Sculptural Woodworking Assistant at Practice Space

Location: Portland, OR

Hours: 1-2 days per week to start (8-16 hours total)

Pay: Starting at $25/hr (or dependent on experience) with opportunities for bonuses and advancement in our growing studio business

Benefits:
- Performance-based bonuses
- Flexible scheduling
- 20 minute paid meditation or contemplative period during each shift
- Opportunity to work in a creative and contemplative environment

About Us:
We are a small design studio specializing in creating high-quality products for contemplative spaces (ie meditation!). Our work is ornate, original, and often meticulous in its production processes and sourcing. This includes a healthy blend of hybrid woodworking techniques - work made by both by handtools and machines. We are committed to using sustainable and ethical production methods and materials, and supporting local makers and communities. At our core, we believe that work itself is a form of meditation practice, and that every aspect of our business is an experiment in learning and practicing awareness individually and as a working community.

Job Description:
We are seeking a part-time Woodworking Assistant to join our team to learn to produce our line of high-end goods for meditators, functional sculpture, and studio furniture products. This role involves operating woodworking machinery and high-end handtools with a meticulous eye for detail and safety from milling to sanding and final hand rubbed oil finishing techniques.

The role could also include responsibilities such as:
- Supporting our founding artist/woodworker with design and development of new prototypes prior to production.
- Fabrication tasks for our offices, showroom, and photo sets
- Inventory management, order fulfillment (packing and shipping), and occasional customer service.

The ideal candidate has:
- An authentic interest in fine woodworking including handtool techniques.
- Interest in the arts, fabrication and other sculptural practices (mold-making, sculptural plasterwork, color, etc)
- Natural ability to be detail-oriented with a high level of accuracy and precision
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- An unwavering attention to safety, carefulness, honesty, and open communication.
- Interest in meditation or contemplative traditions preferred

Essential woodworking skills for daily use:
- Hand sharpening and stropping blades, chisels, gouges, and card scrapers and other tools using diamond plates and japanese whetstones to a very high level of polish and precision.
- Ability to learn safe operations on woodworking machines and tools and adhering to strict safety protocols, without lapse of judgment (including bandsaw, table saw, jointer, planer, scrollsaw, router, drill press, etc).
- Milling lumber, understanding grain, and wood properties.
- Using machinist's tools for accurate measurements and woodworking precision.
- Efficient use and maintenance of high-end hand planes, router planes, spokeshaves.
- Safe and effective use of routers, both for edge work and for making templates.
- Hand-carving techniques, including understanding grain direction, chisel/gouge selection, and tool sharpening.
Safe and effective use of power carvers.
- Learning efficient sanding and finish preparation techniques.
- Applying oil and hardwax finishes for protection and aesthetics.
- Quality Control – Conducting inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality and/or performance. Make suggestions for changes as needed.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate.
- Creating and keeping an organized workspace and shop.

To apply:
Please submit your resume and cover letter via email with the subject line “Sculptural Woodworking Assistant”.
We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome all qualified candidates to apply.

Practice Space Studio LLC

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