Students in their second-year of Conestoga’s Woodworking Technology (co-op) program presented their capstone projects at the Woodworking Summer Showcase on August 15. The event welcomed faculty, family and industry representatives at the college’s Woodworking Centre of Ontario, located at the Doon campus.
A table designed and manufactured by Christopher Mozzone finished in first place at the Woodworking Showcase and received the Best in Manufactured Product award.
A table designed and manufactured by Christopher Mozzone finished in first place and received the Best in Manufactured Product award, sponsored by FS Tool. Mozzone received a $500 award, and an additional $300 from the Canadian Woodworking Machinery Distributors Association.
Judged on product design and development, craftsmanship, and product presentation, Mozzone’s walnut table featured an epoxy waterfall effect that took approximately 100 hours of shop time to complete.
“I’ve seen the waterfall on social media a lot and I really love the look of it,” explained Mozzone who will soon start a co-op term working with a company that specializes in kitchen cabinetry. “The most difficult part was building the form and doing the pour.”
Mozzone also won entry into Conestoga’s Summer 2020 Tech Showcase that will feature best of program final-year projects from a number of programs in Conestoga's Schools of Engineering & Technology and Applied Computer Science & Information Technology. Winners of the Tech Showcase receive the college's Mastercraft Award.
Second place was awarded to Daniel Mocan who crafted a hallway table, and Alex Harrison finished in third place with a storage unit he designed to hold vinyl records.
During the awards presentation, Ian Christie, president of the Ontario chapter of the Architectural Woodwork Manufacturers Association of Canada (AWMAC) presented a $1,000 cheque funded by the Al Sparling Memorial Bursary to faculty member Steve Bader for Conestoga’s Woodworking Centre. The funds were raised through AWMAC’s annual Al Sparling Memorial Golf Tournament, named in honour of a former Conestoga faculty member. The bursary is given each year to a college woodworking program to promote woodworking, encourage the next generation of woodworkers, and in recognition of the college's dedication to woodworking education.
“Without Al, we wouldn’t be where we are today as an industry,” said Christie during the presentation.
The Woodworking Technology (co-op) three-year advanced diploma program provides students with theoretical and practical training related to the technology and skills involved in the efficient and quality-conscious manufacture of furniture, cabinets and architectural millwork. Through co-op, students are provided the opportunity to relate in-school training with real industrial experience.
Conestoga’s Woodworking Centre of Ontario is a 50,000 square foot facility at Conestoga that ranks among the world’s top woodworking training centres. Students have access to custom woodworking and production training as well as the latest in Computer Numerical Control (CNC) and drafting technology.
For more information, visit the Centre's website.