DARAWOODWORKS began in July of 2015 when we arrived on Pender Island from Toronto, Ontario.

After making some modifications to the shop at the new house we were ready to start wood turning.

We continued to make salt and pepper mills which were really well received by both local Pender people and tourists at the local winter and summer Farmer’s Markets. It didn’t take long before we were adding new products like rolling pins, cutting boards and birdhouses to name a few.

The Farmer’s Market led to the Winery Market and the Fall Fair which then led to Vancouver Island Art Shows.

So how did we end up turning wood?  Well, neither of us had any professional woodworking experience. I retired after 37 years with The Canadian National Railway and am self-taught and first began by making furniture, then woodturning, then built my house and continued to turn wood. I was given the book The Craftsman Wood Turner by Peter Child and attribute this book, and the desire to work with my hands, as the basis for learning my craft.  

In my wife's case, it was more about economics that necessitated that she learn how to fix things. Then one day she built her own house but afterwards realized she wanted to do smaller projects so she bought an old lathe but wasn't sure where to begin.

At that time we worked together as fire fighters at the local fire hall and I gave her that same book that I had been given but pretty sure she didn’t even open the book lol.