Resident Craftsmen

Join us for our year end events.

2010-04-18T00:13:00.000-07:00

Open House
Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking

Saturday May 8th 1pm-5pm

1055 Roberts Creek Rd

Sunshine Coast, BC

Furniture Exhibition

Kozai Designs

Reception: Saturday May 15th 1pm-5pm

Exhibition closes May 29th

1515 West 6th Avenue

Vancouver, BC

It's Getting to be That Time!

2010-04-18T00:09:00.000-07:00

With only 4 weeks to go until the year end show at Kozai, everyone is keeping busy trying to get that last project done before the deadline.

Michael has been mocking up and breaking out stock for his version of a Superleggera chair, which was designed by Italian designer Gio Ponti. It will be out of Kwila with a danish cord seat.

The delicate and unique leg shape calls for a different type of joinery between the leg and stretcher.

Steve is building a chair inspired by Ejler Hjorth-West's Caspar Chair. Starting with a detailed, full-size drawing and templates, Steve has been able to move quickly on to the floating mortise and tenon joinery.

The chair will be out of Walnut with an upholstered seat.

Michal transfers measurements from his mock-up to the full-size drawing.

He is also using Kwila and has glued together his tapered lamentations using a form to create the shape of the rear legs.

Daisuke is building a wall cabinet with a few complex curves. The cabinet curves away from the wall on the ends to allow light through the pierce-carved back panels.

He has matched the grain and colours of the Shedua and Boxwood perfectly.

Jason is nearing completion of his lap-desk. After doing some challenging dovetails on a curve in Port Orford Cedar and Elm, he is enjoying the process of getting the perfect fit and "let-go".

The drawer bottoms are Curly Sycamore with a grain pattern that follows the curve in the front of the drawer and straightens out at the back.

Neil is also getting close to finishing his clock. With the stand completed he has been working on the clock face.

The face is Camphor Burl. Here he shows where the mechanism will fit inside.

Taking a break from designing his chair, Junior is finishing off his cabinet with brass ring-pulls. This smile is proof that the process has been a lot of fun for him.

Working with brass, it is wise to make a few extra parts. He only has 9 drawers, but he has 16 rings to work with.

Ian works on the joinery for his pair of miniature Vidar chairs.

The chairs are for his daughter Rya. They are of White Oak and will accompany a table Ian will build in the future.

Evan has been taking the odd break from re-sharpening all of his tools on his new water-stones to work on the drawers for his cabinet.

The Swiss Pear drawer-fronts are on a convex curve which makes for challenging dovetails, but the result will be worth the extra work.

Hong has been putting the cabinets together for the second part of his project.

The outer veneers are of some beautifully coloured arbutus that Evan found in Portland. They will be joined together with a splined mitre-joint.

Meredith works on the partitions for her hall table of Afromosia.

She will be doing silver inlay up one side and across the top of the table. Using the "Gun Barrel" technique, she will be tapping a channel into the wood with a chisel to accept the silver wire.

Bruce is getting parts together for his Ash piano bench.

The bench will have a through-sliding drawer underneath the seat for music sheets.

We stop rushing around for a moment to celebrate Bruce's 95th birthday. His youthful looks mimic those of his distant cousin Albert Einstein.

A delicious chocolate zucchini cake was enjoyed by all, thank you Meredith.

Don has seen a lot of the table-saw recently, working on the open mortise and tenon joinery for his chair.

The chair parts of White Oak. Using white labels to mark out the joinery prevents the pencil from following the open grain of the wood and leaving unclear lines.

Steve is finishing the doweling on his side table carcass.

The dowels had to be carefully located to be sure the grain on the veneers lined up through the interior.

Working on the pulls for her cabinet, Barb drills holes for the pin that will join the two parts of the brass and silver pulls together.

The brass and silver were glued together and secured in this jig to ensure there was no movement during the drilling process.

Sadly, Byron had to leave early to start his new job in Calgary. His empty bench was quickly taken over by some of us. It doesn't mean we don't miss you Byron!

Before leaving Byron did finish his second piece, a beautiful desk of Afromosia on an Ash stand.

Daisuke's Presentation

2010-01-05T06:54:00.000-08:00

Daisuke presented us with his two latest projects, an easy chair of Afromosia he built over the summer, and a coffee table of Sycamore and Maple which he just completed during this first semester. He said that, for him, designing and building a piece furniture is like composing a piece of music. The harmonies between materials and the melodies that come from the maker being connected to the process and finding his own voice in the work.

Happy Holidays from IP!

2010-01-02T11:50:00.000-08:00

We apologize for the late Christmas post, the weeks leading up to the open house were busy, but everyone stayed in good health and spirits.

Santa asked the Inside Passage students to be helper elves this Christmas. He sent them special elf socks to wear as their honorary elf uniforms.

The annual Christmas party at Inside Passage always includes a Secret Santa tradition where we each make a gift to exchange with each other. All of the gifts were amazing, we all had fun making them and the gift opening was filled with lots of smiles and laughs.

A big thank you to Yvonne and Robert for the party, and the gumboot staff for taking good care of us.

A Window

2009-12-27T10:52:00.000-08:00

We are certainly here at Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking to learn this craft, to hone our skills, to make woodworking apart of our lives. Our primary purpose in being here is far away from writing a blog. Yet, we remember what it is like checking the Inside Passage website hoping Robert has posted a newsletter or hitting the refresh button a few times hoping the browser was not updating the page properly.

Visitors to the school all come in with a "Bride on her wedding day"-like smile (ear-to-ear). We completely understand because we were there too. Everyday we count ourselves lucky to be apart of this school and this approach to the craft.

The purpose of this blog has been to provide those that want to visit us, with a window. Alumni, family, friends, prospective students, and fans- you are all apart of our experience in some way and this is our attempt at sharing it with you.

The authors of this blog have been here in Roberts Creek for two years and have participated in the first day/introductory lecture with two separate classes. That first day Robert gathers us around the front bench and asks us to share who we are, how we came to be here and something special, weird or fun about ourselves.

As you sit there listening to your new classmate tell the story of his/her path in getting here, you begin to realize that you are not so alone. Maybe the same book, lead you to the same Google search, which lead you to the same website. Perhaps completely different careers left you each with the same frustrations and caused you to start building a shop under your home. Granted there are unique details, but you begin to see that you are apart of something special.

Maybe this deflates you a little to realize you are not so unique. Here the act of sharing brings out quite the opposite. When we share who we are with people, achievements bring larger celebrations as there are others to appreciate the work you went through to get there. In reverse, the tragedies are only half as bad because someone else has stood in that hole before and knows the way out.

With this blog entry we are announcing a new window into the school, a way for you to hear some of our stories. We will be sitting down with individuals close to the school to have a discussion about who they are and what lead them along this path.We have a list of questions that we will all answer; we call the cut list.

Hopefully, this will provide you with an understanding of what brings us here. Perhaps you will like what you see through this window and you will want to walk through the school's door. When you do, make sure we see your smile.

Gleam in Mellowness

2009-12-18T06:58:00.000-08:00

Every now and then, prospective students come by the school to evaluate Inside Passage as a place to "hone" their chops. One of our school's attributes that consistently grabs their attention is making their own tools.
Imagine two cabinets side by side, one you made and one you bought. There is no doubt that the one you built means much more. There is a special feeling that occurs inside of you when your friend glides their finger along an edge of the cabinet that you shaped.
Now imagine a third cabinet. You not only made this cabinet, but you also made the hardware that allows the door to swing open properly, the wall hangers on the back that keep it flush with the wall, the chisel that cut the dovetails in the drawer and most importantly- you made the wooden hand plane that created the shape and the surface of the edge that your friend is now admiring.

This does not mean that all the tools we use here are handmade. We are all fans of the Veritas Cabinet scraper, the LN low angle block planes, Japanese dovetail chisels, and Japanese pull saws. However, Robert finds it vitally important that we know how to make out own bevel gauges, chair scrapes, spokeshaves and flat edges with wood.

A few posts back we put up a picture of Jason's bench (above). To the right of the cabinet hangs his collection of wooden hand planes. The plane rack consists of two dowels per plane, sticking out from a piece of plywood. This design allows air to access all sides of the planes evenly. Wood being a living material, it requires consideration of seasonal changes to remain stable.

Among his collection is the last hand plane that James Krenov ever made- a smoothing plane made of mesquite. This hand plane was made last spring, only days before Jim would close his home shop forever. Also among the planes is a high angle wooden hand plane made of Macassar Ebony. This plane is a gift from Robert Van Norman, made at the beginning of this year's program. Jason has been using this plane quite frequently as it leaves an amazing surface on the Chinese Elm he is working with.

A few people have contacted Jason to inquire about the words written behind the hand planes. It is an excerpt from A Cabinetmaker's Notebook, by James Krenov. Gary Van Rawlins, a College of the Redwoods alum and one of Jason's mentors, often says this poem aloud in his shop from memory. A nod to the "Old Man."

We will place the excerpt below for your enjoyment. For best results, please grab a plank of friendly wood and your favorite wooden hand. Put a fresh edge on the iron, put the plank in some clamps or a vise and enjoy the work of your craft...

From A Cabinetmaker's Notebook by James Krenov
I stand at my workbench.
Shavings curl from the plane in my hands, swish-and-slide, as I rock to the motion of work. The smell of fresh-cut wood, a slick, silvery yellow surface gleaming under the tireless plane, and a feeling of contentment.
Nothing is wrong.

Here am I, here is my work- and someone is waiting for the fruits of these fleeting hours. My contentment is bound by the whitewashed walls of my little cellar shop, by the stacks of long-sought woods with their mild colors and elusive smells, by the planked ceiling through which I hear the quick footsteps of a child- and yet it is boundless, my joy.

The cabinet is taking shape. Someone is waiting for it. With a bit of luck, it will be liked, given continuity in a life of its own. Hands will caress this shimmery surface, a thumb will discover the edge, which I am rounding. An edge rounded with my plane, an edge cut rounded, but not sandpapered- a sensitive finger will understand its living imperfections and be pleased at the traces left by sharp steel on hardwood.

Through the years this edge will be polished, change tone, gleam in mellowness. Yet always it will bear the marks of my favorite tool.

Open House

2009-12-14T07:24:00.000-08:00

In past years, Inside Passage has had two shows per year. One in either December or January and one in May at the end of the year. With the amount of teaching that goes on first semester, the first show has always been one which looms over our heads as Craftsman Program students try to complete their exercises so they can move onto their first project.

Months ago, Robert made a suggestion to the class, "Let's make it an Open House." The idea caught on, and this Saturday we will be hosting an Open House at Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking. Each student's bench will be adorned with their work to date. Visitors will get to see some Wabi-Sabi cabinets, some hand made tools, some first projects that are days away from complete, as well as some completed furniture for both viewing pleasure and for sale.

We invite you all to attend, but for those that cannot, we will be posting a blog entry so you can catch a glimpse of the fine work our class and teachers are doing.

Michal Opalski should get most the credit for the below invite. While the picture is of Barb's current project (using sycamore marquetry on a boxwood cabinet). Michal took quite a bit of time out of his project to put this idea on paper for us. Thanks Michal.

Walk Arounds

2009-11-24T22:34:00.000-08:00

Walk-arounds are a great way for us to keep up with all the projects underway in the class. Every student shares their challenges and triumphs of each week which allows us to learn a great deal from each other.

Jason explains the challenges of curves in the complex construction of his lap desk. The interior assembly is now glued together and will be doweled between the top and bottom.

Daisuke shows off the beautifully planed surface on the top of his sycamore table.

Hong shows us the source of inspiration for the traditional Korean piece he has started.

After doing several mock-ups, Junior decides on a leg shape he is happy with for his table.

Evan tells us how the natural details in a piece of local Arbutus, along with a bunch of bright Arbutus berries, has inspired him to use the colours as an element in the door of his cabinet.

After planing almost every plank in the wood room, Ian chose the Red Elm. A gorgeous wood, but a defect was uncovered that caused him to rethink his project.

Don is using Chinese Elm which has a contrasting edge of sapwood he intends to incorporate into the design of his cabinet.

Bruce's coffee table out of Sapele will have a base joined by dovetails. He is also using the wood's naturally contrasting sapwood as a feature.

Neil tells us of the challenges he faces in the truly unique joinery between the legs and the base of his clock.

Steve N is much farther along than this picture represents. He is showing us the lumber-core construction of his piece that is proving to be a more desirable method for veneering.

Barb shows the twin floating mortise and tenon joint for the framed side panels of her cabinet.

Byron is using Yellow Cedar for his box with a double-curved lid, he actually has two underway.

Meredith shows us the exciting grain graphics that will wrap around her french walnut cabinet.

Steve W is using the "Mystery Wood" for the panels of his jewelry cabinet.

Michal O is also using Sapele for his music stand and explains the well thought out dimensions of the piece.

Michael A shows the mock-up for his cabinet that will feature two "floating" panels in the door.

We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to see the first piece Gary made at College of the Redwoods. A sweet little chest made of Koa for his daughter, it was great to hear the story of the piece and Gary's experience as one of JK's students.

First Projects

2009-11-24T22:32:00.000-08:00

First projects are underway now, and the shop is full of mockups and wooden parts...

Robert keeps a watchful eye over the class as wood is being broken out for first projects. Wood selection clearly being one of Robert's favorite processes, we saw him come back to life this week after a long month of feeling under the weather.

The mock-ups:

Meredith mistakes Hong's mock-up for a dancing cage.

The wood:

Ian listens closely in hopes that the wood will speak to him.

Wabi-Sabi Cabinets

2009-11-24T21:55:00.000-08:00

Robert made some changes to the curriculum this year including the Wabi-sabi cabinet exercise. Meaning 'beauty in imperfection', this exercise gives the students a chance to apply fundamental skills gained throughout the first semester of classes.

Starting with the process of carefully choosing grain graphics, the students learn how to mill their poplar planks into cabinet parts. Once they cooper and shape the concave door with the coopering planes made earlier in the year, the carcass of the cabinet is doweled together.

Often times a unique cabinet design will call for custom hinges, the students are taught to make all their own hardware to save the cost and headache of having them made.

Shelves and drawer pockets are planned out with 'let go', surfaces are hand planed and shellac finish is applied before the sides, top and bottom are glued together.

The students learn how to fit and install the door, make and fit dovetailed drawers and frame and panel back panels. Finally they experiment with carving pulls for the drawer and door and do a little more work with brass to make the wall-hangers.

Here they are showing the finished product with pride.

The only picture we could get of our camera-shy Michal O and his cabinet.

Set Blocks

2009-11-21T21:07:00.000-08:00

Set-blocks are useful in the machine room to hold place in line while waiting to use a machine. Some great ones have been made this year.

Shop Pets

2009-11-21T19:27:00.000-08:00

Having Lacey in the shop has been a great pleasure. Until lately, she usually spent her days here making the rounds from bench to bench. Ever since the new addition arrived, Lacey can be found in one of two places.

Post #1, at the wood-room door, obsessed with what is on the other side.

Meet our new shop pet (and Lacey's recent fixation) Josie, in her favorite spot under Robert's bench.

Post #2, outside Robert's bench-room.

Josie was quite timid at first, but now she enjoys taunting the dog from the other side of the window. She has also started to come out and explore the bench-room after hours when Lacey has gone home.

Neil presents the "His and Her's" Cabinet

2009-11-11T21:49:00.000-08:00

At Inside Passage we are taught that the quality of our work comes first. Taking the time to get every detail just right left a few of us staying behind to finish our projects after the 9 month program had ended. Unfortunately this meant that many of us were not able to present our finished pieces to the class. Being back for a second year allowed Neil the opportunity to present his "His and Her's" to this year's class.

Neil's chose woods that complimented each other harmoniously. Mahogany for the cabinet and Kwila for the stand.

When asked what his favorite part of the process was, Neil told us it was the dovetails. Pressed for time before the show, he put his head down and got them done without compromising the workmanship.

Neil showed his mock-up of the cabinet in the presentation. It is always interesting to compare the two when the piece is completed and see how the design evolved through the process.

Be sure to check out the work Neil has done at Inside Passage. Each alumni of Inside Passage has a page to exhibit the work they do here. You can access these pages through the Inside Passage website. Neil's page is at http://www.insidepassage.ca/neilmoledzki.htm

Treasures of the Creek- the Van Norman Family

2009-11-10T21:40:00.000-08:00

Below our last post, we added some nice pictures of Robert and Yvonne's family (minus the two cats). We had planned to add some words there, but decided to generate a new post instead.

This year, is the fifth at Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking. There are some outside influences that help along the way, but for the most part, you are looking at the two people that made all this happen. To their children they are an amazing example of a loving partnership and parents who make their children their first focus.

Jim Krenov wrote about, "the person in your life holding the other end of the plank." He was speaking of trust, support, commitment and a level of communication that can exist between two people above talk. Robert often speaks of Yvonne as his person holding the other end of the plank, as Jim spoke of Britta.

To the students Robert and Yvonne represent a support structure, a significant reason for our success now and after school. The obstacles we can find in and outside the shop often times seem unique to us, and frankly insurmountable. Robert and Yvonne always seem to have a word of guidance. This is partly due to the experiences they have gained, but the more probable explanation for such wisdom is their positive approach to all things.

Robert and Yvonne's children are always willing to give a helping hand to the school. Rob and Tadi rarely miss a presentation or show, a sign of support we all appreciate. Tadi has been known to sit for children of the school and Rob has actually been keeping the machines in the shop running better than brand new.

Alumni will already know this, but for those reading that are interested in coming to Inside Passage, your first call will be to Yvonne. As great as Robert is with teaching and woodworking, Yvonne is the gifted one when it comes to the front of the school. Yvonne works tremendously hard to make our family life easier while here in Roberts Creek. She helps us find a place in the community and does what she can to make the creek feel like home.

Thanks for keeping up with the activities here in Roberts Creek. We have many exciting posts planned including some more technical project reviews, a few alumni interviews and lots of presentations, so be sure to follow along. Also, please be sure to visit the school's website, www.insidepassge.ca

Lots to talk about

2009-11-08T17:56:00.000-08:00

It has only been four weeks since our last post, but here at Inside Passage, four weeks is like 3 months in the normal world. We will try to keep you more up-to-date in future posts. For now, just grab a cup of your favorite beverage, sit down, relax and enjoy a large dose of Tales from the Creekside Craftsmen. We have tales of illness traveling through the class, a wedding amongst our resident craftsmen, a new feline addition to the shop as well as a familiar guest instructor those familiar with the school will be glad to see shaping our students' minds, hands and hearts.

Please Enjoy...

Bruce is not often stumped, but here he seems to be either contemplating the next step of his Wabi-Sabi cabinet or just scratching an itch. Not only does Bruce have a good woodworking eye, he also has quite the photography eye. If you notice an increase in the quality of the photos for this post, it is due to Bruce. All of the photos below were taken by and compiled by Bruce. Thanks for the contribution Leonardo.

Barb is not only famous at IP for the quality of her work, but also for reminding us all to take a break. Students at Inside Passage must be present for class from 9-5 Monday through Saturday. Several students this year, including Barb, are here from 7-7. Most days at 3pm Barb walks over to the class bell and rings it remind us all to take an occasional break.

In the pic below, you can get a sneak peek at Barb's current project. She is producing Curly Sycamore marquetry on a Boxwood background. The piece she is planing is an exterior side of her showcase cabinet.

Steve is not often seen sitting down and relaxing in class. After just telling you how hard all the students work at Inside Passage, it is not without a sense of irony that we use this rare pic of Steve. He is reading The Impractical Cabinetmaker, the second of five books by James Krenov. Many of the students gleam inspiration from Jim's work and writing. Steve was actually planning his next project, now currently underway. The project is a showcase cabinet of veneer construction using Pear for the cabinet and Claro Walnut for the stand. The front of this beautiful work has two concave curved, glass paneled doors. At Steve's usual pace he should be done in a few days :)

Above, Jason is showing us why we call our style of craft, "Workmanship of Risk," a phrase coined by Dr. David Pye. Each piece of wood is unique and mistakes can be costly, but not taking the risk can be even costlier to one's level of workmanship.
The piece you see above is the interior for a desk that Jason has been working on. The interior creates two drawer boxes complete with "let-go" and "wrap around" grain graphics. In a future post we will explain what these terms mean, but for Jason they mean extra work, planning and risk.
He is placing dowel holes in each of the four corner posts to create reference points for his doweling template. We look forward to seeing the finished product, but not as much as his new wife, Corey. Unless someone puts up an offer they cannot refuse, the desk will be her wedding present.
Corey and Jason got married along the Swannanoa River in Western North Carolina on October 17th, 2009. Their trip back to Roberts Creek took the place of their honeymoon and we are excited to have a new member of our Inside Passage family.

Daisuke is famous at the school for his attention to detail. Often times, Robert will even use Daisuke's keen eye to check his own work, knowing that Daisuke will not shy away from telling Robert the truth. Fortunately, Robert's level of work rarely puts Daisuke in such a position.

Below, he is using a new technique we have been calling the sock clamp. Further below that pic you will find the cost of maintaining such high standards of work. Work hard, rest hard.

Byron has been quite the first year craftsman at Inside Passage this year. Another student brought a hand saw into the school and Byron liked it so much he made his own, (pic below). Byron has not only managed to raise the level of work in the school but has also quickly become apart of the Sunshine Coast community. He has been seen on a local soccer pitch as well as joining up with a local Search and Rescue group. It definitely adds something to the Inside Passage experience when you can find time to join the community here.

While Bruce has been documenting this year's class in photographs, his benchmate Don, has done so in note taking. With the script of an engineer, Don diligently takes notes during lectures. This practice has definitely translated well into his craft. Don is a great example of the level of detail that the school not only expects, but cultivates in a craftsman.

Above, Don and Ian scrutinize a Wabi-Sabi Cabinet. One of the traits of Inside Passage that is held most dear is the level of sharing within the class. One could think that with so many perfectionists and hard workers in one room, that a competitive environment would be natural. We definitely push each other at IP, we just do so through a sharing and open atmosphere, rather than through competition.

Rarely seen away from his bench and project, Evan is a big fan of horse back riding. It is hard to get the opportunity to ride though while studying at Inside Passage, so Evan borrowed his son's toy and stores his little vice under his bench at school.

Those familiar with the school will cringe at the below pic. Evan is doing his part to become a member of the "I cleaned the dust collector at IP" Club. Since this pic was taken, Rob Van Norman (Robert and Yvonne's son) applied his knowledge of machinery and made some adjustments to the dust collector. No one has had to clean the filters since and we are crossing our fingers that this elite club is taking no new members.

Hong is not nearly as intimidating as this picture would lead you to believe. He is incredibly nice and always willing to share his discoveries with his fellow students. He is also not in trouble, as the below picture would lead you to believe. If you have heard that Robert is the type of instructor that "Baby's" you along, you have heard wrong. While very willing to provide you with sound advice and help you out of the jams we all get into, Robert does not do the work for you. A very big policy of Robert's at the school, and one which all alumni will tell you made them a better woodworker.

Ian has a store of food underneath his bench. Most students have wood scraps and unfinished projects under their bench but Ian is, apparently, an incredibly efficient woodworker and needs no storage for such things. He is also not above making the mother of his new born daughter do his work for him. In the pic below, Mylene is giving the hand plane a try while holding Rya.

Junior has been a fan of the school for several years now and is taking full advantage of his time here. Below he can be seen sitting on the front porch of the school while working on the consoles for his Wabi-Sabi cabinet. "Consoles" is the term we use for movable shelf supports within a cabinet.

At the school we celebrate important family moments. One of our traditions at IP, is the last person to celebrate their birthday, provides the cake for the next birthday. A wonderful tradition, unless your birthday happens to be in the summer.

Meredith continues her wide array of contributions to the class. Not only is Meredith learning that she is a great craftswoman, but she has also been providing the class with endless rays of sunshine and laughter. Never one to accept white elephants in the room, Meredith asks the questions that everyone else is thinking and never fails to give you her honest opinion.

Above, Meredith dons the new Inside Passage attire for female woodworkers- JUST KIDDING!! Meredith found an article, from quite a few decades ago, describing proper woodworking attire for women and decided to give it a run on Halloween. This trick was quite the treat for the class.

Michal O is always there for a friend but does not enjoy being the subject of photography, as seen below. When the students complete their Wabi-Sabi cabinets they will have the choice of either keeping the cabinet or tossing it in the fire. Michal says he will most likely keep the poplar cabinet you see below, as he is deservedly proud of the work.

Michael A is often seen camped out at his bench, hard at work on his cabinet. Above, Michael is putting a beautiful surface on his shelf. The level of surface quality that can only come from a wooden hand plane.

Even with two pairs of glasses on, six eyes were not enough for Morrie to see the sickness bugs headed his way. Morrie has been absent for the past week due to an illness that spread through the classroom. Any given day this past week, we had up to five students out, all due to sickness. Morrie has been a true pleasure to have in the class this year. Some of you alumni may recognize him, as he has been a fan of the school for quite awhile and came to visit frequently. Below, he holds one of the younger members of our Inside Passage family. The family atmosphere here at the school truly differentiates it from similar programs.

Morrie's wife is here with him and I am sure he would attest, as we all would, that family support is something we could not do without.

This year, the maintenance of the machines has fallen on all the members of the class. It has been a great opportunity for the students to learn about the machines that assist us in our craft. The school is geared heavily toward the use of hand tools, but without the help of the machines, we would have very little time to learn those techniques. Neil is taking time to dial in the thickness planer.

Neil's clock is moving right along. He has the components of the stand built and is perfecting the joinery that will hold it together. The complexity of the joinery has forced Neil into practicing on poplar, prior to using his Padauk. He is doing great work and the clock will certainly be an example of that.

Steve has been a great addition to a very strong craftsman class at Inside Passage. Currently, he is working on his mortise and tenon joinery exercise and his wedged tenons are structurally sound and beautiful. Some students are making small saw horses that fit into the tool well on their work bench while others are making standard size saw horses. Both sets are of european design and made out of Ash. They make great companions in any shop and were made popular by James Krenov.

What blog entry would be complete without a couple pics of our shop dog, Lacey? The last couple of weeks, Lacey has also had a new project to tend to. She has been stalking our new shop cat, Josey. Josey is a cat belonging to Rob Van Norman, and while he is in Roberts Creek helping out his family and the school, Josey has been spending her time in Robert's benchroom. Lacey is ever watchful of an opportunity to sneak in and pester the cat, mostly out of curiosity- we hope.

Activity in the Shop

2009-10-10T16:46:00.000-07:00

The students finished making several wooden hand planes prior to our last update. Now they are beginning to learn the art of making the hand planes "sing." Below, Junior puts some finishing touches into a jointer plane. Making hand tools really seems to be one of his labors of love.

Each of the students is working on their "Wabi-Sabi" cabinets. Accordiing to Robert, "Wabi Sabi" means "beauty in imperfection." The first step of this cabinet is creating a coopered door. Below, Evan does the final shaping of his door.

Here, Morrie and Byron both take a minute to hone their tools in order to achieve the perfect surface.

Lacey stands guard over the wood room. Ferocious, isn't she?

Steve has a consult with Robert regarding his next project. One-on-one time with Robert is held in high regard at the school. He provides each of his students with sound advice without lessening their creative voice.

Here, Robert is providing Michal with guidance as well. Whether you are a first year craftsman or a 3rd year Resident Craftsman, Robert's years of experience comes in very handy. Here, Michael is working on the final touches of his knife hinges. The students take pride in making every part of their cabinet, including the hardware.

Hong is checking the fit on his Wabi-Sabi Cabinet. The cabinets are a new addition to the curriculum this year. By the end of the process, each student will have completed all their exercises and will have a coopered door cabinet with drawer as proof. Whether they choose to keep or burn this cabinet remains to be seen.

Many students at Inside Passage find a part of the craft that they love and are naturally gifted at. One of Barb's many gifts is marquetry. Jason Klager, an alum and part-time instructor at the school gave Barb a few nudges in the right direction while she was in her Craftsman year at IP. Barb has taken those nudges and created some gorgeous works of art with this new found skill. She is currently working on a showcase cabinet in Sycamore and Boxwood. Believe it or not, the work below is her "Practice." Check out her new blog.

Daisuke finishes up a new drawer for the kitchen, determined to get it organized. He is waiting for the wood he milled for his next project to settle which will be a coffee table out of Curly Sycamore and Eastern Maple with his signature six legs.

Neil's Clock Taking Shape

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Neil made big progress on his reproduction of JK's clock. He glued up the bent laminations for the stand in padauk, and rough cut the clock face out of a nice block of camphor, which looks great but has a really strong and unusual scent.

The clock stand is constructed using bent laminations, a glue up that requires some assistance. Here Barb stands by with clamps ready for Neil.

The glue-up was a success, see evidence below.

Kite Making

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Bruce has a very eclectic set of interests, and you never know what you'll find him making at his bench. This past week found him making a kite which he then tested out down at the beach in Roberts Creek (with Carrie providing assistance).

Steve's Presentation

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Toward the end of his Craftsman year at Inside Passage, Steve began a hall table of Walnut and Curly Maple. It was an ambitious project to take on with such little time in the program, but it was his fifth project that first year (most accomplish two projects).

Not one to shy away from a challenge, Steve set out to make this veneer construction table with eight curved front drawers, all having a unique angle where the front dovetails meet the sides. This required a separate chopping block for each drawer and seemingly endless preparation. The glue-ups alone were enough to frustrate even the most tenured of woodworkers.

The mirror he whipped up in only a few days toward the end of this past week. He presented the piece Friday afternoon in the benchroom of the school.

We have started a new tradition here at Inside Passage. When a resident craftsman/woman completes a project, the other resident craftsmen provide the food and beverages for their presentation. Barb, Jason and Neil provided some good treats and the first year craftsman stood in awe as Steve gave them a peek into his abilities and work ethic.

As you can see, the results were worth the effort. Steve has once again raised the bar for his peers here at the school and is already underway designing a showcase cabinet. (Updates to follow in future posts) Enjoy!!!

Big Mess in the Machine Room

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Neil was busy re-sawing padauk in the machine room last week for his project. Padauk is beautiful but the dust goes everywhere. Cleanup that day was a real chore, but seeing the clock when he's done will make it all worthwhile.

First Presentation

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Barb completed her first project, a beautiful box in lacewood and mendocino cypress, and presented it to the class this past week.

New Faces at the school

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School has been back in session for a month now. We have setup this blog in the hopes that you will be able to keep up with our projects, the challenges we face in the coming year or even a friend or family member you know at the school.

We are craftsmen first, so please do not be critical of our journalistic shortcomings.

The first year students are off and running into their exercises. They have already made several wooden hand planes, honed their sharpening techniques, shaped their gumby legs and are coopering doors for their Wabi-Sabi cabinets.

Barb has already completed a box of lacewood as a warm-up exercise, presented it to the class this past week and has started working on a showcase cabinet. Steve has completed his "eighth" project and is working on a mirror to complement the walnut side board with eight drawers. Jason is continuing work on his elm laptop and Daisuke, who finished a chair this summer has begun work on a coffee table in curly sycamore. Neil is off to a productive start on his krenovian clock. He has re-sawn his laminates and is preparing to glue them together on a curved form.

Robert and Yvonne will be hosting a memorial honoring the life and work of James Krenov at the school. If you are interested, we encourage you to contact Yvonne for details. Robert is busy in the planning stages of his first project for this year. He is promising to hold himself to the same guidelines as the first year students- "small, simple, solid, and sweet." Details to follow in future posts.

Morrie from Halfmoon Bay, BC applying glue to some wood he brought from home to dry in the kiln.

Neil from Sechelt, BC working on a reproduction of a clock by James Krenov. Neil is back for a second year and had been a big help to the first year students.Barb from Roberts Creek, BC all dressed up:
Meredith from Vancouver, BC brings an artistic energy to the class and has shown great dedication and perseverance during the exercises. She keeps spirits high with her sense of humor.
Byron from Port Moody, BC seems to complete exercises before Robert even completes the lecture and is still looking to learn more as he explores our craft.
Michael from Edmonton, Alberta working on an edge joint for his coopered door. He is a very quiet and productive classmate.
Don from Golden, BC shared a great quote with some of the class, "Nature is the standard for truth and beauty." Very applicable to our wood room.
Ian from Calgary, Alberta is here with his wife and newborn daughter Rya. There is a lot of thought and a quest for perfection evident in the Ian's approach.
Evan from Bellingham Washington has moved with his wife and young son August. While August brings the class smiles and youth, Evan brings his tenacious search for perfection.
Hong from Vancouver, BC was here for the Artisan classes in the summer and is back for 9 more months.
Daisuke from Japan is here for a third year to set a fine example for the rest of us!
Bruce from Smithers BC has left his large family and farm to come and pursue his love of woodworking. On top of completing all of his exercises, he has naturally taken on the role of school spokesperson by greeting everyone as they enter the school and also being the resident handyman.
Steve from Placerville, California arrived with his best friend Lacey (his beautiful dog...) who has become loved by everyone in the school.
Michal from Victoria, BC and Byron discussing how to build their first Krenovian wooden hand planes.
Junior from Sydney, BC showing off a perfect shaving from one of his first hand planes he made at the school.
Jason from Asheville, North Carolina feeling pride for his well organized bench.
Steve from Ladysmith, BC meticulously chopping dovetails for his walnut sideboard.