Thursday, October 21, 2021
Talking shop with Las Vegas woodworking expert Jamie Yocono
Las Vegas Weekly: In high school, Jamie Yocono was barred from her dream elective. “Back then, girls weren’t allowed to take wood shop,” Yocono recalls. “I thought that was so ridiculous.”
So she struck a deal: If Yocono took home economics—the required course for girls—she could also take wood shop. “From the moment I walked into the wood shop, I knew that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” Yocono says.
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4 comments:
As a woman, being in the wood shop can be intimidating because it is such a boys’ club, so knowing that girls weren’t even allowed to take woodworking classes makes it clear that this attitude was intentionally created. It makes sense that Jamie Yocono’s classes are so highly demanded, both because of the practicality of woodworking and because Yocono seems like she has a great set of advice for beginners, like advising that you rent space in a shop rather than buying tools and supplies yourself. Woodworking can be difficult to pick up as a hobby because it requires so much specialized equipment, so Yocono’s tips about which tools to buy first are helpful. It’s interesting that she suggests chisels, I don’t know much about woodworking but I can imagine chisels are used frequently to finely shape wood. The article doesn’t mention how long the beginner class takes, which would be good to know, but Yocono’s pricing seems accurate for the level of skill she is teaching.
Often, woodshops are male-dominated spaces, so I appreciate a woman taking up space with this interview to speak on that, as well as action steps to how she has made woodworking more accessible for all. Jamie Yocono’s comment on permanence really struck me. Today’s society is disposable and we go through life like everything is and should be disposed of. Consumerism is the norm and expectation and we no longer expect things to last long anymore. Woodwork is a direct challenge of this. It may be more expensive and may be more labour intensive, but if one is able to, building something out of wood can be a valuable thing. It will not be perfect on the first go and it can be frustrating, but ultimately, creating something permanent, as well as developing useful home skills, can be very meaningful to one.
I would not consider Jamie Yocono at all old so it's surprising and a little infuriating to me that even when she was in school women were solidly not allowed to take woodshop. Echoing what's been said before, shops are generally male-dominated spaces and because of this, can be a daunting and oftentimes frustrating environment for women. From being told what to do when you know what you're trying to do to, in my case at least, not being able to reach anything because the space was designed with people 6-12 inches taller than me in mind, shops can end up being somewhat unfriendly environments. It's really beautiful to see a female owned woodshop learning space. I know many people that would be far more likely to take the class when they know the instructor understands where they're coming from and what they may have experienced elsewhere. The addition of rentable shoptime is also something I vehemently applaud. Accessibility of tools is also such an issue when it comes to starting out in a field like this. She seems to be making all the right steps in her business.
Yocono’s Wood It Is classes are for anyone who wants to get into wood crafts. She talks about including all genders in a dominantly male field and making wood crafts fun for everyone. Her classes are the perfect way to build your skills in making anything you could imagine out of wood instead od spending money on a low-quality piece of furniture that won’t last long. The classes are designed to equip you with the skills you need to recognize and use the right tools in your craft. She talks about the importance of finding the right tools to work with and points out the benefit of renting a studio with equipment instead of spending a lot of money on pricey tools. Her suggestions in making the perfect piece of wood craft are to start off by practicing on plywood, set a reachable goal for yourself, get creative and personalize your work. Yocono points out that DIY is not always a cheaper solution but definitely a more durable one. Making something of your own and using your skills to do it is a great way to express your creativity and create a unique piece of wood craft
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