Local Craftsman Enjoys Applying Traditional Techniques to Unique Projects

Karen Graham

Tom Staples in his workshop with his latest project, a wooden bathtub. Photo: Karen Graham

Tom is the son of Barb and Barry Staples, long time Cavan residents who operate an organic farm on Morton Line.  After finishing high school at Crestwood, Tom studied digital photography at Georgian College in Barrie, having tinkered with film as a teenager with classmate Ben Knechtel.  Summer jobs in construction introduced him to basic carpentry skills, and through the summers he progressed from building decks to working on high-end custom cottages in the Kawarthas, where he learned timber frame techniques and developed skills infine woodworking as he worked on custom finishes, kitchens and cabinetry.  He became “obsessed” with timber frame construction techniques and traditional peg construction, basically any technique used prior to World War II that relied on all wood joins.  These techniques require a solid understanding of the character of wood; to use all-wood joins, one must understand both the strengths and weakness of wood…