14

Q: I'd like to move on to a couple areas of interest that you have that you are familiar with. The first is your hobby of wood carving, and I call it a hobby because I don't think, you ever did make a living from wood carving did you?

A: No. I still don't.

Q: So it's a hobby.

A: It's a hobby.

Q: When did you first start to do that?

A: Well, as soon as I had some time left, after retiring. When I was working to make a living for the family there never was no time for hobbies.

Q: So really this a new …

A: After 65 I started it. I was interested in that but I had never any free time ever. I was 65 but I had the idea in the early 80's, I went to a show because I was interested in these shows and I went and saw a chain carved, a wooden chain carved out of a piece of wood and I got interested in that. I asked how he did that and he said it was a big challenge and that he was the only one who did that, he was a blacksmith from Lanark County. He showed me, and I said if I have time after I'm 65 I'll do that to. So when I was 65 the first thing I did was put a logging machine right across the table and I measured it all up and measure the piece of wood to be carved out and I never had any lessons for it, but I made one piece 6 feet long. Then I got interested in that even more. I did may be 10 or 15 different things always different. I'm not interested in do things the same, its got to be different.

15

Unique Wood Carvings . . each chain is made from a single piece of wood!
2000

16

Q: When you carve your chains, what's the biggest scale you've ever carved?

A: The links were 5½ inch long by 4 inches.

Q: And the tiniest?

A: 12 inches by 4 inch. That's the test I chose how small can I make it. I still try to make smaller if I have the time but I'm getting into to many hobbies.

Q: Out of the items in your collection, is there one that stands out in particular that is special?

A: Nope. All the same.

Q: There's one photo that I was thinking of using in this project and that's of a truck that you completed of a flat back truck that is followed by a crane. If I use that as an example, what is that made out of?

A: Any kind of wood. The main frame is maple the roof top is mahogany and I made different types of wood so that it's not all the same colour. Different types of woods. Its made to perfection as close as you can but its not imperfect its just a carving.

Q: What kind of tools does it take to make a truck and a crane?

A: For the crane you have to have a thickness blader, a band saw, a wrench, sanders, a jig saw, pieces of glass, pencils, straws.

Q: And your chains?

A: Mostly table saw and carving knife. That's the main. I always use the same carving knife, Number 8.

Q: Using the truck and crane as an example, how long does it take to make a piece like that?

A: I never kept track of my hours but I imagine 3 weeks. In spare time, I know it took me 2 days to make all the tracks. 60 long pieces of track, they have to be cut and shaped.

Q: So you have another piece that I've always liked and that's the tree that has the chain carved right out of the trunk while it still has the branched and the roots. How long would it have taken to carve that piece?

A: About a week.

Q: What do you do with the things that you carve?

A: Put then in the garage.

Q: Do your grand kids play with them?

A: I don't let them play with it because its not a play toy. They destruct everything in a day, so why should I work for 3 weeks and little kids can break it in 5 minutes. If they are grown up and they liked it I would give it to them. Its for exhibits and people appreciate the craft man ship. I specialize in chain carving. I try not to do the things that other people do I try to do something different.

Q: I've seen them on display at various places and I know they attract a lot of attention.

A: Yeah, I know at fairs they ask me to lend them, and in exceptional cases I will let them borrow them but not usually.

17

The Impossible Dovetail . . figure it out if you can!
2000

18

Q: What was the very first restoration piece that you ever worked on?

A: Yes. I remember that quite well. That was 1946, since we were burned out in 45 we didn't have any machinery, nothing left, at the farm so we borrowed a hay mow from my neighbours to do the job. My dad always hated borrowing things from somebody else and he couldn't get a new one right way I said to dad 'why don't we fix up the old mower again' dad says 'you cant do that it wont work.' I asked 'can I have it' and he said 'yeah you can have it' so when I had spare time I would put new pieces on it and it worked again 7 or 8 years. That was my first restoration job I ever did and I did it on my own and it worked. I never got paid or nothing but everyone could see that it worked and still worked to 53.

Q: What is it about restoration that makes a piece important to you?

A: It's a challenge to do that because most people say 'that thing is no good anymore' nobody wants to do it. It's important to do. A lot of people who are technical say they appreciate it because a lot of them don't. It's not to make money; it's to show people what you can do.

Q: In terms of the restoration work that you have done, is there any one particular piece that you point to and say that's my very best?

A: I always liked the first engine I got that I started on. It was a big job. The more effort you put in you get it done right the better you make it for the hobbyist. To other people it doesn't mean nothing. The first engine I got was from 1910, it was used in world war to get the electric light bulbs for the generator. The farmer used it as a light plant and as a water pump. In 1921 he got electricity and he put it outside the house and put an electric motor on it and it's been sitting there since 1921 and I bought it in the early 70's. I got it going again, and it was sitting outside the house for all those years. That was the first engine and I did a lot of work on it.

Q: Do you still own it?

A: Yeap. It's in the museum there.
Q: Was that one the most challenging?

A: No every one of them is challenging.

Q: What are the different types of things that you work on when you do restorations? I know you work a lot on …

A: Mostly agricultural machinery because that's what I grew up doing. My dad never had any technical machinery. He only had 3 tools, a hammer, a pair of pliers, and a old rusty pail (?). I had to pick everything else up some how. I was always interested in mechanical things, that's what I like. Should have gone to a technical high school but I never had the chance to go.

Q: Do you ever restore any wood, ceramic, or glass?

A: No. Wood I do. I made that clock there, that gingerbread clock behind ya. I had all the parts and just put them together.

Q: You carved that?

A: Yeah.

Q: It looks identical. That's amazing.

A: The boys helped with that one.

Q: They're interested in that too.

A: Some yeah. Some of them make cabinets for somebody else. They make money at it. It takes them a little while but…

Q: George does restoration in machinery as well?

A: George is mostly machinery, not as interested in cabinetry as the others.

Q: Your also a volunteer with the Osgoode Township Museum, so one of the things of course is how did a man that came to Canada from Holland al those years ago, settled eventually in a small town of Vernon, raised a family, how did you ever become involved in a Historical Society?

A: Well, because I'm interested in the history of it. That's why I'm interested. I wasn't a member of the Historical Society at first when it started but Lorne Craig took me in, he had an interest in engines same as I had and he has the same philosophy as I had, old things need to be restored and see what can be done with it. And if he had a challenge he asked me and we helped each other out to get things done. We tried to do any possible thing to get that thing going again, we had both same interest in it.

Q: About how long have you been a director for the Historical Society?

A: Oh, I don't even know it could be 10 or even more.

Q: You saw the agricultural building come to be.

A: Yeah. That's just about the time I joined. Lorne Craig of course couldn't come anymore so I did.

Q: They all call you the curator of the agricultural building.

A: Yeah, that comes with it. I don't do the paper work I'm no good for that. I do al the work and I know how the machines are supposed to be because I have a hay mower in the basement that I'm restoring now.

Q: Did you have any final comments that you would like to make?

A: No. I don't have anything.

Q: I think sometime when I have you out in the Ag building I would like to take some pictures of the engines in the barn.

A: I took my display to the Metcalfe Fair and it filled with water.