My Woodworking Story
A Little About My Beginnings
In 1988 I bought my first Table Saw, Craftsman top of the line, and that saw was a trooper. It was the main stay of my shop for over 20 years. I finally had to replace it a couple years ago, but the table saw still remains at the heart of my shop
My first couple projects were actually good fire starter for those cold winter nights; however, they didn't turn out the way I had envisioned. My oldest project (that I still own) is this cedar chest I built in the late 1980s. I didn't own a router, so all the corners are square. I didn’t start out making some of the complex things you see on the website now. Rather, I began at the basics, and built up my skill set. I learn almost as much when I screw up a project as I do when I am successful.
Adding in Challenges
Each project I select to work on has a challenge or requires a new technique to complete the project. I am always looking to learn new and exciting things in the world of wood working. After working on furniture around the house, like an entertainment unit and furniture for my daughters, I decided to try out different wood crafting skills. I started experimenting with turning bowls. What started out as turning simple, one-piece popcorn bowls has developed into creating complex, 1000-plus segmented bowls.
Branching Out
In-between trying out different techniques and design ideas on my segmented bowls, I have delved into a wide-variety of wood crafting techniques when building new furniture and various miscellaneous projects. Since joining a local Wood Working Club (Northern Alabama Wood Crafters), I have added to my existing skill set based on what I learned from other members. I was really impressed by the talent many of those members and I am not sure I would have ever attempted loads of my project without sitting through a couple classes on Inlays and Band Inlays. These new skills and the new techniques I learned allowed me to take the next step in furniture making.
Where I am Today
So, why did I bother to make this website? Early in my woodworking journey, I ran across an individual that I worked with that built segmented bowls, but with curves. I spent some time trying to gleam all the information that I could from our conversations. He kept his woodworking "secrets" to himself and just wouldn't share. I told myself if I were to ever get in a position where people would be asking me about woodworking, I would go out of my way to share. On my website, you can see a wide variety of the projects I have completed, the process I used for select projects, and even reach out if you want to learn more. I am extremely passionate about what I do, and I am happy you are here to share it with me.