ROBERT SURRETTE PHOTOS
George Suokko of Cotuit in his woodworking shop.
By ROBERT SURRETTE
Cape Cod craftsmen have been known for their woodworking skills since the early days of building weather-snug cottages and watertight ships strong enough to survive a nor’easter. In 2015 working in wood is still a valuable skill in a world of plastics, synthetics and other man-made materials, especially here on Cape Cod.
George Suokko of Cotuit said he started workworking as a youngster.
“I first got interested in working with wood in shop class in middle school in Ashby. It was my hobby when I was in high school in Weymouth. In college and graduate school I studied engineering. My degrees are in mechanical engineering. I worked for several major companies around New England for twenty-five years. Then I decided that I wanted to follow my passion for the rest of my life. And that was woodworking,” he said.
Suokko moved to Cotuit 12 years ago and bought a small place on Crocker’s Neck Road. “I designed a barn workshop and had it built next door. Then I added on an addition to my house. I did a lot of the work myself,” he said.
The inside of the house is full of examples of Suokko’s expertise in working with wood. “This [piece of furniture] is a replication of early Americana and that one is an example of a Shaker wash stand. You can see the shallow tub built into the top,” he said.
The stairway George Suokko crafted in his Cotuit home is modeled on a ship staircase.
One of the most interesting constructs is the staircase leading to the second floor of the addition. “It is modeled on a ship’s staircase. Each step is only half wide. You step up on the left side and then bring your right foot up. It comes up through the hole on the right side and goes up to the next step. That step is missing its left side. Your left foot skips that step and lands on the next one up,” he explained.
Suokko pointed out that the benefit of this design is that the staircase can be extra steep and not take up as much floor space to get you to the next level.
Not surprisingly there is a wooden walk-way to the barn in the side yard. “I designed the barn with the idea of it being my workshop. There is a lot of room for the wood cutting and shaping machines on the ground floor. There is a design studio and a finishing area on the second level,” he said.
In the barn, there is plenty of light from several windows augmented by a bank of high intensity shop lights. Safety is Suokko’s first concern. “I wanted to make sure there was good visibility, night and day. A safety feature is built into this table saw by the manufacturer. If a finger pushes up against the side of the blade, it stops instantaneously.” Suokko said.
Precision woodworking is an exacting business. “I start out thinking about what I want to do and how I am going to do it. Then I make detailed drawings, to scale. They are the road map that I follow when I move to the wood. The more thinking I put into a project at the beginning, the better it turns out in the end,” he said.
The knowledge, skills and abilities that Suokko acquired while working as a professional engineer are being brought to bear on his wooden projects. Detailed diagrams and drawings from past, current and future activities cover much of the flat surfaces on several side tables in his workshop.
His current project is a re-designed Adirondack chair, that iconic piece of outdoor furniture that is popular all over the country but particularly in vacation spots like Cape Cod.
Suokko said, “The ones I sat in were uncomfortable. It came to me that I could design a better one. It would keep the basic design but be better.”
An Adirondack chair designed by George Suokko of Cotuit.
Suokko has built a prototype that sits on his front porch. “The back slats are horizontal instead of vertical like in the traditional design. So I can build in a lumbar support. You can see that the back supports are curved. I also make the armrests wider so they can hold more stuff, books, drinks, a pet,” he said.
He pointed out that besides being more comfortable and having a wider seat, the chair is easier to get back out of when you are done sitting.
“The chair has the classic side supports that hold the chair together with carriage bolts. The slats are fastened in place with high technology square nails that won’t back out over time. The screws are stainless steel. I paint each piece of wood before I assemble it,” he said.
Suokko’s artistic talent is also brought to bear on this project. “I can hand carve whatever design you want into the back of the chair at the top,” he said. The blue one he’s already built has a star design.
He is looking for a manufacturer to license his design. “My joy is in creating the design and building one or two of them. I am not set up to manufacture large quantities. Besides, that’s work,” he said.
Suokko said the trade of woodworking is alive and well on the Cape. “There is still a fair amount of demand for skilled woodworking on the Cape. It’s primarily renovation and cabinetry. I am fortunate that I have a business doing what I enjoy the most, working with wood. I look forward to another good year in 2015.”
