paddle making workshops
Learn how to make your own hand carved
Black Cherry canoe paddle under Bruce’s
guidance in a one-day workshop. Bruce's
years of teaching and canoeing experience,
combined with a simple step-by-step process,
make this a relaxed, rewarding endeavour for
everyone. We've had a variety of
participants: teens and seniors, families and
friends, experienced and inexperienced.
Everyone has enjoyed the day.
Participants choose the size and style of paddle a few weeks prior to the course. Bruce then prepares the blanks by planing down the blades, reducing the major bulk of the wood. The workshop consists of layout, rough carving, fine carving and sanding. All tools are provided. Some final sanding may have to be done at home. Instructions are given for applying finish over 10-14 days following workshop.
(Music: "Old Pine" by Ben Howard)
workshop dates
winter 2020
thanks to all who attended. we had a great time!
spring/summer 2020
We are ready to offer workshops again!
Various dates are full due to rescheduling of cancelled workshops.
Our covid-19 safety measures:
-class size reduced to 6
-physically distanced places around work benches
-all tools sanitized
-wearing of masks required
sunday june 7 (completed)
saturday june 13 (completed)
saturday june 20 (completed)
saturday june 27 (completed)
saturday july 4 (completed)
saturday july 11 (completed)
sunday july 19 *greenland kayak paddle (completed)
Price: $240
Sitka Spruce/European Larch (Tamarack)/Black Walnut blade edges
saturday august 22 (1 spot available)
saturday august 29 (full)
sunday september 13 (full)
saturday september 26 (1 spot available)
winter 2020
thanks to all who attended. we had a great time!
spring/summer 2020
We are ready to offer workshops again!
Various dates are full due to rescheduling of cancelled workshops.
Our covid-19 safety measures:
-class size reduced to 6
-physically distanced places around work benches
-all tools sanitized
-wearing of masks required
sunday june 7 (completed)
saturday june 13 (completed)
saturday june 20 (completed)
saturday june 27 (completed)
saturday july 4 (completed)
saturday july 11 (completed)
sunday july 19 *greenland kayak paddle (completed)
Price: $240
Sitka Spruce/European Larch (Tamarack)/Black Walnut blade edges
saturday august 22 (1 spot available)
saturday august 29 (full)
sunday september 13 (full)
saturday september 26 (1 spot available)
workshop info
Time: 9am-5pm (can vary slightly)
Cost: $160 + tax
Total is $180.80
Located in Fergus, ON
How to Register
Notes
Time: 9am-5pm (can vary slightly)
Cost: $160 + tax
Total is $180.80
Located in Fergus, ON
How to Register
- Go to Contact Us and send an email
- Let us know the Date and Number of People
- Spots are reserved on a first come basis.. determined by date & time of your email
- We will confirm availability in an email back to you
- Deposit of $50 per spot required to remove availability from website
Notes
- Balance of $130.80 is payable day of workshop.
- Black Cherry is the only wood offered as it has the best inherent properties for canoe paddles and is the easiest to carve at all levels of experience.
- Shaft laminations cannot be accommodated in these workshops as they involve too many other processes.
- Only traditional straight shaft paddles (without Bruce's trademark secondary grip) are carved in the workshops both to manage the carving time in our one-day format and to preserve his proprietary design.
- Workshops are not designed for children or young teens due to upper body strength required. But please inquire if you have an interested mid to older teen.
- Class size is small so please register early.
- Workshops are always subject to sufficient registration. In the rare instance we don't have enough people to offer the one you've registered for, every effort will be made to schedule you into another one.
- A registered participant who cancels agrees to loss of deposit if their spot cannot be filled.
waiting list
If the only date you can attend is full, contact us anyway.
We'll put you on a waiting list.
It doesn't happen often, but once in a while people have to cancel and space becomes available.
arrange your own group workshop
We run workshops of 8-9 people (*6 during covid-19).
If you already have this number of friends or family members who'd like to do this together, contact Bruce to see about arranging a workshop just for your group.
We have also sometimes offered our workshops at other locations.
Again, contact us about this option.
If the only date you can attend is full, contact us anyway.
We'll put you on a waiting list.
It doesn't happen often, but once in a while people have to cancel and space becomes available.
arrange your own group workshop
We run workshops of 8-9 people (*6 during covid-19).
If you already have this number of friends or family members who'd like to do this together, contact Bruce to see about arranging a workshop just for your group.
We have also sometimes offered our workshops at other locations.
Again, contact us about this option.