Industrial Arts a Break in Dinehart’s Day

Senior Zoe Dinehart will be headed to Duquesne University this fall to begin a six-year program that will result in baccalaureate degrees in health sciences and biology as well as a Doctorate of Physical Therapy.

As she leaves Bishop Watterson, Zoe does not leave empty-handed. She takes with her a beautiful cherry-finish bookcase that she made in her elective Industrial Arts class, intermediate woodworking.

“My dad has spoken about how he took shop when he was in high school and how it was a nice break in the day,” said Dinehart. “I was looking for something like that last year in my schedule and decided to try woodshop out. I enjoyed the class so much I decided to take it again this year.”

Students in the intermediate woodworking class, taught by Tom Long, have a choice of projects or they can design their own project.

“Mr. Long gave us a few ideas to help us figure out what we wanted to do but in the end the decision was up to each student,” said Dinehart, who created a 47-inch tall, 17-inch deep and 39-inch wide bookcase made out of Poplar that was stained Georgian Cherry. The bookcase has a shelf that divides a 30-inch compartment at 10 adjustable heights as well as a drawer at the bottom for extra storage.

To finish the project she spent extra time in the woodshop during study halls, and Dinehart was amazed at how much sanding was required.

“You have to sand it after each layer of stain, which wasn’t hard but it took a lot of time,” she said.

Now that the bookcase is finished it seems like the perfect thing to take along to Duquesne, but it won’t be making the trip east with Dinehart.

“My brother Mark wanted some extra storage space, so when I was trying to figure out what to make in woodshop, he asked that I build him something,” she said. “He gave me a few specifications he really wanted and then I designed the bookshelf around those specifications.”

Will it be hard to part with?

“Yes!” said Dinehart. “Now I want to make one for me!”