Brianna Yung, 15, with the balls she made from different woods. Photo / Judith Lacy
Brianna Yung, 15, with the balls she made from different woods. Photo / Judith Lacy
As the days went by, their boxes grew as did their skills and confidence.
Twenty students took part in the Manawatū Woodworkers Guild's week-long school holiday programme last week.
Divided into groups of four, the students spent one morning on each of five disciplines - scroll saw, pyrography (wood burning),assembly, carving, and woodturning.
By the end of the week, the students had made everything from pens and pen holders, yo-yos, fridge magnets and animals, to dibbers for the garden, a three-piece puzzle, and a butterfly automata.
Cayla Teoh-Hook, 13, creates a horse using pyrography. Photo / Judith Lacy
It was the guild's 14th school holiday programme and convenor Mike Smith has been there from the beginning.
Some kids are nervous and some are confident, so the tutors have to play it by ear, he says. Safety is the priority.
The biggest issue is finding enough tutors as the programme needs about 12. Some tutors are over 80, Smith himself is nearly 85 and it will probably be his last session as convenor.
The programme runs twice a year, in January and October.
Brianna Yung was proud of the three balls she made, which are particularly technically challenging. She was the only one on the programme to do so and one of four girls this time.
Brianna crafted one from rimu, one from macrocarpa, and the third was maybe eucalyptus. The 15-year-old is homeschooled and the programme was her first opportunity to try woodwork.
Samuel Tolmie, 14, at work on the scroll saw. Photo / Judith Lacy
Guild president Keith Betteridge says the programme introduces 10 to 14-year-olds to woodwork. At school, there might be a ratio of one teacher to 30 kids.
The Mike Smith Stand in the Don Tietjens Hall provides a good view of the action.
"Everyone's got their head down working, it just hums along," Smith says.
Students get to know the others in their group and make new friendships.
At the end of the week, they received a certificate of achievement and a photo of them and one of their creations in a wooden frame. They also got to take home what they made.
+ INFO The next programme will run January 23-27, 9am-noon. Cost $110. Contact Mike Smith on 06 355 5075 or mefsmith@outlook.com to book.
This is a Public Interest Journalism funded role through NZ On Air
