Saw power: MLHS junior hones his woodworking skills

MOSES LAKE — The pandemic spurred many people to find new hobbies and activities to pass the time with community events on hold.

For FFA student and Moses Lake High School junior Austin Kern, he’s honing his skills in the woodworking shop.

While Kern said he enjoys his free time, after a few months of sitting at home last spring, he had to find something to occupy his time. FFA typically takes up the majority of his schedule during the year, but with those events going virtual or canceled altogether, he went to the high school wood shop.

“This is kind of the first year where I’m getting into woodworking,” Kern said. “I’ve always liked building things, but I’ve never really dedicated much time to it. But this year with all this free time, I’ve actually been able to focus on woodworking and kind of hone my skills a little bit.”

The Moses Lake junior said he took a wood shop class as a freshman, but it didn’t get as far into the detail he’s working with now. Kern finished a few projects recently, including a few layered shadow box pieces and a wood-burned FFA sign hanging in his dad’s classroom, FFA adviser Tony Kern.

Currently, he’s on his biggest project yet, crafting a new front desk for the library at the high school. Kern said the school staff were looking at buying a new desk before approaching shop teacher Erik Nielsen about having some students build one.

Kern said he took the lead on the job and is finishing the project at the shop.

“It’s very complicated, very big, a lot of different parts to it and it’s something I’ve never done before,” Kern said. “Half of it’s learning, half of it’s actually doing it.”

The ideas for other items so far start out more “rambunctious” than they turn out to be, Kern said. He said he references images online of what he wants his project to look like. For his shadow box pieces, he said he would print designs and glue them to the wood before heading to the scroll saw.

He said the designs always end up a little different once they’re cut into the wood.

Kern said his biggest inspiration for woodworking is his late uncle, Jerry “Bear” Kern. He said his uncle, who died nearly a year ago, has a ton of his pieces around the family ranch and his grandparent’s home, and has always been impressed with his work.

Kern said his uncle did a lot of intarsia pieces, a form of wood inlaying involving small, intricate pieces assembled almost like a jigsaw puzzle.

“That’s honestly where I got my inspiration, thinking that stuff would be so cool to do,” Kern said. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get to that level because the things he did were very impressive, but it’s something to strive for.”

Kern said he’s able to woodwork at his family’s shop at home, but it isn’t nearly as big as the high school shop.

“It’s nice that I don’t just have to sit in my room and just wish I could go bowling or something, I can go to the shop and do something,” Kern said.

Kern said he grew up spending time with his dad in the shop, but it was mostly observation and learning.

Tony Kern said Austin Kern took advantage of having some extra time around the shop as the “teacher’s kid.” On the hybrid schedule, he said Austin is in class on Mondays and Tuesdays, but has the chance to hang around the shop nearly all week.

“He’s taken advantage of it and really been able to flourish having an interest working in the shop, wood shop, metal shop,” Tony Kern said. “For him, being home by himself, it’s agonizingly boring. He’s spent so many hours here and really had the opportunity to grow his skills.”

The additional time in the shop gave him the chance to experiment as he’s learning, Tony Kern said. During a normal year with FFA activities going on, he said Austin really wouldn’t have the time to dive into something. He said it is nice to see him take advantage of the opportunity.

Erik Nielsen is in his second year teaching wood shop at MLHS and said he wishes he could take credit for the junior’s growth as a woodworker, but he’s only had him in class for about six days this semester.

Nielsen said he opens the shop a few days each week to give students extra time, but none uses it more than Austin Kern. Nielsen said Austin Kern took the library desk project head-on.

“He came up with all the plans himself; he did most everything by himself,” Nielsen said. “His dad and I offered him guidance along the way, but he said I’ve got this, I’ve got this.”

Nielsen said Austin Kern does a lot of amazing work beyond his workshop. He said he is kind of his “go-to guy” right now and will have to find a new one once Austin Kern leaves.

Casey McCarthy can be reached via email at cmccarthy@columbiabasinherald.com.