From left, Keith Zecher, Bob Lawler, Donnie Blickenstaff, and Norm Lambert regularly consult on drawings related to renovation and construction jobs.
By Peggy Pearl, Contributing Writer
Did you know that what most people call the Carpentry Shop at Facilities Maintenance and Engineering (FME) is actually made up of the three crafts, woodcrafting, painting, and locksmithing?
On any given day, throughout the Frederick National Laboratory campus, you may find shop staff utilizing an assortment of tools and a wide range of skills on projects ranging from simple maintenance to complete renovations.
Help When You Need It
The Carpentry Shop employees are ready to assist you with any request, no matter how small or large the job.
Keith Cutsail, Keith Zecher, Norm Lambert, and David Lee are a few of the woodcraftsmen who perform a variety of jobs throughout the facility. One of the largest jobs for Cutsail and Zecher in the last year, they said, was in Building 469, where they built the shaft walls, which enclose elevator shafts, stairwells, and other vertical shafts. Lambert enjoys having a wide range of jobs and learning new or different ways of doing tasks from fellow workers. Lee likes having the wide range of resources at his fingertips.
Eddie Currens, group leader, said the best part about working in the Carpentry Shop is definitely the people. “Working with a large group with diverse backgrounds and personalities means there is rarely a dull moment,” he said.
Tony Favorite, a skilled painter, performs a variety of jobs with skills that include surface preparation, brushing and rolling, spraying, staining, varnishing, and even wallpapering. “Seeing a job go from start to finish product is very self-rewarding,” Favorite noted.
The facility locksmith, Tim Gibbs, fabricates keys, configures cores, and installs locksets, including cipher locks, along with many other hardware installation and maintenance duties. Gibbs, an accomplished woodcraftsman himself, also works closely with the Instrumentation Shop and the Access Control Department of Protective Services in maintaining campus security.
Whether it is woodcraft, paint, or locksmith services, Lawler said, the Carpentry Shop receives positive feedback from the customers because of its ability to respond to the ever-changing needs of the scientific and support communities at NCI-Frederick.
For more information or questions about FME’s Carpentry Shop, contact Bob Lawler, supervisor, at 301-846-5460, lawlerb2@mail.nih.gov.