training & education

Basic Course | Intermediate Course | Mentoring | Private Lessons

Basic Training Course

Training courses are offered for the benefit of new members. Courses are of 6-weeks duraction, one night a week (on consecutive Tuesdays unless interruped by a school holiday or club meeting) from 7 pm to 10 pm at the woodshop of Louis-Riel High School. Each course is limited to 10 candidates. Courses cover basic theory of woodturning, health and safety considerations, tool selection, wood preparation and mounting and tool sharpening techniques combined with hands-on experience. At the completion of the course each student will have learned the basics of face-plate and spindle turning and have completed a couple of projects.

These courses have proven extremely popular. You are advised to register early if you hope to attend the next scheduled course. As of this writing, all courses are fully booked. Our resident Lead Educator is retiring at the end of 2010 and the Executive is working to find a replacement. That being the case, there are presently no scheduled courses for the year 2011. New information will be posted on this page as it becomes available.

Intermediate/Advanced Course

We are presently busy preparing an outline for an intermediate/advanced course.

Your suggestions and ideas on possible topics would be greatly appreciated.

For more information about this course, please contact

Lionel Bédard

Mentoring

The mentoring program seeks to find matches between more experienced tutors and people who have an interest in any of woodturning's various disciplines, including peripheral disciplines such as sharpening and tool or jig making.

At the present time mentoring is available in the following areas:

Introduction to woodturning

Safety in woodturning

Pen Making

Tool Making

Sharpening

Natural edged bowl turning

Turning bowls

Rough turning

Finishing

Segmented turnings

Making pepper mills

Inside out turning

Making stick pens

Making Bottle stoppers

Wood preparation (boiling, cutting, waxing, storing)

Making weed pots

Dust control in the shop

Anyone interested in participating in the mentoring programme
either as a mentor or student should contact:

Brian Schoffield

You can fill out an online Student Application Form, or an online Mentor Application Form here.

Private Lessons

Private one-on-one lessons are also available from the following individuals:
Bart Poulter
Glenn Hetherington
Mike Courteau
Brian Schofield (Cornwall Region)

Interested parties should contact the above privately to discuss details and rates.

Please note that having the Private Lessons information on this webpage does in no way constitute an endorsement by the Valley Woodturners. You and your chosen instructor are solely responsible for any arrangement, financial or otherwise, and/or mishap that could occur.