by Tom York
(Third is a series on Super Volunteers)
Recently the call went out for a volunteer with an unusual skill when the time came to move two new lasers into the new suite at the Member Shop.
The skill? Drive a forklift. The Shop 3.0 crew needed to load the lasers onto a truck for the final journey to their new home from the warehouse.
That’s when Paul Duffield answered the call.
Driving a forklift is but one of Paul’s talents that he uses as a SDFWA Super Volunteer—defined as a member of the association who goes beyond to contribute to the operation of the shop.
His contributions to the association are extensive. He serves as co-instructor in the hand tool Special Interest Group (SIG) and teaches a class to keep hand tools sharp. And he can be seen demonstrating how to use hand tools before the club’s general membership meetings.
Paul also serves as an instructor for the popular Introduction to Woodworking classes and serves as a valuable member of the shop’s Education Committee, which develops new classes and programs for the membership.
And he still finds time to woodwork. He’s taken top awards for pieces entered into the annual Design in Wood competition at the San Diego County Fair.
Paul traces this abiding interest in woodworking to growing up in the UK. He was influenced by his father, a military officer, built period furniture when he wasn’t on duty.
“He loved antique pieces, but couldn’t afford the price, so he made copies,” Paul Recalls.
Paul made the dive into fine woodworking after building a mantle for his home from maple—a project requested by his current wife. “The mantle turned out great,” he said. “After doing a couple of other projects, I was hooked.”
He later began taking classes at Palomar to get a formal grounding in woodworking, and eventually became a teaching assistant at Palomar for the wood-carving classes.
That experience led him to carve a replica of a Hawkbill sea turtle, inspired by the final project in the third semester carving class at Palomar. At the 2018 Design in Wood (DIW) competition, the turtle won the top award in its class.
“I like to use carving with my furniture projects,” he says. I can use my carving tools for curves and features like that.”
Meanwhile, he continues to hon his experience level in fine furniture, working on projects at home and the Member Shop. At the 2022 DIW this past June, he took a top award in the veneering/marquetry-furniture category for his exquisite Chippendale-inspired English Pier Table.
Paul learned to drive a forklift working at the Red Cross in disaster logistics, teaching volunteers how to operate the large vehicles needed to move supplies from warehouse to disaster site.
Paul says he has a fondness for hand tools because of his UK heritage—that is a tradition of using wood “for beauty and purpose.”
“I also found that the neighbors don’t like the noise from machine tools,” he says with a laugh.
Five years ago, as a member of the newly opened Member Shop, he volunteered as a TA for the first intro class, and soon got involved in the creating course material for the class.
“I made the mistake of saying I had a couple of ideas, and suddenly I was on the education committee,” he says.
During the first year of the pandemic in 2020, he conducted a series of online Zoom workshops on hand tools. The series helped to keep members busy in their shop during the lockdown.
“I wouldn’t have attempted most of the pieces I have done over the last few years had it not been for volunteering,” he says. “I constantly talk to others…getting about stimulating ideas when volunteering and stealing ideas.”
The people who work with Paul praise his for his willingness to share his expertise.
David Weissman, co-leader in the hand tool SIG, says he first met Paul in 2020 as TAs in an Intro class.
“Since then, we have plotted and planned to start hand tool classes and a SIG to SFWA,” says David. “Paul is a colleague, friend, and mentor; always willing to lend a hand, share knowledge, and learn from others.”
“He’s an incredible craftsman!” says David.
“Paul has been a huge part of the education team over the past two years, providing leadership, teaching classes, and supporting instructors with the materials they need,” says Scott Sypkens, chair of the Education Committee. “I admire how he demonstrates each skill in such a clear manner. He doesn’t just give an answer to a question but the principles that can be applied in other situations.”
Written by Tom York
Author of our “Super Volunteers” series.
Daily newspaper reporter and editor for years and years.