About Me

Hello!

My name is François!

I’ve been woodworking as a hobby for several years now…

I won’t lie to you, at first, I wasn’t very good at it. But one project after another, I started getting a bit better.

And with my list of tools slowly growing, I had no choice but to improve in order to justify not only having them, but also getting more of them.

If at first you don’t succeed, get better tools

Along that journey, I was blessed with having 3 wonderful kids with my lovely spouse, Emilie. She helps me a lot in coming up with various unique creative designs of her own, for me to bring to life.

Getting a laser engraver

One day, which might have been a Tuesday or maybe Thursday, I don’t remember; I decided to get a laser engraver.

I had seem some of the projects people were doing with thin plywood and it got my mind spinning with ideas. I have a background with computers, and the idea of having a machine being able to do what I could imagine was very interesting.

A lot of people gravitate towards 3D printers, but while I’m very good at drawing technical things in 2D, I know I would struggle doing anything meaningful in 3D. Plus, it would be an added tool to my woodworking hobby.

Admittedly, I went a little overboard in choosing a laser engraver, which I realized more of less when a huge delivery truck began unloading a ~500lbs crate my door steps. At that moment, I wondered how I was supposed to move that beast to where I needed it to be. Oh what a fun time that was!

By adding a new world of precision to certain aspects of my workpieces, I could now create things in a new way. By incorporating laser with my woodworking, it allowed me to personalize what I was making to a degree I had only dreamed about before.

I’ve always been somewhat of a perfectionist. I put a lot of care and attention and I tend to hyper-focus on the the smallest imperfections. Having a laser at my disposal really allowed me to produce things at the level I always wanted.

– Why do you need a 50x magnifying lens?

– To check if the lines offset of the laser are well calibrated.

Beside adding to my woodworking skills, it also opened me to a new field entirely. I began working with Acrylic and creating various designs that were distinct from my woodworking projects.

And here I am now, giving an online presence to my hobby, looking for the next project idea

Why Wholesome Engraving?

To me, this is a hobby, as in: something I do mainly for my own pleasure. My main focus is for the experience, both for you and myself, to be wholesome: conducive to the moral well-being of each other. In simpler words, I want my creation and your experience to make you smile, and to allow me to share your happiness.
Sure, I could have named it Wholesome Woodworking, but I think my background with computers made me, from the start, better at using a laser than at woodworking, which is a very broad umbrella word when you think of it… If you are looking for engraving services, chances are very good I can help you. If you are looking for a woodworker, well it depends: I can’t help you with your cabinets!