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Jeff Hoffa

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Jeff Hoffa, Cabinetmaker

Jeff Hoffa has 18 years of woodworking experience, beginning with 2 yrs. of Fine Woodworking College in Bucks County, PA. After his formal schooling, Jeff worked for 2 years under Master Craftsman Ellis Walentine, who can now be found on-line at Wood Central.

After coming to West Virginia, Jeff headed a large custom woodworking shop in Renick, WV for 10 years, until he started his own shop in 1996, Fallen Spring Woodworks. Jeff builds furniture in a variety of styles, including arts and crafts, shaker, and shaker contemporary.

Fallen Spring Woodworks
Rt. 219 North
Renick, WV 24966
(304) 497 2828

Interview

This interview is a composite from numerous conversations I have had with Jeff. - Tenley Shewmake, Alta Web Resource

What are your influences?

1 - James Krenov
2 - Shakers
3 - Anyone who hits a note. (May not be Famous)
4 - The piece of wood at hand.

How would you characterize your style?

Simple, contemporary and elegant. And I let the wood dictate the end result. I like subtle curves, and I enjoy taking formal designs and relaxing them with a sensitivity to the material.

I notice that even your most "production-like" pieces are interesting, passage doors for example.

Grain selection is paramount to a successful piece. In addition is matching for color. Wood of the same species can swing widely in its color range. Productions shops overcome this tonal variation by staining or dyeing the material. I have found the most satisfying way to deal with tonal variation is to build a piece using wood from the same tree.

Quick sketch illustrates bookmatching and panel construction.

Is this why your work stands out?

If you simply color wood to make it match, you conceal the character of the wood so that it becomes homogenous. Sequential planks from a single tree tend to be similar in both color and grain pattern. You can let the character show and still have uniformity.

How do you get this wood?

I like dealing with small custom sawyers, like my brother, Bob, who will keep the material together as it came out of the tree. In a big lumber yard, a stack of Cherry for example, may have come from 50 different trees.

I moved to the mountains of West Virginia to be close to sustainable forests yeilding high quality hardwoods, (and for the slower pace of life).

Some of your custom work is quite decorative.

I try for a plain figured frame with a dancing panel, or bookmatching to ensure harmony. A crotch or other figured section of wood is a prime candidate for bookmatching into a festive focal point. Many small pieces are based on this alone.

What types of custom work will you do?

Jeff Hoffa's Furniture List

I will do most custom work, some examples are:

Don't see it here? Check Bob Hoffa's Furniture List

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