Conestoga news

April 23, 2023 2:54 PM

Woodworking skills showcased at annual capstone event

Graduating students from Conestoga’s Woodworking Technician program showcased capstone projects on April 20 to determine Best in Manufactured Product and Best in Product Design. 

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Seung Min Baek was awarded Best in Manufactured Produce and Best in Product Design for his project crafted from walnut and ash at the annual woodworking showcase event on April 20.

Friends, family, industry partners, and members of the Conestoga community gathered at the college’s Woodworking Centre of Ontario at the Kitchener - Doon campus to see the broad range of work on display completed with more than 100 hours of shop time.

Seung Min Baek was awarded both Best in Manufactured Product and Best in Product Design for a family dinner table crafted from walnut and ash. The piece features a multi-toned tabletop to indicate place settings and storage seats that fit under the table for a more compact design.

With his top honours, Baek received $350 for Best Manufactured Product, sponsored by FS Tool, and $500 for Best in Product Design, sponsored by RAMPA. Baek also earned entry into the Tech Showcase competition on April 25 at Conestoga’s Cambridge - Fountain Street campus. The event will feature Best of Program final-year projects from several programs in the School of Engineering & Technology and School of Applied Computer Science & Information Technology to determine the winner of the Mastercraft Award, recognizing excellence in program-related skills.

Second place and a prize of $250 for Best in Manufactured Product was awarded to Ben Wildfong for a coffee table crafted from walnut. Alex Amaral placed third for a kitchen island crafted from ash and received a prize of $150. Projects were judged by woodworking faculty and based on product design and development, craftsmanship, and product presentation.

Students in Conestoga’s Woodworking Technician two-year diploma program receive a solid foundation in the skills and technology involved in the manufacture of furniture, cabinets and architectural millwork and training in modern manufacturing techniques.

At approximately 50,000 square feet, Conestoga’s Woodworking Centre of Ontario is one of the largest facilities of its kind in North America and 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 computer drafting technology.