MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- People have many different hobbies; playing golf, collecting comic books or reading are a few. For those who frequent the wood hobby shop here, their passion lies in creating wooden works of art.
“This is a place where station residents can come to make simple projects,” said John M. Redfield, Wood Hobby Shop manager. “This is also a place where people can learn new things.”
Many of those who work in the shop craft pens. These are not ordinary pens for sale at the Post Exchange but unique, one of a kind designer pens. Each pen is different in that no one pattern ever comes out the same. The specifications in making each pen may be exact every time, but the result is never duplicated.
Some of the wood enthusiasts who frequent the shop have very limited experience crafting wood into art. This should not scare or deter anyone interested in taking up wood crafting as a hobby, Redfield said.
“We’ve always had people coming in who have never done anything with wood crafting,” said Redfield. “We understand that and we’re here for them if they need assistance.”
The Wood Hobby Shop also has capable persons available to guide newcomers.
“My coworker and I are experienced wood workers,” said Redfield. “We’re not masters (or craftsmen), but we’re definitely experienced. We can go and help anyone on a project to figure out a way to do it and help them as they go along. We’ll give them a guiding hand.”
Along with the uniquely exquisite designs on display to those who first enter, those who frequent the shop can also craft other pieces of wooden artistry.
“There was a chief warrant officer here once who built his own clock face with a barometer and hydrometer,” said Redfield. Other projects have included furniture, plaques, coin displays, shelves, frames, coasters and a myriad other ideas. With all the different tools and equipment available there, patrons are limited only by their imagination, Redfield said.
For some of the members, woodworking is an opportunity to get away from their daily stresses.
Gunnery Sgt. Bryce R. Piper, station public affairs chief, likened it to a tranquil, calm or “Zen-like” feeling when crafting a pen.
"When I’m working on a pen, I don’t notice anything else,” said Piper. “I’m focused.”
Piper is another individual who has little prior experience with woodworking.
“I took wood shop in high school, junior high school actually,” said Piper. “That is the total amount of my wood-crafting experience.”
The overall goal of the Wood Hobby Shop is to build confidence for newcomers.
“We want people to come out here in confidence,” said Redfield. “If people think they can build anything in here, they can then come out of here with the knowledge they can do other projects at home.”
Station residents wanting to take up woodworking as a hobby must qualify by taking the safety course, offered twice a week, Wednesdays 5:30-6:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 12-1 p.m. Penmaking classes are held Saturdays 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Saturday afternoons also feature a “project-of-the-month” class. Special projects have included cutting boards, jewelry boxes and other simple but useful wood art pieces.Ft