Last night’s meeting of the Atlantic Woodworkers Association was an absolute blast! We were entertained, yes, thoroughly entertained, by paint and finish master Jim White.

Jim is the owner/operator of Lake City Paint here in Dartmouth, NS and well known for his frequent guest appearances on CBC’s Maritime Noon call-in talk show. Jim’s vast knowledge about painting and finishing comes from having spent 30 years working with James F. Lahey Ltd., one of the oldest and trusted painting companies in Nova Scotia, as well as working for himself.

Jim’s presentation was on the art of ‘wood graining’. Wood graining, also known as “faux bois” (false wood), became very popular in the 19th century where, because of economic reasons, the natural look of rare woods were replicated in cheaper woods. Because of low labor costs in those days this was far less expensive than using the rare woods.

Continue reading 'Expert Finishing Advice At AWA'

Last nights meeting of the Atlantic Woodworkers Association was an informational and entertaining one. We were treated to the seemingly endless wisdom of Mel Larsen, the Canadian representative of SIA Abrasives.

SIA Abrasives, with their head office in Frauenfeld, Switzerland, is the oldest manufacturer of coated abrasives in the world and a popular choice among woodworkers. Their noticeable yellow sandpaper is commonplace in many home workshops as well as widely used in industry applications including wood, automotive and metal.

Mel took a different approach for this presentation than he has taken in the past. Instead of focusing on the SIA product line and its use he took a broader view and spoke on wood and the steps to take to create a quality finish as well as the pitfalls and concerns.

Here, in point form, are the notes I was able to make from this fast-paced, tip-laden presentation:

Continue reading 'A Sand Storm Sweeps The AWA'

Last night’s meeting of the Atlantic Woodworkers Association was a bit of a road trip where we visited two facilities of interest to woodworkers. First, we visited a Habitat For Humanity ReStore location and from there we went to Mill Supply, a local tool distributor.

The Habitat For Humanity ReStore is a home renovation center that accepts and resells quality new and used building materials from retailers, manufacturers, contractors and the general public. The proceeds from these goods goes towards local HFH home builds, while reducing the amount of material headed for the landfill.

Habitat For Humanity, of course, mobilizes volunteers and community partners in building affordable housing and promoting homeownership as a means of breaking the cycle of poverty.

Continue reading 'The AWA Goes On The Road'

At last night’s meeting of the Atlantic Woodworkers Association we were brought back to our ‘Atlantic’ roots with a glimpse into the work of John Green, master model shipbuilder.

John started model shipbuilding at the age of 8 and has been actively building for the past 61 years. He enjoyed model shipbuilding so much that he retired at the age of 52 to do his passion full time. Although he says that he has retired it can be seen more as a positive career change since his ships sell for between $10,000 and $20,000 each with some commission pieces commanding even more! He also does repairs and restorations.

He is presently building several scale models of the Nova Scotia icon, The Bluenose which he plans on giving to his daughters.

John gave an overview of the intricate work required to create such a scale model, including the background research he does to ensure accuracy:

Continue reading 'I’se The B’y That Builds The Boat!'