10Case study: treating a frame with partial rot
7.1Nailing aluminium onto timber7.2Edge wiring and flanging7.3Straps and reinforcements7.4Door fitting and gaps7.5Hinges and locks7.6Seals and weatherstrips7.7Interior trim7.8Noise and vibration7.9Final inspection of the assembly7.10Practical: fitting a panel onto a frame
8.1Selecting the part or vehicle8.2Studying the original structure8.3Templates and drawings8.4Selecting the timber8.5Making the parts8.6Jointing and assembly8.7Treatment and protection8.8Process dossier8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
A 100% online programme on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so you can combine it with your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is SketchUp, Autodesk Fusion and Rhinoceros, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures: making mortise and tenon joints, laminating curved parts and reproducing a door pillar. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: UNE-EN 350, UNE-EN 335, UNE-EN 13183-1, UNE-EN 942, UNE-EN 204, Regulation (EU) 995/2010, Royal Decree 1215/1997, FIVA Technical Code.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 800 hours over 6–8 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with SketchUp, Autodesk Fusion and Rhinoceros, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector (no university degree required), a computer able to run the software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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