Teaching the beauty of hand tools

“Ultimately, one can make anything that a machine could make,” says Roger Karrasch, treasurer of the Orange Woodworker’s Association and a passionate advocate for learning the use of hand tools.

“There is a worldwide trend to dump the machinery, they take up too much space,” he says.

“Machines are just totally invasive and the atmosphere is charged with both dust and noise, both of which don’t always go away when you switch off the machine.

“But with hand tool work you don't have the dust, you don't need the mask like you do with machine or the eye protection. It’s not all noisy and upsetting the neighbours. This hand tool work you can do it from home and have satisfied neighbours.”

Roger spent 50 years working as an architect. His long career included designing vinyl tile patterns on elevator floors in the 60s, through to ecclesiastical furniture, fixtures for abattoirs and dairy factories, the Queensland Parliament Cabinet table, designing and building multi-story buildings and serving as an expert witness in building disputes and coronial inquests.

But since retiring nine years ago, he has taken up his long-held interest in woodworking with vigour and is keen to share his love of woodworking with hand tools.

“There are so many benefits of woodworking,” says Roger, “It has been shown that sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorders, within minutes, seemed more apt to recover themselves. People who have various stress problems, say from military service, it is quite common for them to forget about their issues if they start doing physical hand tool work.”

Each week, Roger teaches small groups of adults and children the basics of working with hand tools. With just a small collection of tools and a little knowledge you can make anything, he says.

“They learn how to hold the tools and the techniques and the skills, and how to make three basic joints — the mortice and tenon, the dovetail joint and the dado joint — you can do anything with those and if you want to make something round you have the spokeshave to do it,” he says.

“With just ten tools, you can do anything — anything a machine can do and that's what we're teaching.”

Of course, not all members of the Orange Woodworkers Association limit themselves to working by hand. Their workshop in the old coach house of the historic “Ammerdown” homestead has an extensive range of wood machining equipment from milling through to fabrication and finishes.

There is a solar kiln for curing timber. A large mill, multiple table saws, bandsaws, sanders and lathes of various sizes.

“You want one of them, you’ll find it. We have a pretty good range of stuff,” says Roger.

The Orange Woodworkers Association members are free to use the facilities for their own projects with just a small donation.

“And a fee, which covers the insurance and that's $40 a year and that gives you the opportunity to have a cup of tea — and tell a few lies as well!”

Members meet from 9am to 3pm each Wednesday and from 9am to 12pm on the second and fourth Sundays of each month. For more information contact Roger Karrasch on 63618802.