the Woodworking Blog

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Fall 2022. The 2022 Fall semester of “hand tool only” woodworking classes in Toronto is now Open for Registration. Join us for a Saturday Bootcamp, an evening class or a week long course this Autumn. Our classes are technique based where you’ll learn the fundamental skills for building furniture using only hand tools. Dimensioning wood […]

**This is an interview I recently did with Rayonier.com and thought I’d share it with you here. AN INTERVIEW WITH THE UNPLUGGED WOODSHOP’S TOM FIDGEN Hand tool woodworking leader Tom Fidgen shares how he became an internationally-renowned woodworking teacher—and why he gave up power tools. Human beings have used hand tools to transform wood into […]

Looking East from the shop after a late Spring rain. Rainbows over Leslieville and here we are again with summer rolling on and thinking about the Fall semester at The Unplugged Woodshop. You’ll find our September and October classes are listed on the main page and the November/December schedule will be posted in a few […]

Cottage Life TV Hey folks! I’m happy to finally share the documentary I was a part of back in May. It’s a nice look into wood and all of the effects it has on our lives and our environment. “The ancient craft of woodworking has made a comeback!” For the Love of Wood by Cottage […]

Hey folks! Thanks for stopping by. I’m out here on the East Coast in my summer workshop enjoying a little bit of the summertime pace and getting one of my “TO-DO” list projects underway. All through the winter and spring, back at the Unplugged Woodshop Toronto, every time I picked up my crooked knife I […]

Hey folks! What a difference a few days can make. On Tuesday afternoon, my wife and I were walking down Gerrard st East , a local strip we often visit for the great restaurant options. En route we walked past a renovated building with a large paper covering the front window reading: Retail space for Rent. […]

A new series of Green Woodworking classes is beginning on Wednesday, January 9th 6-9pm. Join me every Wednesday in January (Jan. 9th,16th, 23rd & 30th 2019) to learn the art of green woodworking. *All tools and materials are supplied. Sign up today and get a FREE Mora knife! REGISTER NOW

Richard introduces his tool cabinet project, and lists some of the sources of inspiration. <a href="”> Read More…

The Unplugged Woodshop needs a new sharpening bench. There are two sharpening benches at the ‘shop already. Tom has one in his studio.  The other one was built for the students early on at the school. The school sharpening bench was built to fit under one of the windows. As the school has grown, and […]