Visit to Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking

[William Fretwell]

Very recently out in BC visiting my son. I had arranged that I could drop by the school so I headed over on the ferry to the sunshine coast road, arriving on a Saturday morning. This is their no machine room day, just everyone in the hand tool shop. When I arrived a lesson was in progress with everyone around the instructors bench.

Naturally when I realised James Krenov's #1 choice of schools in the world was just a few miles from my itinerary I had to see what they offered.

I came away with an appreciation of their uncluttered, minimalist tool, ultra precise way of working.

The students build 2 or 3 small wood hand planes, the 'jointer' was 9" long. One plane was a coopering plane. All students had a small collection of very fine chisels they had brought with them. No two students had the same chisels. Clearly they had been taught to sharpen tools. The planes all had chip breakers, the plane mouth was so precise, the opening so tight that light and a shaving a few microns wide could pass.

All the workbenches were traditional Scandinavian from the same family, dating back to the 1950's.

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Here is the instructors bench:

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Here is the instructors tool cabinet:

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It won't stand up! Software!

The students tool cabinets were far more Spartan!

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A couple of the machine shop:

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Post this before my token runs out and add more later..

[William Fretwell]

The tool cabinet should satisfy all the purists out there, that's all you need to build superb furniture! I was shown two of the students pieces under wraps in the office, a cabinet and a display case. Both veneered, inlaid, superb pieces. I did not get to photograph them.

I was told they had 500 hours of recorded James Krenov tuition which was progressively shared with the students as they progress.

[William Fretwell]

My afternoon was spent sitting with the students on a stool watching them work. The Zen state of concentration in the room was only broken by the woman from France doing a dance for joy as her shooting board enabled her to remove the final micron for her writing pad lid to slide perfectly in place.
The students were mostly 25'ish some early 30's. One was in his final term.

They build a small piece, very carefully, as they learn the skills needed. The emphasis on very precise hand tool use is clear.

The oldest work bench from the 1950's had just been re-flattened as it was 7mm high in the middle, it looked like new. None of the benches were chewed up or abused. Clearly precise work adds lots of care.

What did I not see? No metal planes, no mess, no stress. The room full of Scandinavian benches, each claiming a student, arranged in pairs back to back mostly creates a lovely atmosphere.

The standing rack in the tool well with dowels is to hold their components as they make them, it is free standing. The bench trestles had a shelf added for their wood to work on.

[William Fretwell]

I did not get to spend much time with Robert as he was tied up with teaching buy Yvonne kindly showed me around and told me about the school. You can never have too much wood is a philosophy they share with me I was told, as I looked at their latest wood score from someone who actually had too much wood.

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[john jesseph]

Thanks for sharing that. Inspirational. I could be happy with one of those benches.

[Mike Baker 2]

Thanks. Very cool!

[Derek Cohen]

Thanks William, both for the material and photos you posted, and for sharing an experience for which I would give my eye teeth!

I have been a fan of Jim Krenov forever, and read and re-read his books. I own one of his smoothers, which is beyond monetary value to me.

Having said this, what you need to comment on is context. For example, you mention that the mouths of the planes made (no doubt still with the Hock blade-chipbreaker created for these planes) is very small. That supports my understanding that these planes - and Krenov - do not use the chipbreaker to control tearout. One cannot set a close chipbreaker on a tiny mouth as it will clog the escapement.

The second factor follows from this, and that is the wood that is used. If figured, how do the students learn to control tearout? I do not recall Jim ever making a plane with a high cutting angle. All were common angle (45 degrees). Do they rely on scrapers? Or do they avoid all but straight grained wood?

Thirdly, the jointer plane is 9". Again this suggests that hand planes were not used to joint wood, but perhaps only used to refine a joint, with the work mainly done by machines. Krenov was big on his use of machinery. This is not a criticism - I am equally a blended woodworker - but the reason for a short "jointer" needs to be clarified. 9" is the length of your average #3. Other than Paul Sellers (who probably also prepares his wood on machines), I do not know anyone recommending jointing with such short hand planes.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[William Fretwell]

Derek as you can see from the photos there are some longer wooden planes on top of the tool cabinets both wider and a bit longer. The student who showed me his planes had a 5" smoother about 1.5" square and two 9" planes, one was convex. The blades were 1" to 1&1/4" wide. The student referred to his 9" as his jointer.
When I examined the jointer I could at first see no light in front of the blade and no gap. I believe the tiny gap was obscured by the chip breaker. Only when moving it around could I get the smallest glimmer of light, the gap remained invisible.
Another student with a similar plane was producing the lightest pile of micron thick shavings. I've produced some thin shavings in the past but nothing like these. I do think the students are given fine wood for their small projects.
The size of the planes for these small training projects seemed appropriate, my planes would be grotesque for such delicate work.

The teachers tool cabinet truly represents where the emphasis of hand tools lies. Lots of spoke shaves and a good range of delicate chisels. I saw no mortise chisels. One student had all Japanese chisels (the woman from France). There are a few in the teachers cabinet. The others had some Lie Nielson and beautiful brands and marks I've never heard of. Every chisel was honed to perfection.

Norton Waterstones were all over on small shelves with spray bottles.

Clearly they can use power tools but the scale of the pieces was very small. When they produce a chair on the program the power tools do most rough work I'm sure.

All components that had been worked on were wrapped in paper and masking tape to protect them, only the areas being worked were exposed. There was no sense of haste, just perfection.

The finished pieces from graduates in the office were magnificent, beautiful, sculpted, faultless joinery & veneers. As I pushed one small drawer in the drawer next to it moved out. In & out over & over like they were attached by pulleys, just from air movement. Those two pieces were humbling, such perfection. I did look at them both very carefully, the more I looked the more impressed I was.

Yes some small wood planes are on my list!

[Andrew Hughes]

It does look like a cool place. Working in room with others trying to walk the same path sounds really powerful.
I work alone in my shop so my work suffers from individualism.
One more thing I picked up I need to get a light for my bench.
Thanks for sharing.

[ernest dubois]

Are you going to be signing up yourself William? Still, even just the visit and exposure is a great experience and will be useful in your own work as a sense of inspiration and that they made you welcome reflecting the general attitude, very fine. The few hours I spent on a visit while Krenov was still teaching College of the Redwoods has always stayed with me. And there is no substitute for actually seeing the tools used to make this furniture first hand.

The second factor follows from this, and that is the wood that is used. If figured, how do the students learn to control tearout? I do not recall Jim ever making a plane with a high cutting angle. All were common angle (45 degrees). Do they rely on scrapers? Or do they avoid all but straight grained wood?

I remember reading specifically in that book that Krenov writes he has experimented with different angles - as we could expect - but always returned to more or less the 45 degree. It make sense considering the attitude towards wood, its selection and use that his planes are suited to a certain limited notion the appropriate wood. He doesn't go for the exotic and eye-catching figured woods at the extremes finding this an exploitation of the wood and a way of masking a failure in other aspects like what he defines as good design, attention to detail and like William lays out exceptional skill. You look at his spalted stuff, it's always subdued and the patterns never there for their own sake only but as part of the whole. When he writes of rowed wood, the hand planes are set aside surfaces machined, scraped and sanded.

[ernest dubois]

I do have one criticism of this school and that is I think they take this diminution in scale to excess. The scale of Krenov's and similar work is a true eye opener in dimension but here they seem to try and go him one better. It's just a personal, not even beef but observation based on admittedly, (very), limited exposure. I wonder what you found William, (or anyone else with experience).

[glenn bradley]

Thanks for a glimpse into something I would have missed. Looks like a great visit.

[William Fretwell]

If I could find 10 weeks to spare I would love to sign up. The school has no accommodation so finding an affordable place to stay is one challenge, my lost income would be the greatest challenge.
The school teaches dovetails in the third term which surprised me. Many experienced students come for the first term only then resume their woodwork outside I was told.
Most of the students were working on a small cabinet about 15" high, 5" wide and deep with a convex door and one shelf inside. It did seem too small to be useful.
I asked if there was some course suitable for a non beginner as marquetry and veneer work would be of considerable interest but was only referred to the foundation program.
My 'mentor' would be Tage Frid if I can claim one guiding light many years ago. He taught being productive, fixing your mistakes and producing fine pieces. The time taken for each student to produce this small cabinet is considerable. The emphasis is clearly on slow precision not productivity. The quality of the final pieces has to make up for the time taken and it did seem to.
A different philosophy and food for thought in my own work.

[Norman Pirollo]

Thank you for the insight and photos William. Having attended Rosewood Studio ( a similar CR derivative school) in Ontario for many weeks, my woodworking methods have dramatically changed. I am glad these schools exist to convey the "slow is better" and "focus on quality" message. Also, the emphasis on working with the characteristics of the wood rather than simply using it as a medium.

Norman

[Todd Stock]

Seems to me that smaller scale makes perfect sense for students - same skills as larger pieces, but easier to transport, and the youngsters are not stuck with a moving van worth of furniture when it comes time to surf to the next friend's couch. Much easier to pursue an opportunity when moving involves tossing the house keys back to your buddy and gifting them whatever you built while you were there. Finally, small things seem to me to be more easily cherished...and def easier to gift wrap.