California students produce Maloof inspired furniture
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San Jacinto Unified School District in San Jacinto, California, partnered for the first time with the Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation to organize a job shadowing clinic where local high school students participated in an in-person tutorial and production in woodwork.

Over a three-day period, students from the Industrial Wood Technologies program at San Jacinto High School visited the historic property and foundation shop.

The students were introduced to the workflow of a young person starting off in a custom furniture shop. The class concluded with each student completing a small table of Maloof-inspired design organized by Dennis Hayes, student advocate and job shadowing clinic instructor.

School instructor Roy Castillo says it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for his students that they will not forget.

“I try to create curriculum that promotes confidence in the pursuit of competence and it is in this practice that the staff’s coaching and lessons propelled student enthusiasm,” he said.

The first day began sanding another’s machine work while becoming acclimated to responsibilities, shop principles and table construction that lead into milling, machine shaping and top gluing.

The second day included slip tenon joinery, gluing the base, shaping the top and beginning finish sanding on each student’s high-end sculpted furnishing. The last day concluded with coating after finish sanding to compliment fine-tuned bevel down carving and rasp shaping.

Dennis Hayes said, “Sam Maloof’s life and work has been an important influence in what I do. I’m so fortunate to now work with the Maloof Foundation and have the opportunity to share some of what I’ve learned. Seeing the thoughtful and dedicated woodworking done by you and your students during the three- day workshop/clinic was very gratifying.” See http://sanjacinto.k12.ca.us

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Karl Forth

Karl D. Forth is online editor for CCI Media. He also writes news and feature stories in FDMC Magazine, in addition to newsletters and custom publishing projects. He is also involved in event organization, and compiles the annual FDM 300 list of industry leaders. He can be reached at [email protected].