The list of books and DVDs available for borrowing by OWA members is now its own page on this site.  We called it "Library".  Thanks to Captain Obvious for the recommended name.

  OWA DVDs & Books Lending Library Director-At-Large Darren Harper is creating a lending library for the active members of the physical Ottawa Woodworkers Association (that is, not the Facebook group, the actual OWA).  The collection depends on donations, for the time being, to Darren.  For details not covered here send email to owalibrarian@gmail.com . Here below is a preliminary guideline on the library's use that Darren has provided: OWA Books and DVDs Library Rules (Version: 4 Apr 2026)  1. Your valid OWA membership card must be presented to borrow an item from the library.  You will request a borrowed item from the Librarian one week in advance of the scheduled meeting.  2. A deposit of $5 CDN will be required to check out material. A sign-out register and deposit book will be maintained by the Librarian. The deposit will be returned when items are returned.  Materials may be checked out for a period of one month, or the time between consecuti...

 This year's February meeting of the OWA is now a video on Youtube.  In it, Past President Don Duchesne describes his five-week course with teacher Ted Brown of Blackwood Guitar (www.blackwoodguitar.ca) in building an acoustic guitar.  And, at the end, he shows us the beautiful instrument that he created.  Here's the URL:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWJw7V_QsoE

A big thank you to everyone who volunteered and attended the 2025 OWA/Lee Valley Hand Tool Event this past Friday/Saturday Aug. 15-16, 2025. Ideal weather conditions brought a steady stream of visitors to the OWA booth. Other vendors lined the path and drew many more visitors to the LV Hand Tool Event. Hand tool demonstrations were provided by Norman Pirollo, Don Duchesne and Charles Robideau. Norman created intricate bridle joints using only hand tools, Don Duchesne provided excellent dovetail making demonstrations with visitor participation. Joe Federer, demonstrated his hand made violin and 3-D parts. Charles Robineau presented and demonstrated his sharpening skills using an elaborate water stone setup. Engagement with visitors to the OWA booth was encouraged and many woodworking related questions were answered. Bob Testa provided intricate turnings and carving pieces. Tim Booth provided several live edge tables of assorted sizes. Don Duchesne discussing his dovetail making The l...

A Weekend of Woodworking Goodness. A big thank you to everyone who volunteered and attended the inaugural OWA/Lee Valley Hand Tool Event held on Friday and Saturday last week, August 16-17.  We had superb weather on Friday which allowed us to set up, as planned, in the demonstration tent next to Veritas Tools.  Presenters included: Jack Forsberg, who showed up with his old-timey, custom made, tool boxes replete with a traditional hand tools; Joe Federer, who demonstrated violin neck and head carving; George Fouriezos, with his box glue ups along with his 3 D printed corner clamping jigs; and Norman Pirollo, who employed a traditional miter jack and Japanese hand saws to create precision tenons. Jack Forsberg background,  Ryan Walsh on right. Jack’s dovetail tool boxes. Note drawer on right. 2nd from left:  Charles Anderson,  Jocelyn Plourde.  Far right: Norman Pirollo. Joe Federer  carving a violin  head and neck. Saturday’s weather was...

Save these dates: August 16th and 17th, 2024.  Why?  Lee Valley Tools and the Ottawa Woodworkers Association are hosting a free, two-day gettogether in the parking lot of the Lee Valley Tools store that will be of interest to new and experienced woodworkers alike.  Prizes, wood-objects contests, and free demonstrations all day are some of the activities that will take place. Click "Read More" below to obtain access to Lee Valley's detailed descriptions in English or in French .

In addition to in-person payment using cash or a cheque, or by using PayPal, memberships may now be paid using an ordinary bank e-transfer. Click through to the Dues page for details.

The video of OWA's January 2024 meeting is now online, posted on the 23rd.  It features a presentation by Charles Anderson, Joint VP and Program Director.  Its title is Big Project, Small Shop.   In it, Charles describes how his CNC controlled router aided in the construction of 160 whiskey sampler boxes.  The video from the meeting in December 2023 has been on line for a few weeks now.  It was split into two parts: Part 1 contained Show-and-Tell segments from members of the OWA while Part 2 was an invited presentation of the products and services available from Clarence Creek Wood Select, a hardwood supplier a little East of Ottawa.  Clicky links?  Sure.  Here's one for January's meeting (Big Project, Small Shop) , another for Part 1 of December's meeting (member Show-and-Tell) and a third for Part 2 of December's meeting (Clarence Creek Wood Select) .

In the November 2023 meeting of the OWA, Kevin Gordon recounts his adventures with a very large cabinet installation in his basement rec room.  If you appreciate precision, you'll be a fan of Mr. Gordon's work.  A theme of the presentation is how to create beautiful work while keeping cost down.  Lots of tips and tricks here, chief among them is the virtue of the 32 mm system employed for European concealed hinges.  Click the Read-More button to gain access to the actual post where you can click through to the video itself .

For years, the OWA has not met face-to-face.  We held a 2023-24 season opener as an in-person meeting on Saturday, October 14th.  Rob Suarez demonstrated the use of Lee Valley's combination plane, while Don Duchesne briefed us on the history of the Stanley 45, 50, and 55.  And there was a special surprise for the members.  On a lark we recorded the meeting.  The footage -- Should we say bittage? -- was then edited, blended with Don's slides, and uploaded to YouTube.  If you would like to view the video -- it's about an hour -- just stomp here .  (You may have to click READ MORE first.)

When we announced a hiatus in our meetings last year at about this time, the Ottawa Tool Library (OTL) reached out to us with a proposal that we somehow partner to keep the OWA going.  Thanks to the OTL we were able to meet in person on a masked small scale, and thus keep our activities going.  For that, the OWA cannot express enough gratitude for the boost that the OTL provided. The OWA members who still hang on, the clingers, strive to resurrect the OWA.  A step in that direction has been to secure a meeting place large enough to house a re-built membership.  Namely, Lee Valley has offered us their seminar room, the place where they hold workshops, tutorials, and the like.  Time slots are limited; the only one available was Satruday afternoons from 2 to 4 PM.  Don created a monthly schedule of meetings for the first Saturdays of each month.  The only exception is the very first meeting coming up on October's second Satuday, the 14th, to skip ...

Day after Halloween and we're still in for a treat:  Our guest presentation is by Alex Low, a native of Ottawa who practises fine woodworking and boat building.  Alex was recently featured in a YouTube vignette published by Canadian Woodworking & Home Improvement .  Some of his splendid work can be seen at his web site .  So, be sure to join in on Tuesday, November 1st at 7 PM. As usual members will receive their invitations by personal email.

Our feature presenter in our first Tuesday of October meeting is none other than Jack Forsberg, host of the Great Canadian Rust Junkie Fest held almost annually at the Wadkin Temple.  Jack comes to us unscripted, ready to talk about anything, any time, any place.  He makes a living working wood, and is well apreciated for custom commercial doors.  Known for his passion for industrial shop equipment and its restoration, he is your goto resource for "they don't make them like this any more" restorations.  Want to prepare for this meeting?  Bring questions, about anything. Look to your email box for an invitation to Tuesday's Zoom meeting, October 4th at 7 PM.

Our 22-23 Season Launch takes place on Tuesday the 13th of September at 7:00 PM.  The remaining 9 meetings from October to June are held on the first Tuesdays of each month, but in September we give it an extra week to let parents recover from the beginning of the school year.  As has become the norm, members will receive Zoom invitations by email.  On tap this month we have: Wayne's World Wayne Richardson moved homes recently and thus had to tear down his previous shop to rebuild a new one.  Working with an experienced perspective of what works and what doesn't, he will take us on a tour of his new, almost finished, woodshop. Norman's Book Norman Pirollo has published an ebook entitled Quiet Woodworking , featuring, as you might guess from the title, working with handtools.  A little of Norman's background and a photo of the book's cover are just clicks away. Kevin's Gate Our Turn What we did this summer.  The prior three presentations form a gateway ...

This is the title of our own Norman Pirollo's new book, Quiet Woodworking.  In it he shares some of his experience-earned methods in woodworking with handtools.  In his own words he says this: "...my new book on the dichotomy of hand tool woodworking in a modern world.  Discover how hand tools create a quiet, peaceful, dust free woodworking experience.  Attain a more fulfilling, better quality of craftsmanship.  I delve into how my furniture pieces are created using hand tools.  I discuss how we need to maintain a tradition of working with hand tools in today's environment where technology permeates our lives at every turn.  Hand to eye coordination and tactile feedback are two benefits of using hand tools in woodworking.  I make a compelling case of introducing hand tools into woodworking.  Available through my website www.woodskills.com   180 pages. (eBook)"

Are you interested in a downsizing aution? Then check this site out.

Jack just posted an announcement on the OWA Facebook page that his Rust Fest has been Rusturrected for 2022. Register by visiting jforsberg.ca .

Along with impromptu Show-and-Tells, we have an exciting two-feature Zoom meeting on Tuesday, June 7, at 7 PM.  Past-President Rob Suarez presents One Plane to Rule Them All , an ode to the Veritas jack rabbet plane.  In his own words Rob says this: "I have this obsession with the Veritas jack rabbet plane, from its design elegance and brilliance, to its balance and feel and most importantly what it's capable of.  Could this one plane be your only one in a minimalist kit?  Could we recommend this as the first plane to buy for any beginning woodworkers?  This presentation is to promote the glory of plane, through a practical and hand built project, exploring the full potential of the jack rabbet’s capabilities." Now, do your fine speakers look cheap because of their plastic enclosures?  Do you want to replace them with beautiful wood grain housings?  Then June's second feature presentation is for you.  Dean Hummel will explain how he builds speak...

At Don's suggestion I will show photos on how a 3D printer can be useful in a woodshop.  When I ordered the printer I had no idea how much of an asset it would be in woodworking.  And it's not to combine plastic bits with wood objects; no, the plastic bits rarely become components of the objects I make.  They are mostly tools and tool-modifications that help woodshop processes.  Two themes are highlighted:  One is how surprisingly robust even the cheapest most common plastic, PLA, can be in demanding applications.  The second theme is about modifying, replacing, or inventing tools to make woodshop tasks easier.  An example of the second theme is illustrated here, a 3D printed bevel gauge that clears the bump-out in the corner.

You've heard countless times to plane in the direction of rising edge grain.  New to me was Shop-Talk-Live guest Wilbur Pan's recommendation also to skew the plane according to the rising end grain.  So, if viewed from your planing stance, the end grain rises to the left, skew the plane to the left so its left side trails.  This was in a recent episode, Number 264.  Has enyone else heard this recommendation?  Better yet, has anyone found this suggestion successful?