Thread: Saw Doctor Training AND you need to be an apprentice before you can do the TAFE cours

Hi,
I am 58, and due to my financial situation, I like many utilise whatever tools I can get to do my wood working. Consequently, I have found, this means spending some time using hand tools e.g. hand saws, planes, Bit and braces.
I have been doing some woodwork since I started and finished a large outdoor table for my wife. I have built a low roman bench and as I dont have money for a wood lathe I will be building a shaving horse to make legs on to replace the milk crates it is currently using for legs. Its ok I really like the old stuff. Of course I own powered hand tools e.g. Power Saw, Power drill, Jigsaw, electric plane and a Belt Sander, which although purchased years ago have come in real handy.
Sharpening hand planes came pretty easy as I worked in the meat works sharpening my own knives for a few years in my teens so I understood the mechanics of bevel angles etc.
But, there comes a time when ones knowledge gets to an end. Although I can buy old hand saws (cross cut and rip), make a saw vise and get hold of sharpening files. The only saw sharpening experience I have is with my electric chainsaw sharpener and having a crack from time to time with the round file when Im out bush just to touch up the chain.
Yes, I hear you say just buy the disposable saws from Bumblings. Well, I can destroy one of those saws resawing timber from logs in about a week. So it gets a little expensive.
So, I thought Ill have a look for a little course that teaches Saw sharpening.
Well Tafe NSW offers a Saw Doctor course and Im like yeh I can take 2 years doing block work. That'll do, well you have to be an apprentice....sigh. Im retired and no one is going to take on a 58 year old retiree as a saw doctor apprentice, especially when we only have one Saw Sharpening place in Wagga and they dont even do hand saws anymore because old mate that did the hand saws has retired. The next closest saw doctor is Finley, which if you know SW NSW is 2.5 hours from Wagga. A bit of hike to do maybe 2-3 days work a week. Oh yeh Im happy to work in the business if I could get an apprenticeship. Theres courses offered in SA in March but thats about $700 just for the course. so extra for driving over there and finding a bed.
If anyone can advise me on courses I may have missed, remembering I cannot go to Cheswick Forestry School as its in Victoria and Im NSW, Id be really appreciative.
Cheers