Hand Tools,Power Tools

Exactly where are the lines between technical talent, craftsmanship and artistic undertaking when you’re working with wood? There isn’t a clear answer, but for those who wish to explore where people lines blur, Okanagan College is introducing a new program – the very first of its kind in B.C.’s Interior.

Studio woodworking, a 35-week program, begins this fall at Okanagan College, and encompasses a wide range of woodworking disciplines. Although the system is not an apprenticeship, students completing the program will get credit for cabinetmaking level one from the province’s Industry Training Authority. That may be applied toward a cabinetmaking apprenticeship.

“This is often a process for people who have a passion for woodwork,” said instructor Tim Diebert.

“It will appeal to serious hobbyists who just want to gain some new skills or turn their passion into a business. It will also appeal to individuals who wish to find a career inside the woodworking organization and for those people already within the organization who want to further their expertise.”

People who are interested in the program can master a lot more about it online at www.okanagan.bc.ca/studiowoodworking and can also attend a special details session, being held Saturday at 10 a.m. in the shop that will host the process at the college’s Kelowna Campus.

Even though promotion from the software is just ramping up, already there is interest from across the country.

“It’s understandable. Should you wish to find out about woodworking and need to move somewhere to do it (there aren’t very numerous similar programs in Canada), then the Okanagan can be a good attraction,” he stated.

Topics covered through the intensive course consist of everything from identifying and using different types of solid woods, to joinery tactics using both power and hand tools. Students will also discover how to use Computer Aided Design (CAD) software, will be introduced to computer-numeric-controlled (CNC) machining, and learn about veneering, finishing, marquetry and inlay techniques.

The curriculum will also help students develop some in the enterprise expertise they may require if they’re considering starting their own shop, said Diebert.