Sounds of buzzing echo early in the morning as electric saws slice through wood. Chairs, trunks, chests, stools and other projects take shape as Caleb Thiesen, ’05, and four other woodshop students, create original furniture.

Thiesen is a second year student in woodshop who did not have any experience in woodworking before he joined the class.

“Caleb is doing things that usually only fourth-year students would do,” Randy Hurley, woodshop teacher, said. “He’s methodical and takes the necessary time for building projects.”

Many students struggle to get to woodshop because it takes place during 0 period, which begins at 7 A.M.

“It’s very hard to get up so early for class,” Thiesen said. “Some nights I get only five hours of sleep because I stay up late doing homework, and then I have to wake up early for woodshop.”

The chance to create things with his hands intrigued Thiesen, and he loves the chance woodshop gives him to escape the regular school schedule.

“Right now I am working on a bench, but my favorite project I’ve done so far was a trunk; by the time I got it done, it looked really cool,” Thiesen said. “It takes a long time to finish projects, and it’s hard to figure out the cuts to the different parts, but it’s worth the effort.”

Thiesen’s fellow students find him a hard and diligent worker.

“Caleb is good at working on the projects we do in class,” Stephen Williams, ’08, said. “He knows all the things he needs to do and what to do with the tools.”

For more information on woodshop go to www.thefeather.com and check the archives for “Young carpenters chisel wood, character,” by Melinda Davis, or contact Hurley at (559)-297-1247.