I normally like to give you a few days notice of registration day and typically its about a month in advance of the start of the first courses in a season – BUT – I heard from NVRC that registration for Summer 2021 is today 9am May 19, 21. The link below takes you there.
https://www.nvrc.ca/woodworking
Whats new?
Summer is a weird season since it’s so short. All other seasons are 3 months but because of late August and late December which are typical vacation times, summer is short changed to 2 months making programming 12 session courses all but impossible. Please look carefully at the program times and dates.
One particular course – Joinery Foundations Level 2 on Monday evenings – with yours truly, is only 6 sessions of 4 hrs each. Those of you registered should make contact with me well before the course to get the information you need to purchase your lumber before the first session.
We have a third Hand tools course beyond Level 1 this season. This is Tristan Noone’s Finger Jointed Box course on Sunday evenings. Those of you that have completed Mark or Tristans Hand Tools Demystified Course on Saturday or Sunday evenings should consider it.
Why learn woodworking with Hand Tools? – Actually why is it even necessary to explain why we like using hand tools? Those of us who enjoy using Hand Tools often ask why more people don’t get it! Simply put if you haven’t been introduced to a sharp plane or chisel you simply have no idea of the possibilities. Most people when first confronted with the question of whether the use of hand tools can be rewarding simply assume they are inadequate and perhaps even crude. Consider this; If you were offered a hand plane or an electric sander and asked to smooth an edge on a piece of wood, what would YOU choose? Most of you probably would choose the sander. the reality is the person who chooses the plane would be done before you’ve attached the sanding disc, AND while they were planing that edge were able to continue listening to their music all the while leaving no dust in the air. What’s not to like? Consider the fact that most people who aspire to own a property in Vancouver will end up living in a condo and at best a Townhouse with slim to zero chance of being an amateur woodworker with the stereotypical garage full of machines. Using hand tools at a small solid workbench takes far less space, offers almost no noise and definitely no dust. So, for sure consider hand tools for your next course because even if you are a committed power tool user, the ability to sharpen your tools and do stuff that power tools cannot will only serve to improve your projects.
Finally there is one spot open in the Woodworking Fundamentals Intensive coming up late June. A one week full time TREAT!
The featured image shows chopsticks made with hand tools by my late friend Wayne Muma. His Instagram account is still up for all to see some of his later work.