Local woodworking classes a cut above the rest

Classes to try a hand at woodworking are the hot ticket in North Las Vegas.

The six-week basic course is so popular at Wood It Is!, 2267 W. Gowan Road, Suites 106 and 107, that business owner Jamie Yocono has added extra sessions to sand down the waiting list.

"I'm shocked, but I'm delighted," she said. "I feel particularly blessed that I've achieved this level of success here, and I'm trying to figure out a way to grow it without killing myself."

Yocono, who fancies herself "an artist that teaches people to work with wood," has taught basic, intermediate and advanced woodworking courses five days a week for three years. Since then, she also has taken on instruction at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas amid private lessons and work on her own commissioned pieces.

Yocono factors the rise in interest to hard financial times. Woodworking is a hobby to some but a necessity to others, she said.

"The economy has led people to the point where they maybe can't hire someone to hang drapes or make a set of planter boxes," she said. "People can't afford the equipment I have or don't have the space."

Intermediate-level student Lupe Nielsen also noticed the trend, she said.

"It speaks to the need in Clark County to have more vocational skills," she said. "There are almost next to nil."

Yocono keeps a blog about Wood It Is! news and events and often announces additional classes.

"The secret is to register early," Nielsen said. "You learn to create something that would be a value."

Yocono also posts meetup.com events for her group, Sin City Woodworkers.

John Forte found Wood It Is! online and enrolled in the basic class in November. He sought Yocono's assistance for a board game he was creating, but she put the tools in his hands.

"She recommended I take the class and make the prototype myself," he said.

Months later, Forte is ready to present the game with his hand-crafted cylinder pieces to toy companies.

"I can pat myself on the back," he said.

Forte has started attending Yocono's open Saturday sessions for other personal projects. He completed five cutting boards for family members.

"I'm still in awe when I look at the cutting boards in my home that I made," he said. "It's pretty impressive."

Progressions such as Forte's are common, Yocono said.

"They blow me away," she said.

Yocono said she draws on the philosophy of her first wood shop instructor who never tamed his students' creativity or said no to a project. She also keeps class sizes small to foster her teaching style.

"She's so attentive," said student Ann Casey. "She has all these people around, but she just knows if you're doing something wrong, and she'll be there right away."

On the first day of her most recent basic course, Yocono quickly built a rapport with the six men and two women in the class. The group had safety goggles on and varying levels of experience under their belts.

While giving tours of the machinery, Yocono kept the mood light.

"The danger zone is about where you're standing," she told a student.

"Keep your fingers tucked in," she said. "They call me 'Stubby' for a reason."

"A nun named Sister Tabitha invented the table saw," she added.

Yocono switched to caring guide when one student stepped up for his first cut on the saw.

Yocono watched carefully as the student's demeanor went from nervous to elated.

"You did a wonderful job," she said. "I know you were scared. It's like being around a jet engine the first time."

After the six-week course, the students have finished a cutting board, an inlay box with hinges and a lid and a bandsaw, Yocono said.

"I have people all the time who don't have a clue about what they're doing, and when they walk out six weeks later, they have these three really nice projects," she said.

Higher level classes advance to table and chair making and beyond. Yocono lists material fees with tuition costs on her website.

Casey, who is a project manager for NV Energy, said woodworking soothes her stress level and her need to create.

"My job is very people-oriented and mental," she said. "I can never go home and say, 'Look at that stack of papers. I did that.' (Woodworking) gives a sense of satisfaction."

For more information, visit wooditis.com or wooditis.blogspot.com or call 631-1870.

Contact Centennial and North Las Vegas View reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@viewnews.com or 477-3839.