Saturday Workshop Hours

I served in the RCN from 1980 retiring in 2006 as a PO1 Marine Engineering Artificer. This career took me around the globe and provided many opportunities to develop skills necessary to maintain vital machinery on the ships. These skills were taught by Artificers to Apprentices which is the basis of the Cowichan Community Workshop Co-op. Passing knowledge on, from skilled to unskilled, old to young, young to old will allow people to create things and have a sense of self accomplishment. In my career I learned hand tool skills in metalworking which led to machining on Engine Lathes and Milling Machines finally ending a Senior Instructor at CFFS(E) Machine Shop. This is where I realized the great feeling of teaching others and watching them master the skills and seeing their self-confidence grow. I started woodworking early on and I am self taught, although mechanical/machining skills kind of transferred over to woodworking. In my 25+ years of woodworking, mistakes were made (lots of finely shaped firewood) and my skills slowly developed into where I could share them confidently with others. I use both power tools and hand tools, but my passion lies in working with vintage tools, restoring them to working order and creating small furniture and utilitarian items all with the first "cordless" tools. I am a founding member of the CCWC and I look forward to seeing this establishment thrive in the community and seeing all people learn new things and polish skills they already have.