Here is an excellent and very affordable opportunity to brush elbows with a master in craftsmanship and chat about techniques and mastery in woodworking.

The event is today, at 4pm Pacific time. You will be online via Zoom Meetings and interacting with Mike Johnson, woodworker for the Sam Maloof Foundation.

 

The Sam Maloof Foundation is having a rough time folks, since Covid they have been shut down, they depend on visitors to the compound for sales and funding of the Maloof Foundation. So help them keep it live, donate what you can as your fee to be in on the Zoom Meeting with a master in woodworking.

 

For more information please go to this newsletter link at:

Online Maker Talk w/ Mike Johnson of Sam Maloof Woodworker!

MAILCHI.MP

 

Remember, donate what you can, from a dollar on up, and you are in. If you are able, be generous!

I won't be able to make it, but if any of you do happen to make this event, please report back here and let us know how it went.

 

PS, a special shout out to my wife for she informed me of this event, she donates online to the foundation regularly, she just loves the place, so she gets a newsletter frequently and found this event via the newsletter. Thanks wife!

curious, if they just have one or two guys working in the shop, they should have been able to stay open, and do curbside pickup of finished work.

 

perhaps there are other factors at play, like no one has the coin to buy what they are selling?

38 minutes ago, DAB said:

they should have been able to stay open

 

I am not sure that they are closed? Nothing at the woodworking site where they sell the work states they are not taking orders, or are closed.

 

The foundation is more than the woodworking shop, here is their website, they have their toes dipped into all kinds of waters. I cannot say for sure, but I would wager the tours they have all year long into the compound and around the gardens, and the gifts and memorabilia they sell at the store, outweigh the production and profit that comes out of the woodshop. I am not sure how the structure is either, does the Maloof Family share profit from the Wood Shop portion of the foundation with Mike Johnson? Is the woodshop outside of their 501 non profit structure?

 

All in all, I think the name "Maloof" and the foundation, have transcended the monies gained from the woodshop, it's so much bigger than that.

That being said, when my wife and I toured the compound last year, pre Covid, the shop was very busy, we saw Mike Johnson in there working away, and it appeared there were quite a few projects "in the white" waiting to be finished. I hope Mike Johnson isn't hungry for work, if things are still the same as they were when we were there, he is plenty busy. But with this whole Covid mess, even the well off who can afford a Maloof piece, may not be able to afford it right now.

 

But again, I am just guessing Dab, I don't know for sure, but I am thinking the woodworking portion of the foundation at this point, is a sideline thing, yet a successful sideline when Covid is not an issue!

 

The event above though, was designed to assist the foundation, not the shop, I do truly hope it went well, and was successful, I would sure hate to see that piece of our American culture, disappear.

 

Here is where they sell their work. Hey, if you have to ask how much, perhaps you shouldn't be considering it?

Fine Furniture | Sam Maloof Woodworker | United States

WWW.SAMMALOOFWOODWORKER.COM

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Sam Maloof Woodworker continues hand crafting exceptionally fine furniture from beautiful woods while keeping the Sam Maloof...

 

Just saw this while perusing the site, and answers one of your questions @DAB, it appears Mike Johnson's son works in the shop as well, so a two man shop it is. Do they have helpers? I don't know.

Go here to meet the son.

 

Workshop | Sam Maloof

WWW.SAMMALOOFWOODWORKER.COM

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The Sam Maloof Workshop was where Sam and his assistants made each piece and where hundreds of Sam's templates still...