Welcome to the current publication of Heart Hand and Eye, Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking’s newsletter celebrating the work of our students, alumni and faculty.

On Friday afternoon after class, Robert made the first presentation of this year, a letter box in cocobolo, tasmanian blackwood and port orford cedar.

“To know and not to do is not to know”

Wang Yang Ming

First Semester Show & Open House

JK Lectures

“…from the beginning you are aware of beautiful lines and good work, good work you know, properly done and nice attention to detail, pleasant to run the hand over, explore it by touch. All those things, be lucky. But be lucky in the sense that have something pleasant to offer. That’s about what I can do, you know there is a temptation to imitate someone else or make something so wild that no one can live with it, that’s possible. I’m talking about the mild, kind of sensible approach and don’t imitate machine made things. On the contrary separate yourself from them by leaving the touch of your tools, and your hands, and your eyes…”

James Krenov November 7, 2008

Craftsman Program

Our students have completed their fundamental exercise and have moved onto first projects.

Michael from England is enjoying the process of shaping his kwila curved door of his wall cabinet, and it shows.

Barb from British Columbia Canada cutting some fine joinery for a curved top dovetailed box in lacewood.

With his curved door shaped, Fergal from Ireland selects the rest of his material for his lovely wall cabinet in teak.

Grig from Romania uses the bandsaw to shape his mockup for a box to be made of some london plane harvested by Doug in the eighties.

Jody from Ontario Canada resaws some Honduras mahogany for the top of his side table with a drawer.

Yosuke from Japan uses negative templates to select the locally harvested Elm for his coopered wall cabinet.

Neil from British Columbia Canada selects the graphics for a coopered lid box to be made from a lovely plank of plum, a gift from Juan Carlos.

With doweling complete, Craig from Minnesota United States mocks up the interior of his fine locally harvested arbutus and apple wall cabinet.

Steve from Ontario Canada selects the apple for the panels of his walnut wall cabinet.

Hannah from England has a lovely box with two sliding lids underway in damson, from a tree harvested from her parents property in England.

Derek from Manitoba Canada uses his shop made smoother to clean up the surfaces of a plank of kauri pine to be used for his hidden mitered dovetailed box.

Nick from Minnesota United States used his coopering and jointer planes to shape the chopping block for his tapered and curved joinery for his locally harvested arbutus box.

Brad from Alberta Canada has a fine cabinet in a very sweet piece of kwila underway which will feature door using a Chinese inspired cracked ice panel.

Jason from North Carolina United States uses one of his fine planes to surface a wonderful plank of doussie as he looks for the parts for his wall hung whiskey cabinet which will feature compound curved shaped doors.

Resident Craftsman

Resident Craftsman Daisuke Tanaka from Japan continues to serve as a fine mentor to our first year students and has an desk of Swiss pear underway which features four curved drawers.

Resident Craftsman Doug Ives is nearing the completion of the vanity. He has the joinery for the curved sided drawers underway.

Faculty

Resident Craftsman & Teacher Juan Carlos Fernandez has been working on the mockup for his next piece, a five sided compound curved box. He has a real passion for design and our students benefit a great deal from having this fine young craftsman as a teacher.

Craftsman & Teacher Ian Godfrey shown here a few weeks back during his perceptive drawing class. Ian recently completed a walnut rocking chair with leather upholstery and has already moved onto a bench. If you would like to follow his progress visit his blog.

A Teachers Notebook

by Robert Van Norman
Resident Craftsman & Teacher

‘Letters Home’

With the kwila milled and settling in my benchroom, I turn my attention to the letter box to be made of some very sweet wood I had milled and set aside some time ago.

When I unwrapped the parts there was little to no movement allowing me to avoid the machine room for a while. I spend a few minutes familiarizing myself again with the material. I reach for a favorite plane and began planing the inside surfaces of the box. The cocobolo I am using is milder than what I am used to. It is much lighter in color and weight and has wonderful figure. It takes a fine finish off the plane. The shavings have a floral fragrance. I turn my attention to squaring off the ends. I reach for my shooting board and realize that it has been neglected for some time. I am anxious to get to the joinery so tuning it up will have to wait for now. I sneak into the machine room and make a few crosscuts then quickly and head back to the tranquility of my benchroom.

The scribe feels familiar in my hand, it has been with me for many years and slices a very fine line where I have intended. I reach for an off-cut and sketch a few layouts, decide on one and proceed to layout the pins. I begin from the outside edges and work my way towards the center. I draw not straight lines with a bevel gauge, but subtle curves by eye.

My saw is still warm from cutting joinery with the students last week and cuts effortlessly somewhat close to my line. Leaving to much will mean a lot of paring and the potential for shifting. I draw a few more lines in between a couple of pins and get familiar with the wood getting progressively closer to the line until my confidence returns. My eyes are no longer as sharp as they once were, I adjust my lights, take a deep breath and cut as close as I dare to the waist side of each line.

With the sawing of my pins complete, I make a coffee and spend a few minutes on my edges. I modify a few angles and test the end grain looking at the quality of cut and checking durability. The angle is what it is, perhaps an angle similar to what I would use for kwila.

I pull out my chopping block and plane the edge square to the bottom face. I clamp the block on my scribe line and adjust by tapping it lightly with my small hammer.

I begin chopping the sockets, “A little down, a little in, and don’t get greedy!” Jim would say. The wood has some curl and I have to keep the cuts light or the chisel wants to dive. I remove the work piece from the chopping block and pare each set of pins square to the end. I put my tools down turn off my lights and head out for a walk.

When I arrive back at the school most of the student are already at their benches and a few are setting up machines anxiously waiting for some power. Juan Carlos taught doweling this morning and the students are busy working on the doweling exercise. I begin to make my rounds. The doweling exercise is a good warm up for many of our students who have decided on wall cabinets.

The sky was very clear on my walk in this morning. The stars were brilliant and shape of the moon reminds me that we need to spend some time with our coopering planes which we will need next week. I arrive at the school make my way through my benchroom, the woodroom and wander around looking at the previous evenings work. There are a few new joints, a few new exercises completed. The benchroom feels calm, it feels like a place where people want to be. That is important that we feel comfortable and relaxed in our work. I wander back into the machine room and have a look in the wood box finding mostly firewood.

It is times like this that I am reminded why we built this school. I look around the room and realize that people are committed to this way of working, curious enough to travel fare distances and relocating their families to join us. I am filled with a deep sense of gratitude to our students, for without them our school would simply not exist.

The students begin to arrive, we chat share a coffee and a bad joke. I head back to my little room to get some work done. I sit down at my bench and study my early morning work and discover that the spacing isn’t as bad as I remember. I reach for my paring chisel, give a quick hone and set to work paring a little flare into each of the pins. Too much it makes the fitting to the tails a little tougher, too little or inconstant and it begins to look like a miss. I enjoy this process, the chisel cuts across the brittle grain shaving a little more from the center lighting up the cut at the end to prevent blowing out the back side. As I hold the chisel completes the cut I rest its back against the side of the pin. The back of the chisel is polished and helps me judge the depth of flare. It needs a bit more so I take another pass. The first few take a while but as my confidence improves so does the efficiency and ease of my work. My neck is getting tired, I readjust my light and decide to stand for a while.

The students have gathered on the deck for a break, I make a coffee and join them. The sun warms our spirits and the cool fall air is fresh the talk is all about the United States election. The world just seems like a better place this morning.

I return to my cozy benchroom, put away a few tools and set up for the transfer. I scribe the tail stock, keeping in mind my layout and not scribing where it is not necessary. I sharpen my pencil and carefully transfer my lines. This cocobolo is unusually light and I can see my line without having to change my lead hardness. I sit down at the end of my bench and begin sawing the tails. I rotate the work piece in the vice giving me a vertical line. I tilt my saw almost un perceptively towards the outside of the joint which will make my pin socket tighter towards the outside of the joint. It is not that I do not trust my saw or my hands but it gives my a little room for miss reading the grain during initial paring.

I clearly mark my waste before set the chopping block up. I find a few narrow chisels and realize that I am limited to just one for the chopping. I like the look of small pins but sometime it can get me in trouble. I head out to the grinder and make a few modifications to another chisel and hollow grind the iron of my block plane while I am out there. The machine room is pretty quite, just myself and a second year student. I am humbled by the complexity of his work and am grateful for the simple work I have chosen.

I return to my bench and begin to chop, making sure not to bruise the sides of the tails. The chisel has been modified to allow me to get much closer to the corners but I will need to remove the last of the crumbles with a knife, one with a modified bevel on just one side allowing me to get into the corners without diving. I will leave the fitting for the morning when I feel fresh. The sun is shining and it is time for a walk.

The next morning I am treated to lovely light streaming through the windows of my benchroom as I carefully pare to fit each of the joints. The first corner takes a while, as my confidence return so does the efficiency of my work. I dry fit the box mark outside edges and face with blue tape and return to the machine room to run the slots for my bottom panel of and for the frame and panel lid. While I am there I size the panel of port orford cedar using my story stick and run the lip for the panel on the shaper.

The students have their mockups underway as I return from my walk. We look at sketches, talk about volume, shapes and of course the wood. There are several planks on sawhorses throughout the shop and the floor is filled with fresh shavings. The smell reminds me of my little shop in the mountains years ago. There is excitement, hesitation and lots of enthusiasm, a wonderful environment for careful work.

I assembled the letter box the previous day. I reach for my favorite smoother and with the box clamped to the side of my bench I begin to take flush off the joinery. The cocobolo is rowed however with alight cuts and sharp iron the light shavings reveal a fine surface. The edges are softened carefully ensuring “kindly edges.”. The final test is by feel with my eyes gently closed. This is something I learned early on and has stayed with me. Our hands are equally as sensitive as our eyes often picking up what our eyes miss.

Ian arrives at the school with a rocking chair in walnut and leather he recently completed. We move it into the center of the gallery and he invites me to sit. It is as comfortable as it is beautiful. I am filled with a deep since of pride for this fine young craftsman and teacher.

I return to my benchroom and try some finish on an off cut. I decide on a light coat of oil with a little wax. The cocobolo is lovely untreated but over time would get dirty with frequent handling. There is something almost sensual about applying oil, the color and figure in the wood becomes alive as I rub down each surface and edge. I go out and visit with the students, share a moment with Yvonne and head back to my benchroom and remove the oil that has bled back to the surface.

The afternoon is spent discussing joinery and rebates. The progress is good. The previous week we discussed the importance of keeping procedure lists which our students are encouraged to keep. We will need to talk about the making and installation of hinges and wooden latches, which we will begin tomorrow. I prepare for tomorrow’s lecture and make a handout so they can concentrate on the demonstration instead of taking notes.

After a cup of coffee with one of my students, I return to my benchroom and mockup my frame and panel lid. I have an idea of what I want and after and a few minutes I take the material which has been resting down to final dimension and begin cutting the joinery.The graphics show an inward curve, hopefully drawing attention to the panels. I begin on the bandsaw carefully cutting the open mortises. I then cut the shoulders for the tenons on the table saw and the cheeks of the tenons on the bandsaw. The small rails require mortises, so I head over to the mortiser. Working with this machine, the way we do requires minimal setup and is a true example of workmanship of risk. This is a machine process which I enjoy very much.

I return to my bench and carefully fit the joinery. I had intended on using a very sweet of piece of narra, a gift from a former student. The grain is a fine match with the cocobolo and planes beautifully however it is a little too yellow. I search through a few planks and come across a piece of very tight grained curly Tasmanian Black wood. The plane slices through the sawn exterior surface revealing lovely brown wood with a little flash of red. I reach for my amber polish to bring out the rich warm tones in the wood. I hold it next to the box and am pleased with the combination. I cut out a negative template and find my panels, return to our fine bandsaw and saw the book matched panels, which have a subtle inward curve. I set them aside to rest and head out for my walk.

I arrive back at the school to find many of the students waiting for me to turn on the power. There is wood to cut, mockups to refine which leads us back to the wood for answers. I will put off making hinges with them until tomorrow. There are many questions to answer and lots of wood to look at with our students.

I arrive at school before six and after my morning ritual of coffee and wondering through the shop, I head into the machine room. I have the frame and today I will mill the tenons, one each of the panels. After a brief visit to the table saw for the shoulders I spend a few minutes tuning the bandsaw and then cut the cheeks. The saw is cutting so well it is hard to tell that it is a sawn surface, this enables me to get an almost fit off the saw. I return to my benchroom and after a few passes with a file I have a fine fit. A few of the students have arrived so we chat and I clean off my bench. I sharpen a few irons begin to soften the edges and prepare the surfaces of my frame and panel components. I enjoy this work, shaping is a sensitive thing. We can change the way people look at the work with transitions and steps. After a couple of hours, I am applying finish. A light coat of my oil mixture for the exterior of the frame. The panels will receive a couple light coats of amber polish then wax.

I just finished the hinge making demonstration and am reminded never to assume anything. The number bit I use for the pin hole prior to reaming was been replaced with a larger bit and my pin slips right on through my press fit hole. I tell the students I do this for demonstration purposes and we have share a laugh. The remainder of the day is spent mostly looking at wood and discussing changes with their mockups. It has been overcast for a few days but this afternoon the sun came out for a while, many of use take a break on the deck.

I arrive at the school at six thirty, I spent some time at home in front of the wood stove sketching this morning. Working is giving me ideas for new pieces and I am feeling inspired once again. I know that these pieces will have to wait as I have enough work to carry me through until the spring. I begin the assembly of the frame and panel. I do my glue ups in manageable stages, working from the inside out. While in clamps I go through the kwila, narra and kauri pine that I milled a few weeks back for my next piece, a small sewing table.

It is saturday morning and I arrive at the school early, I couldn’t sleep last night. I remember getting like this when I am nearing the completion of a piece. Questions, Did I make the best use of the material? Will the client like it? Do I like it? The answers will have to wait. I run the lip on the panel and cleanup the edges with a file and a bit of paper and apply some wax. We are entering the dry season so fitting the lid too tight will mean a call from the client next summer so I spring the fit, planing a slight curve along its length giving it room to breath the slot yet giving it some tension so the box can be handled without having to worry about the lid sliding out unintentionally.

After several sketches and mockups I decide on a pull. I pull out a small piece of Costa Rican cocobolo from a stash of wood under my bench, a little darker than the Nicaraguan I used in for the box. I cut off a slice and mock up the pull in the real wood and it seems to work. I take my finished frame and panel into the machine room and attach a block to stabilize the cut. I hold my breath and make light passes with the sharp end mill on the mortiser leaving a clean mortise. The Cocobolo I have for the pull is not large enough for the machines so I sized it by hand back at the bench. I make a quick jig to hold my pull as I run it over the shaper to form the tenon. I head back to my room stopping by the front bench announcing to the class that I will present on Friday at the end of the day.

I pull out a few gouges, files and a small shop made scraper and a finish pull and fit the tenon. I apply some finish, make a couple of clamping cauls and clamp the pull in place.

I leave the shop early and take a walk. I am filled with a deep sense of gratitude for the new found balance in my life.

Alumni

Congratulations Scott King who has two articles on the pieces he made as a student in the craftsman program in 2006-2007 in Fine Woodworking Furniture 102 Contemporary Designs by Taunton press. Kathy’s Chair appears on page 82 and Isabella’s Treasure Chest on page 156-157. For more information about acquiring his furniture visit his website.

Facility

The Chinese Elm arrived at the school in mid-August at a moisture content of 21.5%. It was stickered and has been drying at the school since that time.

The elm with an average moisture content of less than 10%, has been transferred to our woodroom. I would like to thank Nick for his curiosity, checking the kiln each day checking the moisture content and emptying the water from the tank. A few of our students are using the arbutus that we pulled from the kiln prior to loading the elm. The results have been very good. Our students made their exercise drawers out of arbutus and the wood seemed very stable. A few have gone on to using this wood in their first pieces.

The kiln has been loaded again with some very wide planks of figured locally harvested 10/4 arbutus. The arbutus was at 23% moisture content. A week later we removed several liters of water and the wood has dropped to 18%.

Heart Hand & Eye Gallery

New in the gallery, walnut and leather Rocking Chair by Ian Godfrey. If you would like to see first hand the impeccable craftsmanship of this piece and new work by this years class, alumni and faculty, plan on attending our fourth annual First Semester Show and Open House on December 20, 2008.

This exceptional cabinet is available for purchase. If you would like more information please call Yvonne at our Gallery toll free at 1.877.943.9663

Our Annual Student Show & Open House takes place on December 20th. Open House will take place from 1-5pm at the school. The show will take place in the Heart Hand & Eye Gallery from 7-10pm. If you would like more information or assistance with finding accommodation, contact Yvonne toll free at 1.877.943.9663.

Programs for 2009

We are accepting registrations for our Artisan and Guest Faculty Programs for 2009. If you would you would like more information or would like to register call Yvonne toll free at 1.877.943.9663. Alternatively registrations may be faxed to 1.604.885.9711.

We are currently accepting applications for the 2009-2010 Craftsman Program.

Artisan Program Schedule for 2009

Heart Hand & Eye will return on November 2nd just prior to the start of first projects.

JK Lectures

“…The eye is a marvelous thing, it doesn’t just measure it weighs, it judges the weight of what you are looking at…the sides are over three quarters of an inch thick, they need help, a rabbit, or a rounding or something, they need help because they look to heavy. .. so the eye does not only look at the shape and and so on, the size but it weighs what you are looking at. There are things that are built beautifully and just look very very light, you know they have that quality that they look gentle…the more you round the edge the more you emphasize the edge or thickness, you don’t detract from the thickness, a rabbit may divide the thickness a little bit and that’s better than a soft round, remember that please. And with a rabbit you can create a little tiny bit of rise or the difference in the way the light touches an edge but with a rounded edge, it looks all the same the whole length of it. So keep reminding yourself of the different techniques, the different tools, and the different appearances you can give to the same object. ..”

James Krenov October 19, 2008

Craftsman Program

Michael from England uses a shim to cleanup the the scribe line on his very tidy drawer front joinery in kwila.

Barb from British Columbia Canada removes the waste on her impeccable drawer side joinery made of locally harvested arbutus.

Fergal from Ireland uses one of his fine shop made paring chisels made the previous week to flair the tails of his drawer joinery.

Grig from Romania completed the Artisan Program in August and is due at the school any day.

Jody from Ontario Canada shows his nicely fit drawer joinery in kwila and arbutus.

A very focused, Yosuke from Japan uses his fine saw to cut the half blind pins in his drawer front.

Neil from British Columbia Canada uses a shop made knife to clean up his practice joinery in poplar before moving onto the drawer making and fitting exercise. Neil has shown remarkable progress in the last year and a half that I have come to know this nice young man.

Craig from Minnesota United States continues to do exceptionally neat and tidy work.

Steve from Ontario Canada completed his drawer joinery and has moved onto try cutting dovetails on a double curve.

Hannah from England completed the Artisan Program in August and is due to arrive at the school this coming week.

Derek from Manitoba Canada uses one of his shop made chisels to clean up some very tidy tails.

Nick from Minnesota United States completed some very fine drawer joinery before moving on to explore more advanced joinery.

Brad from Alberta Canada has done some very fine work since arriving at the school, and always does it with passion and style.

Jason from North Carolina United States checks the edge of his drawer front for square as he fits his drawer fronts to the pocket of his student cabinet just prior to cutting some sweet joinery.

Resident Craftsman

Resident Craftsman Daisuke Tanaka from Japan has really set the bar high for all of us. He is making fine progress on his pear writing desk with curved sided drawers in eastern maple. Daisuke also takes the time to carefully mentor our first year students.

Resident Craftsman Doug Ives is our in house computer repair person. When he is not busy working on the several commissions currently underway including a fir sink stand, an spalted birch urn with curved dovetail joinery both of which are nearing completion. He will soon return his attention to his speculative dragon fly cabinet soon to be available for purchase in our Heart Hand & Eye Gallery.

Faculty

Resident Craftsman & Teacher Juan Carlos Fernandez has mocked up yet another incredible piece which he will be starting very soon when he completes Beatriz’ coffee table with compound angled joinery in bubinga and kwila. His latest piece will be going in for photography very soon and is currently available for purchase in our Heart Hand & Eye gallery.

Craftsman & Teacher Ian Godfrey discusses drawer joinery with Nick. Ian will have two new pieces in the upcoming first semester show on December 20, 2008 at our Heart Hand & Eye Gallery. A walnut rocker and an ash stool both with leather upholstery.

A Teachers Notebook

Since the last publication of Heart Hand & Eye, our students have completed their sawhorses, several tools and implements including shooting boards, diagonal sticks, chisels and knives and a drawer. This coming week our students will fit the drawer made from kwila and arbutus, or madrone, to the pockets of their student cabinets. Carve and fit a pull before moving onto doweling and frame and panel.

This past week I returned to my bench and mocked up a sewing table to be made from a wonderful plank of narra we picked up from our friends at Gilmers in the fall of 2006. The highly prismatic rich gold color darkens with age and is easily worked with fine edges and will work well for the marquetry planed for the top, or so I thought.

I placed the Narra on my bench carefully sliding the rather heavy plank against the far dog on my bench. I reached for a favorite plane. One of vera, a gift from JK. The plane has lovely weight and fits my hand as good or better than any I have used. Golden shavings fall off the side of my hands as the plane glides effortlessly across the plank. The bench is creaking, so I take my small Japanese hammer from my bench and tap each of the tusk tenons at the end of the stretchers. I go back to planing and again, I feel reconnected with my work.

Its holiday Monday and it is still dark when I arrive at the school a few minutes before six. I go into my cozy little benchroom and turn on my bench lights. I walk through the woodroom and open the front doors of the school in the benchroom. I grind some beans and make a coffee and turn on a few more lights. I make my way past the front bench through the machine room and unlock the back door. I walk past the wood box and pick out a few pieces and then put them back leaving them for someone else to discover. I return to my bench, turn on the radio and listen to the six o’clock news.

I pull out a few sketches of the small sewing table. I predict a few dimensions from the sketch and head out to the machine room where I saw and dowel together something that approximates what I want. I cut legs, four of them each with intention but slightly different and return to my benchroom, reach for my spokeshave and begin fairing the curve and shaping the legs. This kind of work is truly joyful work, liberating work. The poplar is mild and it doesn’t bit back if I am not paying close enough attention. I assemble the mockup, step back and look. Too heavy and the pinch is too low in the leg. I take another leg and shape, this one is more what I had hoped for and leave the other two for later on, should things change. Now the volume of the table is wrong. I dismantle again and head back to the saw with the aprons. Its nice to have a fine saw, one that sounds smooth and is free of vibration. I take a few millimeters, then a few more. Back through the benchroom where a few of the students have arrived and are enjoying a coffee. We talk and I go back into my room and put the mockup back together. Better but it needs something. I grab an off cut of veneer and cut it to width with my favorite knife. I attach it to the bottom side of the apron, a little thinner and now it seems right.

The next morning I read a few pages from A Cabinetmakers Notebook, look over my notes and head out to the main benchroom to cut dovetails with a very eager group, and why not, I can’t think of a better way to spend a sunny and brisk fall morning. We talk about the coming elections, of coffee and the beautiful place in which we live. I ring the bell and we all gather around the front bench and talk about the lovely fall we are having and the recent bear sittings. We discuss things that they have bin working on, how those imperfections that they stressed about all weekend were not nearly as bad as when they left on Saturday. I go through the layout, not bevel gauges, but by eye. We need to start trusting our eyes more, not because we are an “Artist” and need creative freedom, but because our eyes pick up what measuring devices cannot. Our eyes take in consideration grain, tones and subtle curves which bring our work alive. The saw cuts straight, yes but we do not fit off the saw, we just sharpened it and it cuts beautifully but the joint needs a fine chisel to carefully remove the fuzz left from the saw and mate the subtle curve we have put into the pins. We are cutting kwila and locally harvested arbutus. This kwila is a little brittle and care must be taken not to tear the fibers near our scribe line. “Don’t get greedy.” Jim would say. The arbutus is much easier to make friends with. It’s fine grain and color much like air dried pear wood . It requires lower angles on our chisels and light cuts. I finish up my attempt at making it look easy and send them off to their benches with a bit of hope. Juan Carlos and Ian are both able to cut the joints at least as well as I. I have begun to realize my evolving place at the school remembering that we need not only to show our students how but why we work the way we do.

On Saturday morning I arrive at the school shortly before six. Ian’s day to teach, I will work at my bench. For the last few nights I have festered over the wood. On Thursday morning I came to the realization that the highly prismatic plank of narra from which the sewing table evolved was not going to work for the piece. The plank had been cut from the log on the diagonal making it impossible to get the grain graphics the way I wanted. In the mean time I pulled out a plank of kwila that I have had with me for eight years and began to plane the surface. The chocolate brown sheared surfaces glimmer with silica which I know will require frequent sharpening but the wood works easily. As I cleanup the plank I discover some interesting figure inconsistently throughout the plank. Another disappointment. How can I possibly get what I need from this piece with consistant figure. I tell my students that they need to be prepared to have the wood shape the piece, even after mockups are complete. Let the wood speak, and do our best to listen. While the kwila does not have the highly prismatic properties of the narra the marquetry I had intended to use is not likely to work. The inconsistency of the figure makes it difficult to get graphics with any symmetry. I make a few sketches and look at the mockup again. This time imagining it with the figure on just two corners, draping itself over the top down the aprons, drawer fronts and the legs. I return to the machine room, plank in hand with renewed enthusiasm.

Resident Craftsman & Teacher Robert Van Norman

Alumni

Congratulations Scott King who has two articles on the pieces he made as a student in the craftsman program in 2006-2007 in Fine Woodworking Furniture 102 Contemporary Designs by Taunton press. Kathy’s Chair appears on page 82 and Isabella’s Treasure Chest on page 156-157. For more information about acquiring his furniture visit his website.

Facility

The Chinese Elm arrived at the school in mid-August at a moisture content of 21.5%. It was stickered and has been drying at the school since that time.

Heart Hand & Eye Gallery

Parquetry Cabinet by Lael Gordon

Anchorage Alaska

This exceptional cabinet is available for purchase. If you would like more information please call Yvonne at our Gallery toll free at 1.877.943.9663

Our Annual Student Show & Open House takes place on December 20th. Open House will take place from

1-5pm at the school. The show will take place in the Heart Hand & Eye Gallery from 7-10pm. If you would like more information or assistance with finding accommodation, contact Yvonne toll free at 1.877.943.9663.

Artisan, Guest Faculty & Craftsman Programs for 2009

Adrian Ferrazzutti: Chair Making & Design July 6-10, 2009

Early registration for this program is recommended. If you would like more information or if you would like to register please call Yvonne toll free at 1.877.943.9663

We are accepting registrations for our Artisan and Guest Faculty Programs for 2009. If you would you would like more information or would like to register call Yvonne toll free at 1.877.943.9663. Alternatively registrations may be faxed to 1.604.885.9711.

We are currently accepting applications for the 2009-2010 Craftsman Program.

Artisan Program Schedule for 2009

Guest Faculty for 2009

Adrian Ferrazzutti: Chair Making & Design July 6-10, 2009

Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking is pleased to announce our guest faculty for 2009. Adrian Ferrazzutti will be teaching Chair Making & Design July 6-10, 2009.

Personal Website
Fine Woodworking Magazine Profile

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to study with one of today’s finest craftsman & designers. Early registration for this program is recommended. If you would like more information or if you would like to register please call Yvonne toll free at 1.877.943.9663

JK Lectures

We are honored to have Jim’s continued commitment to our small school. Jim continues to lecture once a week. His inspiring words continue to inspire a whole new generation of craftsman. In addition to delivering his weekly lectures he has acted as an advisor to the school since its inception.

We will present excerpts of his lectures from this years Craftsman Program available in beginning in the next edition of Heart Hand & Eye.

Journeyman Program 2009

Jason Klager: January 19-31

This will be Jason’s third session as a Journeyman at the school. Jason is a fine craftsman who builds exquisite furniture out of his northern British Columbia shop and specializes in marquetry. Jason will join us during mockups as second semester pieces are underway.

In addition to impeccable craftsmanship Jason also posses a very complementary design aesthetic giving our students the opportunity to have additional design and construction input. This is very in keeping with our schools un compromised approach to craft. Jason will also teach the marquetry component of our program.

Jacques Breau: May 4-16

This will be Jacques second session as a journeyman at our school. Jacques is a fine craftsman who builds fine furniture out of his shop in New Brunswick.

Jacques has an exceptional set of hands and a wonderful way with people. We are delighted to have him return to assist us at a very busy time of the program where our students needs are at their highest.

Resident Craftsman Program 2009-2010

Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking is proud to announce the first of two Resident Craftsman Program students selected for the 2009-2010 school year. Eric Deklavs from our inaugural year will be joining us for a second year of study next fall when taking part in our Resident Craftsman Program. Erik and his partner Hillary drove all the way from Vernon British Columbia to join us for our new Gallery opening a last week.

Dovetails of Alaska yellow cedar in a subtle curve, Erik’s first piece at Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking. Erik’s is one of the finest craftsman to come out of our school and is an equally fine man. Erik and Hillary are a couple who’s support for one another is as evident as Erik’s un compromised approach to our craft.

Introducing our Students & Faculty for 2008-2009 Craftsman Program

This year’s class consists of men and women from Japan, Ireland Romania, England, United States and Canada. Here during the first two weeks they are only beginning to become familiar with their first hand made planes and learning the intimate relationship which exists between the wood, the tools and the maker.

Michael from England joined us just a few weeks after the birth of his son. Michael’s family will be joining him in a few weeks. Michael was a photo journalist in his past life and first heard about our school while working in Columbia. I am so grateful for the many sacrifices made by our students to join us.

Barb from British Columbia Canada first visited us for our last open house and show at which time she applied for this years class. She is staying with family just down the road from the school. In watching her work over the past few weeks it is clear that she has the dedication this craft requires and deserves. We are grateful to have her join us for the beginning of her journey in craft.

Fergal from Ireland arrived in Roberts Creek with his young family and experience working wood. I was delighted to here that he has not only heard of but was a regular reader of the column by John Brown, the welsh chair maker who recently passed away at his home in Wales this past summer. Ironically enough Fergal is a fine writer and I have enjoyed very much reading the writing on the bathroom wall this fall. Fergal’s wife Elayne and children Eoghan and Maedhbh are frequent and most welcome visitors at the school. We are very grateful to have very special family in our community for the coming year.

Grig from Romania completed the Artisan Program this past summer. With this years Craftsman Program full Grig had submitted an application for next falls program when we had a last minute cancellation He has returned to Romania to tie up lose ends before returning in a few weeks. We are very grateful to have this fine young craftsman back with us for our long program. Grig is a perfectionist which I am sure was appreciated in his former life as a dentist.

Jody from Ontario Canada first visited us during our annual Open House and Show and submitted his application shortly thereafter. When he sent us pictures of the fine kayak he recently made using many tools which he made himself I was convinced he was a wonderful fit for our school. Jody shows a strong sense of community and always willing to help one of his fellow students or the school. He helped Yvonne a couple of days in the gallery and with school preparations for the Craftsman Program. We are very grateful to have he and his partner Marguerite join our small community. Marguerite has joined an elite group of partners who continue to carry the other end of the plank.

Already a very skilled craftsman, Yosuke from Japan will be joined by his young family in a few weeks. Yosuke has been very gracious in sharing traditional japanese woodworking skills with our students and faculty. This past week I was given the opportunity to use his beautiful smoothing plane on a piece of alaska yellow cedar. The iron was made by one of Japan’s finest blacksmiths who lives in a village a few hours away from Yosuke’s home in Japan. I am very grateful to have this fine craftsman join us for a year of study. As a craftsman and teacher it is not only our jobs to teach, but also to learn.

Neil from British Columbia Canada completed our Artisan Program in 2007 and has been working two jobs for the past year to allow him to take the year to immerse himself in our craft. Just one of many students who with their families have made personal sacrifices to join us. Neil has spent the last few years in University and is discovering and enjoying the many subtleties of our craft and working with his hands. We are very grateful to have him with us.

Craig from Minnesota United States completed our Artisan Program in 2007. Craig has joined us along with his wife Carol who has been taking full advantage of our beautiful fall weather. She is a weaver and was able to borrow a loom from the partner of one of our alumni while she is here on the coast. While Craig was here in 2007 not only did he complete each of the exercise and did them well but took full advantage of bonus hours completing several optional activities. I have been very fortunate to have had so many beautiful people and fine students at our school. I am delighted to have Craig and his lovely wife Carol here for the coming year.

I first had the opportunity to work with Steve from Ontario Canada a few years back while teaching in Ontario. I was delighted when he visited the school this spring where I realized his intention to join us for our Craftsman Program. Already a fine craftsman, Steve will use his time here to refine existing skills and develop a new set of skills and explore our sensitive approach to our craft. I am grateful to have this fine craftsman with us as begins a new journey here at Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking.

Hannah from England completed our Artisan Program in August, applied and was accepted into next falls Craftsman Program. We had a second last minute cancellation and we are delighted she made the decision to join us. Her parents joined us for Artisan Graduation where we learned of her fathers stash of Andaman Paduok. Her father has given some of this to Hannah who will be carefully using this wood which is no longer available for one of her student pieces at the school. She is a sculptor with an established and developed aesthetic and strong aspirations to learn our craft. All of us at the school are very grateful to have her back.

Derek from Manitoba Canada is a fine young man with almost a spiritual desire to learn our craft. During the first week of the program he had to use one of our student tool kits until has own tools arrived. Derek received the experience of setting up two sets of tools and the school and future students are grateful for the razor sharp tools. Derek is entering a very new and exciting chapter in his life and all of us at here are grateful he selected our school as a starting point in his lifelong journey of learning our craft.

Nick from Minnesota United States completed a two year college woodworking program prior to arriving at our school. Nick arrived at the school with a number of tools he has made including a couple of fine planes. I enjoy watching him go to his faithful plane made of osage orange to cleanup the surfaces of his new plane. A place where his hands fit his plane, where changing hand position to make his work easier and ultimately more efficient is an easy transition, done almost without having to think about it.

At our school we do not ignore the place of machines in our work. Instead we encourage our students to discover a sensitive approach to our craft where our eye is more important than any measuring or layout device. Where our hands and maybe intuition become effective and even more efficient than machines for completing daily tasks presented to us at our bench. I enjoy watching him each morning walk in the wood room revisiting planks hoping for perhaps a new discovery or glimmer of inspiration.

Brad from Alberta Canada brought down a home made apple blackberry pie at the end of the day before the Craftsman Program began. A sweet man and a already skilled woodworker. He has very good hand skills and is making the transition from being a carpenter look easy.

When you care about your work like many of my students and I do, we are are faced with the pressures society has on us as craftsman. Our students will soon come to the crossroad where they will ask themselves. Am I willing to do whatever it takes to work wood in this way. Live modestly but well in a beautiful pace making beautiful things for people I enjoy. For some of my students it has been easier than for others.

As craftsman it is our obligation to educate our clients and in order for it to have any impact on our society. We as woodworkers collectively will need do a better job marketing our work. It would hurt me to see fine young craftsman like Brad to have to return to carpentry when he graduates. Spread the word Heart Hand & Eye Gallery will soon be filled with more furniture by aspiring young craftsman. Furniture that you can live with and will be content knowing that it will be passed along for generations.

Jason from North Carolina United States visited our school with his father this past school year and submitted his application. He was accepted on the spot. For the past year Jason has been studying with Gary Rawlins in Asheville North Carolina. Gary is a graduate of the College of the Redwoods Fine Woodworking Program. Jason arrived a few weeks early with his fiance Corey. The partners of woodworkers really are an understanding and supportive group of individuals. Jason brought some wood with him reminding me you can never have too much wood. Jason’s dad gave him a copy of A Cabinetmakers Notebook and the next thing he knew he was off taking a plane making class with David Fink another CR grad. When David passed along the name of our school they decide to come and visit. We are very grateful to have Jason join us.

Resident Craftsman Program

It gives me great pleasure to announce the return of Resident Craftsman Daisuke Tanaka from Japan. Daisuke spent the summer in Brian Newell’s shop making a finely crafted workbench. Daisuke has already hit the ground running. He has already begun parting out the material for JK’s writing desk which he has decided to make for his first piece as a second year student at the school. The piece is to be made of a couple of sequenced matched planks of swiss pear and while a dream to work can be a very unforgiving wood. This we know will not be a problem for one of the most skilled students to come out of our school.

While the parts for his desk have had a chance to settle Daisuke will be taking part in a new component of the Resident Craftsman Program. Second year students will now spend two weeks designing and making of a small piece of furniture, in this case a run of five meditation stools which will be sold in our gallery. Our school is donating all the material with all proceeds going to setup a student scholarship fund available to any students in need of financial assistance to attend our Craftsman Program.

Resident Craftsman

Resident Craftsman Doug Ives completed the renovations at the school including the trim, drywall and painting. Doug has two commissions underway after which time he will return his attention to his latest piece an exquisite piece made of afromosia, zebrano, wenge and Port Orford cedar. Doug has been working and collecting wood for over thirty years and we are grateful to have him back (still here) at the school.

Faculty

Resident Craftsman & Teacher Juan Carlos Fernandez and shop dog Chi Chi. Inside Passage school of Fine Woodworking is very proud to introduce Juan Carlos as our afternoon teacher during the Craftsman Program. In addition to teaching Juan Carlos maintains a bench at the school where he continues to work at his craft. His latest piece is currently part of our opening show at the gallery. It will be going out to be photographed in a few weeks at which time we will be posting images of this finely crafted and rather complex piece.

Relief Craftsman & Teacher Gary Kent with Juan Carlos then a student discuss the design of Juan Carlos’s last piece as a student at Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking. We are very pleased to have Gary back for his fourth year of teaching at our school. Gary continues to make furniture out of his shop a short walk from the school.

We are very pleased to have Craftsman & Teacher Ian Godfrey return for his third year of teaching at Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking. Ian teaches Saturdays at the school and makes furniture out of his shop just down the road from the school. Ian is days away from the completion of his latest piece a walnut rocker with leather upholstery. This piece will soon be available for purchase in our gallery. I stopped by his shop last week. The workmanship is impeccable. just what we have come to expect form this fine young craftsman and teacher.

Resident Craftsman & Teacher Robert Van Norman with then student Ian Godfrey during an assembly of Ian’s second piece as a student at Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking.

After seven years of teaching full time, Robert will be returning to his bench this fall and teach half time. There are many factors that have allowed this to happen and I have many people to thank. Our students, faculty and alumni for there on going support. My partner in life and work who’s vision has allowed our school and I to begin a new leg of our journey.

Candid

Always willing to lend a hand, Jody takes his turn under the dust collector cleaning the bags.

Brad uses a cabinet scraper to clean the surface of his bench on a beautiful fall afternoon.

Alumni

First Elephants was held at the Gumboot Cafe. We were joined by alumni, faculty, family and friends to welcome our new students.

At the opening of the gallery Yvonne neglected to thank someone dear to all of us at the school. Since its inception Bruce has always been willing to lend a hand. He is a tireless member of our community who has done to many things to mention for us at the school. We were sick when she realized the oversight. Thanks Bruce for all that you have done for Yvonne and I and our small school.

Facility

Our wood room with log of Chinese Elm. The Elm will soon move into our dehumidification kiln making room for more wood, adding to are already impressive inventory of fine woods.

a quiet Benchroom at 6:25am the morning of our first day

Machine Room the very same morning

Heart Hand & Eye Gallery

Currently Showing

On Saturday September 13, 2008 we celebrated the grand opening of our new gallery.Our school is very fortunate to have such a dedicated group of alumni. On behave of Yvonne and I we would like to extend out a warm thank you to all who attended.

Yvonne just minutes before the doors opened. Yvonne has basically taken over the daily operations of the business allowing me to focus on teaching and my own work. This summer she has put in countless hours in preparation for this day. I am so grateful for her vision which has set the school on a new path facilitated by our desire to invest in our student, alumni and faculty’s success. In addition to our student work Heart Hand & Eye Gallery will present selected work of local artists.

Next Show

Our Annual Student Show & Open House takes place on December 20th. Open House will take place from 1-5pm at the school. The show will take place in our Gallery from 7-10pm. If you would like more information or assistance with finding accommodation, contact the school toll free at 1.877.943.9663.

Artisan, Guest Faculty & Craftsman Programs for 2009

We are accepting registrations for our Artisan and Guest Faculty Programs for 2009. If you would you would like more information or would like to register call Yvonne toll free at 1.877.943.9663. Alternatively registrations may be faxed to 1.604.885.9711.

We are currently accepting applications for the 2009-2010 Craftsman Program.

Artisan Program Schedule for 2009

I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of our current students and alumni. This school not only exists for you but because of you. I would also like to thank our faculty, Juan Carlos, Ian and Gary for their ongoing assistance. We are very grateful have your association with our small school. I would also like extend a special thank you to Yvonne for keeping the school, our family and me on track.

In just two weeks we will begin our fall session of the Craftsman & Resident Craftsman Programs. This years group consists of men and women from Japan, Romania, Ireland, Columbia, United States & Canada. Over the next two weeks we will prepare the school for this falls class and take some rest in preparation of our busy fall schedule. The Office will be closed the week of August 25th. Thank you for your onging support and interest.

Warmest Regards,
Robert

Facility

JK Lectures

“Hi Jim, I’m Hannah, I’m from England, I came all the way to see Robert, and he’s an amazing teacher, thank you very much for teaching him what you do. You’ve done alot for us.”

“Hi I’m Grig from Romania, and I want to thank you for writing those books and teaching Robert so well.”

” Jim, this is Brian I am from Canada here, I just like to thank you for your books, they have been a real inspiration and guiding what I do for a living, and I would just like to thank you very much.”

“I am grateful to all of you, words like that warm my heart. You’ve been to a good school, you’ve learned a lot of the do’s and the don’ts. I didn’t so much as teach you but prepared you for for learning. I can give you pointers which will make it easier for you wherever you are to work safely, to work more accurately and learn to relax, and if I have done a little bit of that than thank you ever so much, you made my day…”

“That’s wonderful for me to hear, you know, because sometimes I ask Robert what help am I, and he tolerates me more or less you know, we are still friends. So for all of you who have spent a pleasent and gratifying time there I want to wish you first of all health, secondly happyness. One of the reason I think, I wrote Notebook (A Cabinetmakers Notebook) which changed many lives, was because I kept meeting people who hated their jobs, I mean they really did. Every day was a drag, I mean they had to get up, go to work, and come home tired and not happy and I sat down and wrote Notebook from the heart. Don’t be unhappy, choose work that brings you that final reward, not just money, but happiness… remember the things that are important to you and try to include them in your life.”

Jim Krenov and students August 12, 2008

Artisan Program

Brian from Saltspring Island British Columbia uses his very sweet smoothing plane made in the second week to flush the joinery on his fine dovetailed box.

Our Artsian Program like our Craftsman Program is very intensive, leaving little time for anything else. Not only did Brian complete the exercises, and do them very well. He managed to make a small dovetailed box of Europeon beech, sycamore and red cabruva. He has a strong work ethic and wonderful enthusiasm for our craft. Brian is returning to Saltspring Island but will be returning next fall for our Craftsman Program. Brian was a real pleasure to have and will be dearly missed.

Hannah from England checks the fit of here veneer and substraight of her panel to her form shaped with a hand plane. Hannah ended up at the school by default when her brother was unable to come after the birth of his daughter. We enjoyed Hannah immencly and dearly look forward to here return for next years Craftsman Program. Hannah will be returning to finish Carpentry until next fall and plans to employe many of the skills aquired and refined over the last few weeks. I wish we had room for this fine young craftsman this fall. Her father and mother made the trip all the way from England for our graduation cerimonies. Hannah’s father has worked in the steel industry for fourty years and has offered to assisit us with the metal working aspect of the program. Her mother is a book binder. I enjoyed very much talking to her about the craft. Hannah will be missed very much by all of us at the school.

Sascha from Germany is really not doing anything here but he does have a very nice smile. Sascha will be heading out on the North Coast Trail before traveling to Venezulea where he will be staying with family of Juan Carlos and Beatriz. Sascha brough presion to our school and was a absolute pleasure to have hear. We hope to have the opportunity to work with this fine young craftsman again soon. Sascha was refered to our small school by James Astorian a graduate of the Artisan Program and patron of the school. Thanks again Jim, we are happy to take students like this.

Lisa from Bowen Island British Columbia uses her fine wooden plane made in the second week of the program to taper the edges of her coopered panel exercise. Lisa left a lovely gift for all of us at the school. A expresso machine to replace the old one of Roberts which finally gave out after fifteen years. Lisa was a real treat to have at the school she arrived each morning just after seven following a six kilometer commute by bike from her campground, often with breakfast for everyone. She was very focused and did exceptional work. We will miss her gentle smile and humility. A specil thanks to Jeff for keeping the home fires burning and for taking on the extra commute. Brian and Hannah are all hoping to convince her to return with them for next years Craftsman Program.

Grig from Romania pours lead into one of our lofting duck molds. We had a last minute cancillation in the Craftsman Program. We offered it to Grig who will be joining fifteen others from accross Europe, Asia, North and South America. We are so very grateful to have this young man back for our Craftsman Program. He did some very fine work at the school over the past six weeks.

Maureen from Kelowna British Columbia applies her shop sawn maple veneers to her panel just prior to dry run in the vacuum press. Maureen is the technicion of the fine arts program at the University of the Okanogan, and a graduate of the Selkirk College Woodworking Program. We enjoyed haveing her and her partner Lloyd very much. We will look forward to her return next summer.

Jacob from Vancouver British Columbia uses a block plane from one of our student kits to carefully flush the baked in edges of his substraight for his curved veneer panel exercise. Jacob has just returnedto Canada from Loas where he was envolved with sustainable housing. A sweet man who was very focused while at the school.

Resident Craftsman

Sorry no pictures of Resident Craftsman Doug Ives who has been rather elusive as of late. He has three projects on the go including two commissions and a speculative piece.

Faculty

Resident Craftsman & Teacher Juan Carlos Fernandez with dry run of his stand in mahogany. If you would like to see this piece in person, don’t miss the opening of our new gallery, Heart Hand & Eye on September 13, 2008 at 7pm. Juan Carlos will continue to teach afternoons in the first semester of the Craftsman Program after which time he will move to mornings. We are grateful to have this fine young Resident Craftsman & Teacher on our faculty.

Resident Craftsman & Teacher Robert Van Norman takes the students through the process of setting up our small general bandsaw to cut veneers. Robert has his benchroom almost complete and will be completing two three comissions this fall before returning to a speculative piece.

Candid

Grig, Sascha & Hannah enjoy an ice cream on a very warm afternoon

Artisan Programs 2008

Artisan F – Hardware & Finish

from left Sascha, Lisa, Grig, Chi Chi, Juan Carlos, Hannah, Beatriz, Doug, Robert & Brian

Artisan E – Veneers & Curves

from left Doug, Hannah, Robert, Lisa, Maureen, Grig, Brian, Juan Carlos, Jacob, Yvonne & Sascha

Artisan D – Joinery

from left Uri, Doug, Sascha, Brian, The Unknown Craftsman, Lisa, Grig, Beatriz, Juan Carlos, Jason, Hannah & Robert

Artisan C – Dovetails & Tool Making

Sorry we do not have a group photograph

Artisan B – Plane Making & Surfaces

from left Sascha, Daniel, Juan Carlos & Chi Chi, Grig, Charles, Robert, Rick, the Unknown Craftsman, Hannah, Lisa, Philippe, Uri, Michael & Brian

Artisan A – Hand & Machine Tools

from left Grig, Brian, Miriam, Doug, Lisa, Jacqueline, Robert, Hannah, Dan, Michael, Juan Carlos & Chi Chi, Charles, Rick with daughter in law and grand daughter (from Venezuela) & Uri

Artisan F – Hardware & Finish

from left Dan, Robert, Jack, Kunga, Ryan, Kathleen, the Unknown Craftsman & Josh

Artisan E – Veneers & Curves

from left Doug, Juan Carlos, Ryan, Kunga, Josh, Kathleen, Kenji, Robert, Jack, Carl, The Unknown Craftsman, Jamie, Dan, Aaron

Artisan D – Joinery

from left Kathleen, Bill, Ryan, Jacqueline, Josh, Robert, Kunga, Jack, The Unknown Craftsman, Kim, Juan Carlos, Chi Chi, Kenji

Artisan C – Dovetails & Tools Making

from left Kathleen, Ryan, Jack, Juan Carlos, Kunga, The Unknown Craftsman, Josh, Kim, Robyn, Robert, Doug & Paul

Artisan B – Plane Making & Surfaces

from Left Brian, Kathleen, Paul, Doug, Juan Carlos, Jack, Lars, Josh, Tadi, Robert, The Unknown Craftsman, Anna, Kunga, Jamie, Amber, Chris & Chuck

Artisan A – Hand & Machine Tools

Back row from left Juan Carlos, Paul, Jim, Jack, Robert, Kunga, Rebecca, The Unknown Craftsman, Shannon, Kathleen, Doug, Dan, Alex Front row from left Chi Chi, Josh

Alumni

A reminder to all alumni the opening of the gallery celebrations including alumni dinner will take place the weekend of the 13th of September, we hope you can make it. Contact Yvonne at the school for more information toll free 1.877.943.9663.

Artisan & Craftsman for Programs 2009

We are accepting registrations for our Artisan Programs for 2009. If you would you would like more information or would like to register call Yvonne toll free at 1.877.943.9663. Alternatively registrations may be faxed to 1.604.885.9711.

We are currently accepting applications for the 2009-2010 Craftsman Program.

Artisan Program Schedule for 2009

Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking is proud announce the appointment Juan Carlos Fernandez to our faculty. Juan Carlos originally from Caracas Venezuela is a two year graduate of Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking and will teach afternoons from Monday through Friday. He joins Ian Godfrey another two year graduate of the school who will be going into his third year of teaching and will continue to teach Saturdays. Robert will continue to teach mornings and work at his bench during the afternoons. Gary Kent will continue to act as our relief teacher.

Yvonne and I are very grateful to have such a fine group of Craftsman & Teachers at our school.

Artisan C – Dovetails & Tool Making

Sorry we do not have a group photo

Artisan D – Joinery

from left Uri, Doug, Sascha, Brian, Unknown Craftsman, Lisa, Grig, Beatriz, Juan Carlos, Jason, Hannah & Robert

JK Lectures

As promised we have included a excerpt from Jim’s lecture this past week on joinery. We will continue research a way to get the actual audio files on the website but hope that you enjoy his words in the meantime.

“…I think that I have talked many times with you and had a lot of enjoyment out of it and hopefully you know, made you laugh once in a while or remember something. Remember that furniture is made to be used and should have a good feeling about all the moving parts…the edges, the corners, the details…you be good all of you, and be happy, your in a wonderful place and I am in a way envious of all of you because I did not have a young and generous you know friendly teacher. I had a good teacher, but I did not have the enjoyment that some of you have…”

Jim Krenov August 5, 2008

Artisan Program

Uri from Caracas Venezuela chopping the pins for the half blind dovetails in ash for his drawer making and fitting exercise. Uri treated all of us to a barbeque in celebration of Juan’s appointment. This was Uri’s final week at the school. His generosity and humor will be missed by us all.

Fine neatly cut and shaped dovetails by Brian from Saltspring Island British Columbia. Brian is a fine craftsman and carver. In addition to his exercises he has taken on the carving of the sign for the gallery on a fine piece of red cedar we picked up from Bradley Hunt. We are very grateful to have this fine you craftsman with us.

Hannah from England gets a pop on her stub mortise and tenon joint in eastern maple. Students are exposed to a variety of woods during the Artisan Program so that they have the opportunity to experience the different working properties. In this case with eastern maple students must get the fit just right as their is very little compression. Hannah is a fine you craftsman and has a very promising career ahead of her. Not to mention she is fun to have at the school.

Sascha from Germany completes the final cleanup of the pins of his drawer in ash last week. This past week he went on to cut some fine mortise and tenon joinery. Sascha is a perfectionist and has done some very fine work since arriving at the school.

Lisa from Bowen Island British Columbia uses a block plane from one of our student tool kits to put a very fine chamfer on the inside edge of the tails of her drawer sides. Lisa continues to take full advantage of her time here at the school utilizing all the additional hours made available to her. She also rides six kilometers each way to and from her campsite each day. She is a fine young craftsman and we have enjoyed having her at the school very much.

Grig from Romania fine tunes a small wenge edge plane. Grig lives at the school, he arrives shortly after I do each morning and is nearly always the last to leave. He said that if the benches were more comfortable he would move in. He loves the work and it shows. He is a fine craftsman who intends to return for next years craftsman program. I wish we had room this year as he really embraces the craft and the philosophy taught at our school. We have also discovered that he is a wonderful cook treating us each week to fine Romanian dishes.

Shannon from Tsawwassen British Columbia returned for her second week after taking Artisan A – Hand & Machine Tools back in May. She told me the first day that she has already put the skills taught in the first week to use in her own shop. She found and restored a very sweet hand grinder. She arrived with all of her tools ready to go and eagerly cut some of the finest first dovetails I have ever seen. She made and fit a drawer, a chisel, a bevel gauge and diagonal sticks during the week. I would like to send her a special thank you for coming in early to wash the dishes the morning after Juan Carlos & Beatriz celebration. Her partner Moraine made trip with her this time. We enjoyed having them both very much and look forward to there return next summer!

Michael from Edmonton Alberta referred to our school by George Heagle. Shown here planing his Drawer front of French walnut to fit his drawer pocket using one of our student wooden jointer planes. Thanks George, we will be happy for more students like Michael. Michael cut some fine joinery during his week here and even started to develop his own system for refining his joints. Students are encouraged to take skills taught and develop their own way of working. Our school has been very fortunate to attract such a diverse group of nice people. Our six week students have always found a special bond, this group I think perhaps even more so than past groups. What is so nice is to watch our one week students become part of the group so easily.

Michael from Maine works in the library for Thomas Moser. This gentle and patient craftsman from the beautiful eastern sea board did some very fine work last week. After tuning up his tools, he made and fit a lovely drawer in an exceptionally stringy piece of cranky ash. Made a chisel with a sweet handle in doussie, a small piece from JK through Robert. Michael and his wife will be heading to England next summer to spend a few days with David Charlesworth. As a student at the College of the Redwoods Fine Woodworking Program, one of my classmates Dirk Lange had studied with David, small world with a lot of nice people.

Jason from Montana uses a scribe from one of our student tool kits to mark the centerline for his doweling jig. Jason was referred to us by John Bowman a craftsman who had taken a class with Robert when he was teaching out east. Thanks John, it was a real treat working with and getting to know Jason. Jason managed to get through each of the joints covered this week with improvement with each joint. Jason had the luxury of a sweet ride down the hill from Up the Creek backpackers B & B on his long board each morning. He and Juan Carlos managed to get out a lunchtime on a few days on Roberts Creek Road in front of the school. A special thank you for taking the photographs during the optional Chainsaw Milling. We enjoyed very much having this fine young craftsman at the school.

Optional Activities

Hannah and Grig cut a 6/4 slab of local pecan

Brian and Uri take the final slab from our small pecan log with crotch.

Jason and Sascha make initial cut on a small half log of curly spalted maple donated by a local resident and friend of the school.

Hannah takes her turn at sharpening, holding the file at precisely the correct angle.

This past Saturday Robert guided students through the making of Chair Scrapes. A very effective tool made with simple tools and readily available materials. Many of our students take full advantage of the bonus Saturday and evening hours made available to them.

Resident Craftsman

Resident Craftsman Doug Ives uses one of his wooden smoothers to fair the curve of each leg of fir vanity stand while dry fit. I like to watch Doug work as he really embraces and practices not committing until you have to and flexible accuracy. Doug continues to contribute to the teaching without committing until he has to. This week he shared with this weeks class the joinery for his stand which include twin live tenon mortise and tenon, one of the joints demonstrated this past week.

Faculty

Resident Craftsman & Teacher Juan Carlos Fernandez demonstrated the carefully fitting and shaping of a through and wedged mortise and tenon joint in eastern maple. Juan is a fine young craftsman & teacher and our students, Yvonne and I are grateful to have him. No one more than I as this will lead to time at my bench this fall.

Resident Craftsman & Teacher Robert Van Norman shared with the group the subtleties required in cutting fine joinery by hand which he enjoyed very much. We have recently installed a mirror above the teacher sharpening station to better facilitate viewing during sharpening demonstrations, to the right of the mirror we see Doug’s fine trim work on the window installed this past spring.

Facility

In an effort to continually improve the school, Juan carlos organized our shorts above the vacuum press and kiln. Much of our locally harvested Arbutus is ready and we have just purchased a log of Chinese Elm from our friends at A&M. You can never have too much wood. Please be sure to remind Yvonne of this when you call.

Candid

Friends, Hannah and Uri

Grig and Hannah anticipate the pop!

All that work can be tiring.

Shop Dog Chi Chi enjoys the shade in the afternoon sun.

Alumni

This week we had nearly a dozen alumni come by the school this week including Federico Mendez Castro, a regular. With the upcoming opening of our gallery in September, our students will have opportunity to showcase their work in our gallery currently under extensive renovations. A special thank you to Bruce Rigby who has been doing a number of jobs at the school and gallery. Please make plans to join us for a weekend of activities at the school and in our community.

Artisan & Craftsman for Programs 2008 -2009

We are accepting registrations for our Artisan Programs for 2009. If you would you would like more information or would like to register call Yvonne toll free at 1.877.943.9663. Alternatively registrations may be faxed to 1.604.885.9711.

We have confirmed our first-year students for the 2008-2009 Craftsman Program. The group consists of men and women from Japan, Ireland, Columbia, United States & Canada. We are currently accepting applications for the 2009-2010 Craftsman Program.

Artisan Program Schedule for 2009

Artisan A – Hand & Machine Tools

from left Grig, Brian, Miriam, Doug, Lisa, Jacqueline, Robert, Hannah, Dan, Michael, Juan Carlos & Chi Chi, Charles, Rick with daughter in law and grand daughter (from Venezuela) & Uri

Artisan B – Plane Making & Surfaces

from left Sascha, Daniel, Juan Carlos & Chi Chi, Grig, Charles, Robert, Rick, the Unknown Craftsman, Hannah, Lisa, Philippe, Uri, Michael & Brian

JK Lectures

Over the past couple of weeks, Jim spoke about sharpening and the making of planes which he continues to make and refine the process. Jim continues to carefully steer off topic and talk about the many facets of the craft that is so dear to him. This coming week Jim will be talking about making and fitting drawers.

Jim’s inspiring words will soon be available on our website. In the interim I will be transcribing snippets of his lectures and publishing his words beginning August 10, 2008.

Artisan Program

Uri from Caracas Venezuela carefully cleans up the shoulders on his tenon during the leg exercise which takes students through an introduction to grain graphics, shaping and joinery. Uri did a fine job on his grain graphics, shaping and joinery exercise and followed up by making a couple of very sweet planes including one in kingwood a priceless gift from Juan Carlos. Uri has taken full advantage of his time here at the school and on the coast.

Brian from Saltspring Island British Columbia presents the first of six planes he made during the second week of the program. Brian made a smoother, a jointer, a coopering, a compound curved bottom, a compass and a scraping plane a fine start to a collection.He used jatoba, afromosia, wenge, cocobolo, osage orange and bocote. We try and introduce our students to as many woods as possible during the program so that they become familiar with the working properties of a variety of woods. Brian is a fine young craftsman who always makes time to assist his classmates. Brian hopes to join us for next years craftsman program, as do we.

Hannah from England with her smoothing plane with locator pins in place. Hannah who’s background is in sculpture and finish carpentry has a jointer plane underway in wenge featuring a shop made iron and chip breaker which she is making from a leaf spring. Hannah missed the first few days of the program however has done a fine job in catching up starting the grain graphics and shaping exercise on Saturday afternoon with Robert and still managed to make a wooden spokeshave in the morning.

Sascha from Germany checks the rear ramp of his plane for flat and square. Sascha first heard about our school in an article written by Artisan Program alumni James Astorian. The article is written in German which Sascha has offered to translate for us. A special thank you to Jim for sending this fine young man our way. Sascha arrived late for the start of the program but following the optional Saturday session he has made up for lost time. Sascha made a beautiful wooden smoother and is busy completing his grain graphics and shaping exercise. Next week students will be moving onto the making of a drawer and fitting it to the pocket of their student cabinets. Students will also be introduced to tool making where each student will make a paring chisel and knife.

Lisa from Bowen Island British Columbia completed a entry level trades training in Joinery at British Columbia Institute of Technology prior to attending our school She is enjoying the emphasis of hand tools at our school. She has already made a couple of planes and has developed a fine balance between the use of hand and machine tools at the school. Lisa is very focused and has done very fine work. She is camping while on the coast and commutes daily by bike taking full advantage of the beautiful place in which we live and work.

Grig from Romania is a dentist by trade. It is not difficult to see that the hand skills used in dentistry have had a strong impact on his ability to pick up our craft. Grig hopes to return for a future Craftsman Program. We will be welcoming him back with open arms. In the second week of the program Grig made a lovely wooden smoother and is nearing completion of two other planes in wenge.

Jacqueline from Vancouver uses a spokeshave from one of our student tool kits to cleanup the surfaces on her grain graphics, shaping and joinery exercise. Jacqueline is a potter from Vancouver here for her second class this summer. We hope to carry her work in our gallery this fall. She has a fine eye and good hand skills. We will look forward to her return.

Dan from Squamish British Columbia uses one of our student wooden planes to cleanup the inside surfaces of his leg during the grain graphics, shaping and joinery exercise during the first week of the Artisan Program. Dan donated a few pieces of wood for the school including some beautiful old growth yellow cedar and lightly spalted western maple. Dan hopes to return for Artisan B – Plane Making & Surfaces and Artisan C – Dovetails & Tool Making next summer. We will be very grateful to have him back.

Miriam from Portland Oregon sets up here block plane for the planing exercise during the first week of the Artisan Program. This is Miriam’s second program at the school. Miriam particularly enjoyed the grain graphics and leg shaping aspects of the program and did some very fine work at the school. We will look forward to her return.

Charles from Maine uses a spokeshave from one of our student tool kits to shape his leg during the introduction to grain graphics, shaping and joinery exercise during the first week of the Artisan Program. Charles made a couple of fine hand planes that fit his hands like gloves and performed equally well. Charles will be returning to complete the program over a couple of summers. A sweet and focused craftsman.

Rick from Gibsons completes the introduction to grain graphics shaping and joinery exercise. Rick was one of our first registrations to date and has completed three programs at the school. Last week Rick completed three planes including a smoother out of jatoba, a compound curved plane and a large jointer both out of cocobolo. Rick is fine local craftsman who recently completed a lovely writing desk for his partner out off Australian lacewood. Rick is a frequent and generous visitor to the school.

Michael from Caracas Venezuela joined us for the first two weeks of the Artisan Program. A sweet man with a wonderful sense of humor. He will be dearly missed at the school. During the second week Michael made two planes including a smoother with an lignum vita insert which on the final day took shavings in maple of .0005″.

Dan from Gibsons British Columbia via Virginia with his first plane, a smoother ready for locator dowels. Dan went on to complete two more planes, a jointer and a edge plane and came back on Saturday and made a wooden spokeshave. Dan first came by the school for our first semester show. Robert lent him his copy of a cabinetmakers notebook which spoke to him. An architect by trade he has a fine hand and very good hand skills. We are very grateful to have Dan at our school.

Philippe from Surrey uses a small chisel to cleanup the round tenons of his cross pin. This is Philippe’s second program at the school. A nice man with a big heart and an even bigger file! Philippe completed two planes at the school this week including a a liptus jointer with an applied sole of lignum vita, a gift from Robert. Philippe’s young family joined him for the week on the coast and were frequent visitors to the school. We have been very fortunate to have so many lovely families come through our doors. We will look forward to his return next summer.

Resident Craftsmen

Doug Ives from Gibsons British Columbia works on the mockup of a commission he received from a Vancouver client. Doug and Juan Carlos are slowly settling into their new benchroom. Doug has set aside his Dragonfly cabinet to meet with clients and set up a number of commissions to take him through the coming year.

Juan Carlos from Caracas Venezuela shares with the class the the process of removal, honing and replacing the jointer knives. Juan continues to develop as into a fine craftsman and teacher. Juan has put his piece on hold while he and Doug make the transition into their new benchroom. The walls have been painted, cabinets made, shelves hung and new benches tuned.

Faculty

Resident Craftsman & Teacher Robert Van Norman made a 3/4″ small fluting plane from a piece of unknown hardwood. This replaces a plane that Robert passed along to Paul Nielsen earlier this summer. Robert also made the iron from a piece of old file and the chip breaker from a piece of spring steel. This semester’s Artisan Program students, like many of our past groups, have really embraced the tool making aspect of the program. On the optional Saturday Robert walked the students through the making of fine wooden spokeshaves of palmwood donated by the widow of a local cabinetmaker.

Candid

It Works!

Two very sweet men.

Philippe and Brian present the Evolution of the Wooden Hand Plane.

Brian carved the school’s logo in his board following the first planing exercise. Brian is a fine craftsman and talented carver who has been working in Mexico for the past decade. Brian has generously offered to carve the new sign for our office & gallery.

Facility

While our gallery renovations are still underway we are nearing the completion of our extensive renovations at the school.

New Facility Floor Plan

Our new Wood Room. At the end of the Artisan Program, Robert will be heading out on a wood run to add to our already impressive Current Inventory of local and imported hardwoods and softwoods. The short have now been relocated to the mezzanine above the kiln and press table. It is so nice to have a quiet place to peruse lovely wood and explore the possibilities.

Robert’s New Benchroom with ample natural light and separate entrance conveniently located adjacent to the woodroom. With the addition of another part time teacher currently in training at the school we are optimistic that Robert will make the return to the craft which is so dear to him.

We have installed a JDS air cleaner in the benchroom to improve the air quality at the school during cleanup times. We will be adding a second in the machine room in the spring.

Alumni Bench Order Arrives from Sweden

Unloading the first of six benches from the crate. We will be placing another order next spring. If you are interested in purchasing one of these fine benches please contact Yvonne at the school 1.877.943.9663. For more information visit Målilla Hyvelbänkar

Alumni

Just a reminder to all our alumni the opening of the gallery will coincide with the weekend of first elephants, September 13, 2008. We hope that you can join us.If any of you are interested in presenting work please contact Yvonne at the school 1.877.943.9663.

Artisan & Craftsman for Programs 2008 -2009

There is limited space available in our Artisan Programs for 2008. If you would you would like more information or would like to register call Yvonne toll free at 1.877.943.9663. Alternatively registrations may be faxed to 1.604.885.9711.

We have confirmed our first-year students for the 2008-2009 Craftsman Program. The group consists of men and women from Japan, Ireland, Columbia, United States & Canada. We are currently accepting applications for the 2009-2010 Craftsman Program.

Artisan Program Schedule for 2009

We have just completed our first semester of our Artisan Program for 2008. We have seven students who will be graduating including two who have taken the classes over a couple of years. On Thursday evening we held our graduation ceremonies and dinner at the Gumboot Restaurant just across the courtyard from the school.

Writing on the bathroom wall.

We have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such a wonderful and highly motivated group of people. I would like to extend a special thank you to all our Artisan students and Resident Craftsman for making the first semester Artisan Program such a success. As Yvonne and I walked down to the Gumboot Restaurant for the graduation ceremonies on Thursday I said to Yvonne that the school was empty in the evening for the first time in six weeks!

The next Artisan Program commences in just two weeks. There is still limited room in a few classes. Call Yvonne at 1.877.943.9663 to reserve a bench. In the mean time we will continue with renovations at the school, gallery and office. Have a happy and safe long weekend. Heart Hand & Eye will resume publication on Saturday July 19th following the first Week of the second semester Artisan Program. At that time we will be include photographs of the exciting renovations underway at the school, gallery and office.

Warmest Regards,
Robert

Artisan Program

from left Dan, Robert, Jack, Kunga, Ryan, Kathleen, the Unknown Craftsman & Josh

JK Lectures

In this week’s lecture, Jim spoke about coopering and delivered his farewell address to this semester’s Artisan Program graduating class. A couple of our Artisan Program graduates will be heading down to visit with Jim and Britta when they finish up next week. Jim’s inspiring words will soon be available on our website.

Resident Craftsman

Juan Carlos from Caracas Venezuela shares with the class the installation of shop made hinges knife hinges. In addition to a speculative piece Juan Carlos has a small commissioned box of red cedar underway. Juan made modified butt hinges for this box conveniently with hardware making underway this week at the school. We are very fortunate to have Juan Carlos with us. He is a fine craftsman with a warm and gentle way of sharing our craft with others.

Doug Ives from Gibsons British Columbia has taken the week to visit a few clients in Vancouver and take in the Vancouver Jazz Festival which wraps up this weekend. He will be returning next week to complete renovations at our new gallery and office before moving onto speculative and commission work

Artisan Program

Jack West from Fort Jones California makes a cove cut on the table saw to remove the waste on the mockup of his fly rod case. The interior surfaces will then be cleaned with a shop made coopering plane with a modified plane iron. Jack took full advantage of his time at the school. I looked forward to his arrival each morning, and will dearly miss the enthusiasm we share for our craft.

Kunga Delotsange from New York via Tibet makes a caul for his drawer assembly. Kunga and his wife Heather recently purchased a home in Roberts creek and will be hosting one of our families during the Craftsman Program. They plan to return next summer. The coast can use more families like this one. A fine craftsman with a lovely family.

Ryan Inmann from Vancouver via South Africa checks the depth of the cap iron slot on a small jointer plane of boxwood. Ryan has successfully completed the last of the Artisan Program which he took over two years. It has been a real pleasure to have him at the school and I have enjoyed very much watching the progress of this fine young craftsman. It was nice to have Ryan’s young family join us this summer.

Kathleen Murphy from Edmonton Alberta uses a mill file to shape her shop made L hinges. Kathleen has made significant progress since arriving at the school, building upon her commercial cabinetmaking experience. Kathleen intends to make a transition into working at this craft full time. She has solid foundation and the right approach to our craft and I suspect will be successful in whatever the future brings for this fine young cabinetmaker.

Josh Shrae from Anchorage Alaska checks the edge on his block plane iron. Sharpening considered one of our most fundamental skills is an ongoing activity at the school. Sharp tools make the work more enjoyable and yield better results. Josh will be returning to Alaska on Sunday before heading to Montana where he will be involved in a timber frame project. A fine craftsman and a real pleasure to have here at the school.

Dan McCallum from Vancouver British Columbia uses a block plane to shape the edges of a small edge plane of ipe. Plane Making continues to be a side activity throughout the six week program. This is Dan’s sixth class at the school, always a pleasure having Dan at the school. The class and I visited Dan’s shop in Vancouver this past week. Dan has one of the most impressive selections of locally harvested material that I have seen. Dan donated a couple of exquisite book matched slabs of elm, some deador cedar and catalpa. He also sent several planks home with this years Artisan class. A generous and very capable craftsman.

Faculty

On the last week of the Artisan Program Resident Craftsman & Teacher Robert Van Norman shares with the class the making of shop made hardware including hinges, pulls, drop pulls, flipper floppers and consoles. Students were also given the opportunity to explore finishing. During the final week of the Artisan Program the class size is kept smaller to allow students to finish up existing exercise and suggest additional topics which this week included chainsaw milling, steam bending, hot pipe bending, secret compartments, cove cutting, inserts, and life after school.

Wood Run & Shop Tour

This past Monday the students and I went on a wood run and visited a couple of shops in the lower mainland.

Kathleen and Ryan sort through a few planks of 12/4 curly maple. Josh in the background looks at some 20/4 sycamore at lumberyard in Chilliwack.

Chainsaw Milling

On the last Friday afternoon of the Artisan Program the students were introduced to Chainsaw Milling. This past year one of our Craftsman Alumni donated an Alaskan Chainsaw Mill to the school which has already seen allot of use. I would like to thank Dan McCallum from this years graduating Artisan class for sharing with the group his extensive experience harvesting his own material in this way.

Kunga and the unknown craftsman start the cut at the crotch of a pecan donated to the school by a resident of Roberts Creek.

Ryan and Kathleen take the first slab after the center cut of a log of local pecan.

Facility

Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking is pleased to announce the upcoming opening of our new gallery and office.

Our gallery and office will be moving across the courtyard into the cottage adjacent to the Gumboot Cafe. In addition to our students alumni and faculty work, the Other End of the Plank Gallery, will also feature the work of a selected group of local artists and artisans. At the school, this means the addition of a dedicated Wood Room and new Benchroom for Robert with ample light and a separate entrance. With the additional room, we will be expanding our current inventory of hand picked planks.

“I made one object at a time because of the wood, because of the tools, with a certain idea and hope, and somehow these objects won friends and gradually, gradually, my confidence and experience increased. But for a very long time, it was touch and go. Even now, although people may think that I have got it made and things are going fine, even now I am only carrying my end of the plank. Someone else who is sharing life with me has believed from the beginning in what I am trying to do is carrying the other end of that plank”

A Cabinetmakers Notebook by James Krenov.

Alumni

The grand opening of Other End of the Plank Gallery will take place the day after first Elephants. We hope that you will join us.

Craftsman alumni Daisuke Tanaka is currently working Brian Newell’s shop in Japan for the summer before returning to Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking for his second year of study. Daisuke sent us this photographs of Brian’s shop filled with fine machines. We are egerly awaiting this fine young craftsman’s return.

Artisan & Craftsman for Programs 2008 -2009

There is limited space available in our Artisan Programs for 2008. If you would you would like more information or would like to register call Yvonne toll free at 1.877.943.9663. Alternatively registrations may be faxed to 1.604.885.9711.

We have confirmed our first-year students for the 2008-2009 Craftsman Program. The group consists of men and women from Japan, Ireland, Columbia, United States & Canada. We are currently accepting applications for the 2009-2010 Craftsman Program.

Artisan Program Schedule for 2009

Welcome to this weeks publication of Heart Hand and Eye, Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking’s newsletter celebrating the work of our students, alumni and faculty.

Artisan E – Veneers & Curves

from left Doug, Juan Carlos, Ryan, Kunga, Josh, Kathleen, Kenji, Robert, Jack, Carl, Jamie, Dan, Aaron

JK Lectures

In this week’s lecture, Jim spoke about veneer, and coopering planes and frame and panel. A couple of our Artisan Program graduates will be heading down to visit with Jim and Britta when they finish up next week. Jim’s inspiring words will soon be available on our website.

Resident Journeyman Program

With Robert’s new benchroom and the new Wood Room nearing completion, Doug Ives from Gibsons British Columbia is busy with Yvonne’s new reception area. Our gallery was built in the 1930’s and has some strong character which we are trying to maintain and restore. We are grateful for Doug’s enthusiasm for the gallery and school.

Juan Carlos from Caracas Venezuela shares with this weeks class his enthusiasm for compound curved veneer work. Here he shows the students the process he used for creating his most recent piece. Juan is a fine craftsman with an excellent eye and mind for the craft. It is a real pleasure for me to watch graduates of our program and their passion for our craft being shared with others.

Artisan Program

Jack West from Fort Jones California trims his curved veneer panel to width prior to applying his applied edges. This week students were introduced to form making, curved veneer panel work, tapered laminations and coopering. Each student comes away with a curved veneered panel in eastern maple. A tapered lamination in ash and a coopered panel. It will be a sad day next week saying goodbye to such a special group of people.

Kunga Delotsange from New York via Tibet uses a block plane to flush the applied edges of his curved veneer panel. To ensure a good match with veneer and solid, each student received a piece of eastern maple from which the applied edges and baked in edges were removed, veneers were then cut on one of our fine bandsaw’s. A form was shaped from a piece of solid poplar, three plays of 1/8″ plywood were bent over the form, the panel was trimmed and baked in edges were applied, the veneer was then applied, trimmed and finally applied edges attached.

Ryan Inmann from Vancouver via South Africa with dry run of his first set of staves for his coopered panel exercise. This is Ryan’s second year at the school and will complete his Artisan Program next week. When he returned this year he said that he had already put what he learned to good use including using his planes made in Artisan B Plane Making & Surface to prepare the surfaces of a recent piece. It has been wonderful to have Ryan’s family up during Ryan’s stay.

Kathleen Murphy from Edmonton Alberta pores melted recycled lead into one of our forms during the optional Saturday where students were given the opportunity to make lofting ducks. Kathleen also took the time to make a few new forms replacing existing forms made during the Craftsman Program which finally cracked. I have enjoyed very much having the opportunity to work with this fine young cabinetmaker and will enjoy watching her progress as she ventures out with newfound knowledge. She Jack and Cory are heading up to Skookumchuck Narrows for a hike tomorrow.

Josh Shrae from Anchorage Alaska uses one of our Davis & Wells boring machine to mill the mortises for the fence for his shooting board. Many of our students have taken full advantage of the evening and Saturday bonus hours to complete a variety of optional exercise including tool making. Josh will be heading down to Montna following the program where he will be working on a timberframe using sustainable green building methods.

Dan from Vancouver British Columbia uses one of our shop jointer planes to shape the form for his curved veneer panel exercise. Dan began the Artisan Program last year and will finish up at the end of next week. On Monday the students and I will be heading to the lower mainland on a wood run and to visit a couple of shops including Dan’s. Dan has been harvesting much of his own wood over the past couple of years with his chainsaw mill. Recently he past along to us one of the nicest pieces of Port Orford Cedar that I have ever seen. It quickly was marked with my initials and will be used in an upcoming cabinet I have in mind. Dan continues to be a strong supporter of our small school.

Kenji Konno from Vancouver British Columbia via Japan sets up our Davis & Wells bandsaw for cutting veneer. The students each had the opportunity to slice veneers using one of our fine bandsaw’s during the process of making their curved veneered panel exercise. This past week our service provider for the website went down and data was lost. Kenji and Jamie who work together managed to save our lost data. They have both been tremendous supporters of the school and we look forward to their return. We are hoping to catch up with them Monday evening for dinner in Vancouver. Kenji has a strong intrest and ability in carving. This week he started a little elephant lofting duck which we wil cast later this summer.

Jamie from Vancouver British Columbia uses his bocote jointer plane to shape the form for the curved veneer panel exercise. This is Jamie’s third year attending classes at our school. It is wonderful to see returning students and the progress they have made. Jamie just completed a fine workbench this spring. I was talking to Federico, one of our two year graduates of the school who suggested that he may not remember the face but he often remembers the work. I concur, Jamie attended the first ever class at the school and I remember one of the highlights of my week was watching Jamie cut an exquisite set of dovetails in doussie.

Carl Flansbaum from Bellingham Washington uses one of our shop jointer planes to shoot the edges of his curved veneered panel prior to applying edges. Carl is a part time pharmacist and now a full time woodworker. He already has an impressive string of commissions underway. Carl was a self described power tool guy who really embraced our heavy emphasis on hand tools and did some fine work while at the school.

Aaron Lane a operates a small woodworking company Lane Woodworking in Birmingham Alabama. Aaron is a fine young craftsman with an impressive body of work. In addition to the curved veneered panel, the tapered laminations and coopering, Aaron made a few chisels, put an insert into one of his coopering planes and still managed to get out and enjoy our incredible part of world with his partner Amanda. It is encouraging to watch craftsman who aspire to take their work to the next level.

Faculty

Resident Craftsman & Teacher Robert Van Norman shares with this weeks class the art of edge jointing. This week students were exposed to curved veneer work including form making, Tapered laminations and coopering. On the optional Saturday students were shown the process of making lofting ducks made from recycled tire weights and brazing rod.

Community

Juan Carlos and Doug share a quiet moment in the benchroom

Dan and Jamie inspect a few veneers of spalted maple from a plank that Dan milled from a fallen vancouver tree.

Facility

Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking is pleased to announce the upcoming opening of our new gallery and office.

Our gallery and office will be moving across the courtyard into the cottage adjacent to the Gumboot Cafe. In addition to our students alumni and faculty work, the Other End of the Plank Gallery, will also feature the work of a selected group of local artists and artisans. At the school, this means the addition of a dedicated Wood Room and new Benchroom for Robert with ample light and a separate entrance. With the additional room, we will be expanding our current inventory of hand picked planks.

“I made one object at a time because of the wood, because of the tools, with a certain idea and hope, and somehow these objects won friends and gradually, gradually, my confidence and experience increased. But for a very long time, it was touch and go. Even now, although people may think that I have got it made and things are going fine, even now I am only carrying my end of the plank. Someone else who is sharing life with me has believed from the beginning in what I am trying to do is carrying the other end of that plank” – A Cabinetmakers Notebook by James Krenov.

Alumni Bench Order

Our annual alumni bench order has left Sweden. Leif has made and donated a left handed bench for our students which will accompany our order. Then went onto mention something about beer and the olympics. If you would like more information about these hand crafted benches visit Målilla Hyvelbänkar. Our school will be placing another alumni order next spring.

Alumni

Juan Carlos discusses the design for his stand with alumni Federico Mendez Castro. Two very fine craftsmen both of whom are two year graduates of the program. We are grateful to have involved with our school.

The grand opening of Other End of the Plank Gallery will take place the day after first elephants first Elephants. We hope that you will join us.

Artisan & Craftsman for Programs 2008 -2009

There is limited space available in our Artisan Programs for 2008. If you would you would like more information or would like to register call Yvonne toll free at 1.877.943.9663. Alternatively registrations may be faxed to 1.604.885.9711.

We have confirmed our first-year students for the 2008-2009 Craftsman Program. The group consists of men and women from Japan, Ireland, Columbia, United States & Canada. We are currently accepting applications for the 2009-2010 Craftsman Program.

Artisan Program Schedule for 2009

Welcome to this weeks publication of Heart Hand and Eye, Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking’s newsletter celebrating the work of our students, alumni and faculty.

Artisan D – Joinery & Design

from left Kathleen, Bill, Ryan, Jacqueline, Josh, Robert, Kunga, Jack, Kim, Juan Carlos, Chi Chi, Kenji

JK Lectures

In this week’s lecture, Jim spoke about mortise and tenon, doweling and of course craft. Jim’s inspiring words will soon be available on our website. We met with our technical consultant this past week and hope to have segments of each weeks lecture available for our readers very soon. Thank you for your ongoing patience.

Resident Journeyman Program

Doug Ives from Gibsons British Columbia has been a great help to Yvonne and I with the renovations in both the gallery and at the school. His enthusiasm for the gallery has been fun to watch. Unfortunately it has left little time for his piece. He showed me a few sketches of an upcoming commission which is very exciting.Doug also shared these ideas with this weeks class during the Friday Design session. Doug hosted Elephants this past Friday. A beautiful evening with beautiful people. Doug even showed us his impressive wood pile, although I am not sure that was a good idea.

Juan Carlos from Caracas Venezuela shared with the students this week his fine eye and inspiring design thought process. Juan walked through each of his pieces from sketch through mockup. A fine Craftsman with a warm and patient nature.

Artisan Program

Jack West from Fort Jones California uses one of our shapers fitted with a router collet to rout the rebate in the back of one of the sides of his doweled cabinet. Students then made a frame and panel back and fitted it to their cabinet. Jack and many of our students joined Robert on Saturday which is an optional day at the school and made chair scrapes in palm wood and brass. A sweet man with a strong affinity for our craft.

Kunga Delotsange from New York via Tibet uses a chisel to dial in the fit of the shoulder on his haunched mortise and tenon in ash. This week students were shown the process of cutting and fitting a stub, haunched and through and wedged mortise and tenon joinery. On Friday Robert demonstrated advanced joinery including twin compound angled mortise and tenon live and slip. Kunga and his wife Heather purchased a cottage just down the road from the school where they plan to accommodate a student from our Craftsman Program and return to the coast during the summer months. The coast could use more families like this.

A very focused Kathleen Murphy from Edmonton Alberta uses her oberge cut file to dial in the fit of her through and wedged mortise and tenon joinery in ash. Students were given ash because it does not have the compression factor that poplar has and requires precise fitting. Kathleen is a fine young cabinetmaker with a promising career ahead of her. She is like I was many years ago frustrated with the soulless work of commercial cabinetry and displays the focus and sensitivity needed in our craft.

Josh Shrae from Anchorage Alaska takes advantage of a beautiful summer afternoon and fits a set of dovetails in the courtyard with Chi Chi. Josh took and old card scraper and cut it into scraper blanks for a few of the chair scrapes made on Saturday. Josh continues to embrace the tool making aspect of our craft. I am reminded of the quote by John Brown:

“I live in a beautiful place, I work at something I love and make enough money to live and my demands on the world resources are very meager. What is so unusual about this idyllic circumstance is that there is plenty of room for more to join.”

Ryan Inmann from Vancouver via South Africa cuts the mortises for his shop made diagonal sticks in wenge. Our students have taken full advantage of optional Saturdays and the school. Ryan began the Artisan Program last summer and has returned to finish the last four weeks this year. Always a pleasure to have Ryan and his young family at the school. Since leaving the school last summer he has completed a number of projects building upon the skills taught at the school. We hope you have a very happy First Fathers Day Ryan.

Kim Larson from Seattle Washington shows her completed drawer with fine joinery. She is a true perfectionist and a real pleasure to have at the school. She has already registered for two more classes next summer. We will look forward to her return. I really enjoyed watching the sensible balance of hand and machine tools in her work.

Kenji Konno from Vancouver British Columbia via Japan uses his hand saw to cut the dowels to length after gluing them in the sides of his cabinet. Kenjo enjoys the small details that distinguish our work. This is Kenji’s second visit to the school and will be hanging on for Veneers and Curves next week. He is an impeccable craftsman and has the right approach to turn this hobby into a career when he is ready.

Jacqueline Robins from Vancouver British Columbia uses one of our chopping block and chisel to refine the shoulders one of her mortise and tenon joinets. Jacqueline has a background in craft but is new to woodworking. She is a potter and suggested that while the creative aspects of fine woodworking are similar to pottery she did say that there is an increased level of accuracy required for our craft. She will be returning next month for Artisan A Hand and Machine Tools. We will be looking forward to her visit.

Bill Chow from Vancouver British Columbia uses one of our shapers to rout the rebate for his back panel in the sides of his doweled cabinet. This was Bill’s third class at the school. He is always a pleasure. When he arrived this week he donated a one thousand grit Norton water stone, a book “Understanding Wood” by Bruce Hoadly and a substantial piece of lignum which we had a draw for. He is a generous craftsman always willing to assist our new students. It is encouraging to watch the sharing going on in the benchroom with our students. We will look forward to his next visit.

Faculty

Resident Craftsman & Teacher Robert Van Norman discusses paring with Kim. Robert shared with this week’s class mortise and tenon, doweling, frame and panel and advanced joinery. On our optional day, Saturday students were given the opportunity to make their own chair scrapes.

Candid

Come to Inside Passage, the friendly school!

Doug during recent “Design Session” as he calls it.

Facility

Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking is pleased to announce the upcoming opening of our new gallery and office.

Our gallery and office will be moving across the courtyard into the cottage adjacent to the Gumboot Cafe. In addition to our students alumni and faculty work, the Other End of the Plank Gallery, will also feature the work of a selected group of local artists and artisans. At the school, this means the addition of a dedicated Wood Room and new Benchroom for Robert with ample light and a separate entrance. With the additional room, we will be expanding our current inventory of hand picked planks.

“I made one object at a time because of the wood, because of the tools, with a certain idea and hope, and somehow these objects won friends and gradually, gradually, my confidence and experience increased. But for a very long time, it was touch and go. Even now, although people may think that I have got it made and things are going fine, even now I am only carrying my end of the plank. Someone else who is sharing life with me has believed from the beginning in what I am trying to do is carrying the other end of that plank”

A Cabinetmakers Notebook by James Krenov.

Alumni Bench Order

Our annual alumni bench order has left Sweden. Leif has made and donated a left handed bench for our students which will accompany our order. Then went onto mention something about beer and the olympics. If you would like more information about these hand crafted benches visit Målilla Hyvelbänkar. Our school will be placing another alumni order next spring.

Alumni

Juan Carlos discusses the design for his stand with alumni Federico Mendez Castro. Two very fine craftsmen who we are grateful to have involved with our school.

The grand opening of Other End of the Plank Gallery will take place the day after first elephants first Elephants. We hope that you will join us.

Artisan & Craftsman for Programs 2008 -2009

There is limited space available in our Artisan Programs for 2008. If you would you would like more information or would like to register call Yvonne toll free at 1.877.943.9663. Alternatively registrations may be faxed to 1.604.885.9711.

We have confirmed our first-year students for the 2008-2009 Craftsman Program. The group consists of men and women from Japan, Ireland, Columbia, United States & Canada. We are currently accepting applications for the 2009-2010 Craftsman Program.

Artisan Program Schedule for 2009