A friend of mine and I took the opportunity to drop by Lee Valley today to check out their Festool Demo Days. I’m not sure if this was a good idea or not… since coming home I have been poring over their catalogue like a kid before Christmas – “I want dat! I want dat!”

Festool tools from Germany, though new to the US and Canadian market, have been around since 1925. Their website states, “At Festool, our reputation has always been built on attention to detail, ergonomic design and unyielding precision. Our power tools are designed to solve problems and facilitate the highest-quality workmanship. ” I found that this statement accurately reflects the sentiments of those that use these tools.

Lee Valley recently added the Festool to their line and all this weekend they have their seminar room set up with all the Festool tools that they carry; drills, domino joining systems, dust extractors, guide rail system, jigsaws, miter saw, multifunction tables, planers, routers, sanders, circular saws and storage systems. Staff members are there to demonstrate them and answer any questions that you have.

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I recently had the opportunity to attend a seminar with renowned bowl maker, Mike Mahoney. Mike has been a professional woodturner since 1989 and he specializes in utility items such as salad bowls, plates, and platters. He also creates, and is rightfully identified with, beautiful screw-top urns and natural-edge nesting bowls.

This one day seminar on green bowl turning was part of the Celebrating Woodturning In Nova Scotia week, hosted by Lee Valley in conjunction with the Nova Woodturners Guild.

The project that was planned for the day was a Calabash bowl turned from green Poplar. We got off on a bit of a late start (Mike was grounded in Newark the night before because of an East Coast storm – surprise, surprise so the class started a few hours later than scheduled) but once it began it was like ‘all get out’.

Mike started with a brief introduction of himself and then showed and explained a few examples of his work:

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As an added bonus to the Atlantic Woodworkers Association’s visit to the Window & Door Co. we also had the good fortune to visit a tool museum in the making! As luck would have it Troy’s brother Kevin lives just up the road a bit and he is in the beginning stages of building a working tool museum.

Kevin is a member of the Atlantic Tool Collectors Association and has been collecting tools for many years. He recently bought a farm here in Port Williams that has several large barns that will be used exclusively for this endeavor. His goal is that over the next five years he will be able to get his tools organized and displayed into the different areas of specialties like livery, cooper and wheelwright. There’s even plans to hold workshops in the use of these tools and the making of their specific wares!

The highlight of the tour was the collection of pedal operated tools from the W.F. & John Barnes Company of Rockford, Illinois that were built in the 1870′s. Here are a few photos of these fantastic tools:

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A few weeks ago the Atlantic Woodworkers were treated to a tour of the Wooden Window & Door Co., located in the small community of Woodville in the beautiful Annapolis Valley. Our host was owner/operator Troy Wood. Yep, you got that right – Troy Wood of Woodville owns and operates the Wooden Window and Door Company. What choice did he have? Really.

Troy began by telling us that the company started because of the passion he has with period architecture and that he had found how hard it was to find well built wooden windows and doors. Using tried and true building techniques, modern technology, high quality woods and with the help of two employees he crafts real, old fashioned quality windows and doors.

Restoration and replication is a large part of their business. Troy swears by the use of AutoCad which ensures authenticity and correct details. Then, using Thermopane glass units modern functionality is ensured with historic attributes.

Most of the windows made here are for great rooms and grand entrances with about 40% of the finished product being shipped to the Eastern United States.

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