A few years ago, Kevin Butt wanted a new crib board. But not wanting to settle for just any crib board, he decided to make one himself.
Today, that idea has turned into a flourishing hobby that both Kevin and his two daughters, Kaitlynn and Katrina enjoy.
“Me and my Dad make all the boards, and my sister helps out a lot with the sales,” said Kaitlynn.
And that is how the idea of Woolyboo’s CNC started, she said.
And if long-time Yellowknifers seem to think the name Woolyboo rings a bell - it should.
“(Arctic) Woolyboo is the name of my Dad’s DJ business that he had for like 30 years or so - it’s an old Newfie name kind of thing,” said Kaitlynn.
When Covid shut down Kevin’s DJ business, Kaitlynn said they started woodworking as a hobby instead.
“We just decided to keep the name as a memento kind of thing from the business that my Dad had for so long.”
Now, in a few short years, their creativity has expanded to include not only crib boards, but also Frustration Rummy boards, PVC house signs, cutting boards, key chains, and other wooden crafts.
While Kevin does much of the wood carving, Kaitlynn often uses the computer program to create the designs using a Computerized Numerical Control (CNC) machine and router, although she said they will take turns at times to create the finished product.
After the prep work is done and the wood is designed, Kaitlynn said the wood is stained and at times, resin is added to an item for a glossy or colourful effect.
Now that they are becoming more familiar with the process, they are making more complex designs and custom orders, she added.
One of her favourite pieces they created was a driftwood table, she said.
“It was a piece of driftwood that my dad had taken out of the Mackenzie River - we go fishing there and it just happened to be on the side of the road there,” she said.
“He wanted to make something out of it, so he ended up doing a big 3D bear carve in the centre, and then we put bear paws around the outside and filled them with resin and did a northern lights design in each of them,” she said of the intricate design work.
While their woodworking hobby is very much still a hobby, as both father and daughter work full-time, Kaitlynn said once her father retires, he may turn it into more of a business.
Meanwhile, she is enjoying the experience of creating unique works of wooden art.
“It’s great, you get to explore and do all sorts of new things and see what new things you can create, which is nice. You get to try out different designs.”
“I love when people put in custom orders because it takes me outside of my own box and forces me to try something new most times, which is nice.”