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Bent Damgaard is a local resident of the Crowsnest Pass area with a unique hobby rarely heard of today. He is a woodworker.
Originally from Denmark, Damgaard moved to Canada in 1951, and started working as a carpenter in Waterton, Albt.
“I was always interested in woodwork,” he said. “I kept it as a hobby, even while I worked as a carpenter,” said the father of four, grandfather of five, and great-grandfather of two.
Damgaard, who is now retired and living in Hillcrest, explained that he receives a large amount of his inspiration from people in his life, and the things that surround him.
“My son drove a log truck when I started to make this,” Damgaard said, pointing to a log truck replica, complete with small log pieces in the rear of the truck.
Besides the log truck, Damgaard has made wood models of various automobiles, a plane, a semi-trailer truck, and a five car train replica, with detail to the extent of having windows, ladders, and passenger seats. |
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The train took him an entire winter to build and craft. However, the time and effort must’ve paid off, for Damgaard entered the train into a contest and won first place.
“You have to be pretty particular in order to make a piece like the train,” Damgaard said, comparing woodworking to a jigsaw puzzle. “You have to make the pieces fit just right.”
To woodwork a figure of wood, it can take Damgaard anywhere from four hours to several months.
“My first one didn’t turn out very well,” said Damgaard. “My second one was better. Every time you make one, you find out you can do better in one way or another.”
In addition to the cars, trucks, planes and trains, Damgaard has also carved a dining table set, a china cabinet and wood framed desk. “I won’t do it if there’s no challenge to it,” Damgaard said, chuckling.
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