Col Hosie: Teacher and maker

Face to face contact and learning are coming back into our lives post-pandemic. ‘We haven’t offered our courses for three years now’, said Col Hosie, boxmaker and ex-industrial arts teacher. ‘But now the doors are open and we’re starting up again in 2023’, he said.

Col enjoys teaching and likes others to come away from his one, two and three day classes with a ‘head full of knowledge’, he says…which is why he likes to keep class sizes small – no more than two is his preference.

‘You get to know people better that way’, Col explained. ‘And they’re more attentive’, he added, as he admits that over the years, many students have become friends.

Boxes made by Col Hosie in a range of native species

Throughout the non-contact Covid years, Col kept up his teaching via weekly online YouTube tutorials. He’s noticed how a small community has developed, as there are many regulars who tune in to observe and comment on a live chat.

‘What you see is what you get’, said Col. ‘It’s live, and if I make a mistake that’s okay, because I also show how to fix it. We all make mistakes, but often we’re not able to fix them until we see how someone else does it.’

The videos are presented in series that focuses on the making of a particular item. As with his workshop courses, Col programs them so there’s a constant flow, and those who follow or attend will end up with ‘a tangible, take-home “look what I made”’.

In his ‘spare time’ Col and partner Pam Corrigan manufacture and sell Gifkins dovetail jigs and boxmaking accessories. The jigs are precision CNC-made and recognised all over the world for their accuracy and ease of use. One form of recognition that pleases Col is their inclusion in Leadbeatter, Keable and Clarke’s school textbook, Woodworking.
You can check out Col’s weekly Gifkins Dovetail Live videos at this link

Booking in for a class is as easy as getting in touch via gifkins.com.au/courses