Press Home
History of the Press
Programs/Partnerships
Actvities/Events
Support the Press
Library Home
MTSU Home
|
 |
Most people who spend any time on the MTSU campus have seen proof of Keith Jenkins’ very well-honed woodworking skills. It was Keith who made the big Blue Raiders baseball batter’s helmet that graces the entrance of Reese Smith Field. BUT KEITH'S work can be found all across campus. The MTSU master cabinetmaker has fashioned book shelves, display cases, entertainment centers, lockers, and cabinetry and other pieces of furniture in athletic facilties, offices, and various other places on campus--and off campus, too. Those doors on the front of Homer Pittard School? Yup, those were made by Keith, who measured the old doors and looked at old photographs of the school to construct doors that were historically faithful to the originals. |
Keith has worked at the MTSU Cabinet Shop for 18 years. His first lessons in woodcraft came at the hands of his grandfather, who enjoyed building furniture in his spare time. Keith furthered his skills in high school woodworking classes and was then employed in various local cabinetmaking shops. He has worked with over 30 contractors and his cabinetry can be found in numerous homes in Murfreesboro.
Keith likes building challenging pieces of furniture--the “special stuff,” as he calls those items that require his design skills, creativity, and imagination. The printing press, of course, fits this description perfectly. So far, he’s spent about 170 hours on the press frame and he estimates that he’s about a third of the way through construction.
All in all Keith is pretty clearly enjoying building the press. “This is a learning experience for me,” he says. “The more I work on the press, the more I learn about printing.”
|
|
