Welcome To The Monkey Clan
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Welcome To The Monkey Clan 〰️
THE 30-DAY MAKER CHALLENGE: Build something you never thought you could.
Welcome to the Monkey Clan.
30 days.
One incredible piece of solid hardwood furniture.
Hundreds of makers from around the world.
And me building right alongside you.
This isn’t another woodworking course. It’s not another build plan. And it’s definitely not a “watch me build something while you sit on the sofa” kind of thing.
It’s 30 days of showing up, getting in the workshop, pushing yourself and becoming a better maker.
And you’re invited.
THE MONKEY CLAN CHALLENGE
STARTS 1ST OCTOBER 2026
30 DAYS • ONE COMMUNITY • ONE BIG BUILD
You don’t need a huge workshop.
You don’t need £10,000 worth of Festool gear.
You don’t need to spend your entire month in the workshop.
And you definitely don’t need to already know how to build the piece.
That’s the point.
I’ve designed this project so that it’s challenging enough to push you…
…but achievable enough that you can actually finish it.
You’ll work through it in manageable stages, with a new part of the challenge released every day.
A little progress here. A new technique there.
And before you know it…
You’ll be standing next to a piece of furniture you built yourself thinking: “Holy shit… I actually made that.”
AND YOU WON’T BE DOING IT ALONE.
This is one of the biggest parts of the whole thing. You’ll be joining a community of makers from all over the world who are doing exactly the same thing. You’ll have somewhere to:
ASK QUESTIONS
Not sure about a joint?
Confused about a technique?
Want another opinion before making that cut?
Ask.
SHARE YOUR PROGRESS
Show everyone what you’ve been working on.
The good bits. The bad bits. The “I definitely meant to do that” bits.
CELEBRATE YOUR WINS
First successful joint? SHARE IT.
Finished a stage you’ve been struggling with? SHARE IT.
Finished the whole bloody thing? WE WANT TO SEE IT.
HELP OTHER MAKERS
Because someone else’s question might be exactly the question you were too nervous to ask. No shaming. No negativity. No “you should have done it this way.”
Just makers helping makers.
THIS ISN’T JUST ABOUT FURNITURE.
I’ve spent years making furniture.
I’ve made some bloody lovely things. I’ve also made some spectacular mistakes.
I’ve ruined timber. I’ve messed up joints. I’ve questioned my life choices halfway through builds.
And I’ve learned an enormous amount along the way.
But one thing I’ve realised is that you don’t become a better maker by watching someone else build furniture.
You become a better maker by:
having a go.
making mistakes.
figuring things out.
trying again.
And eventually realising…
“I’m actually capable of more than I thought.”
That’s what the Monkey Clan Challenge is really about.
YOU DON’T NEED TO BE AN EXPERT.
I’LL BE BUILDING IT WITH YOU
This isn’t me disappearing after you’ve bought your ticket. Every day throughout October, I’ll be releasing a new video as I build the same piece alongside you. You’ll see exactly how I’m approaching each stage. I’ll talk you through:
WOODWORKING
Techniques, reading your wood, joinery, tools, mistakes and problem solving.
CONFIDENCE
How to approach things you’ve never tried before without immediately convincing yourself you’re going to fuck it up.
DESIGN
How I think about proportions, grain, details and making something feel properly premium.
BUSINESS & SOCIAL MEDIA
I’ll be sharing some of the things I’ve learned building Monkey Boys Workshop online too and bringing lessons from the other side of the workshop; what’s actually helped me turn furniture making into a business.
30 DAYS DOESN’T MEAN 30 DAYS IN THE WORKSHOP.
This was really important to me.
I know you’ve got a job. You’ve got kids. You’ve got family. You’ve got a life.
You can’t all disappear into your workshop for a month.
And I don’t want you to. The project is deliberately broken down into manageable stages so you can make progress without spending hours every single day in the workshop. Some days might take longer. Some might take 20 minutes.
Life happens. And that’s okay!
Although the Challenge officially runs throughout October, you don’t have to finish in exactly 30 days. You’ll continue to have access to the daily videos and the community after October, so if you need more time… take it.
THE 30 DAYS AREN’T A DEADLINE.
THEY’RE A REASON TO SHOW UP.
I asked on my instagram stories and you all agreed… A coffee table was what you wanted to build the most… So here’s the design in all it’s glory! I am PSYCHED to build this…
And yes - there will be a build plan to follow!
So what exactly are we building?
This image was generated using AI to give you an idea of what it will look like in an actual space. I’ve not built it yet obviously!!
If you are 100% in, I’d advise getting your wood in NOW! I’ll be using White Oak, but feel free to use whatever species you would like. I’ve grabbed 6 boards of 1.2m x 38mm x 125mm and 4 boards of 1.2m x 25mm x 100mm (rough sawn). If you don’t have the tools for milling, get it pre milled from your local timber yard. You’ll need 4 boards of 1.2m x 32mm x 110mm, 2 boards of 1.2m x 32mm x 125mm and 4 boards of 1.2m x 22mm x 80mm.
Never fear - the build plan will be in metric AND imperial ;)
AND THEN THERE’S THE PRIZE…
Because apparently building an incredible piece of furniture, learning new skills and joining a global community wasn’t enough…
We’ve gone a little bit ridiculous.
At the end of the Challenge, one randomly selected active Monkey Clan member will have the chance to win a HUGE prize bundle.
And we’ve already got some incredible brands getting involved…
CONFIRMED SO FAR
-
RUBIO MONOCOAT
£300+ of products, finishes and accessories
-
TREND
£900 router table kit
-
ILLUKA TOOLS
£250 of vouchers across the winner & runner-up
-
TEMPLE TOOLS
Prize contribution TBC
-
MONKEY BOYS WORKSHOP
All my guides and build plans (plus any future ones released!) and £250 worth of wood towards your next furniture project
SO… WHAT EXACTLY DO I GET?
THE 30-DAY CHALLENGE
A new part of the project released every day throughout October.
THE COMPLETE BUILD
The full project broken down into manageable stages so you can build alongside me (and yes - OF COURSE there will be a build plan!!)
DAILY VIDEOS FROM ME
Access to a SECRET members area on my website with videos dropped every day to watch me build the same piece, with techniques, tips, tricks, mistakes (there’s bound to be some haha) and problem solving along the way.
A LIVE WEBINAR WITH ME ON THE FIRST DAY
Here I’ll talk you through the challenge, answer all your questions and get you absolutely HYPED for the next 30 days! (I’ll be dropping a question box on my instagram stories closer to the challenge… so keep a beady eye out)
THE MONKEY CLAN COMMUNITY
Your private home for the Challenge.
Ask questions. Share progress. Help other makers. Make friends.
Celebrate the wins.
WOODWORKING LESSONS
Techniques and approaches you can take into future furniture projects.
DESIGN & BUILD THINKING
Learn how I approach furniture design, timber selection, grain, proportions and those little details that make a piece feel premium.
SOCIAL MEDIA & BUSINESS LESSONS
I’ll be sharing what I’ve learned building Monkey Boys Workshop and turning making into a business.
ACCESS BEYOND OCTOBER
The Challenge may be 30 days. Your access isn’t.
If life gets in the way, you’ve got time to catch up and finish at your own pace.
THE CHANCE TO WIN THE MONKEY CLAN PRIZE
Thousands of pounds worth of prizes, with more being added.
WHAT’S THIS ACTUALLY WORTH?
If I priced everything individually…
Daily build guidance.
Woodworking tuition.
Design lessons.
Business & social media lessons.
Private community.
Access to me throughout the Challenge.
The complete build project.
The prize opportunity.
The value would quickly run into the thousands…
But I don’t want the Monkey Clan Challenge to be something that only a handful of people can afford.
I want makers everywhere to be able to take part.
So…
YOUR TICKET:
£97
ONE PAYMENT. 30 DAYS. ONE HELL OF A RIDE.
£97
Your Monkey Clan Membership
THE 30-DAY CHALLENGE
30 DAYS
ONE COMMUNITY
ONE BIG BUILD
ARE YOU IN?
Doors open Tuesday 15th September and the challenge begins on Thursday October 1st.
I genuinely cannot wait to build this with you.
See you in October. 🐵
Sam
Monkey Boys Workshop