The wood that is used by all woodworkers started life as part of a beautiful living entity, a tree. I find the wood I use for my work in recycling centers, in the yards of tree-removal services, and by the side of the road. This is wood destined to become firewood or mulch.
I try to give this wood a chance to become, once again, a thing of beauty. If I succeed, it will resume providing pleasure to those who see it.
I started turning in the adult education night school at the local high school. I was there, originally, to learn how to use various tools to make things for our home. Although I had never used a lathe in my life, I found myself drawn to it, which eventually led to buying one, together with the ancillary equipment that you just have to have (I admit to being a tool junkie).
I make only decorative one-of-a-kind objects, designed to be appreciated aesthetically. I often work with wood that has worm holes, or is spalted, punky or rotted. As a result, the piece I am working on can blow apart if I push it beyond its structural integrity. However, when it works, it can create something unique.
This site contains pictures of various kinds of items I have made, a fairly detailed photo-essay of how I made the third piece shown above, musings on turning, and hints and tips.
For beginning turners, I hope that you will be encouraged to try out the various objects you see on these pages. Believe me, if I can do it, anyone can! All it takes is practice, the help of some friendly turners, and the willingness to fail. Also, I hope you read about My Turning Journey, and the Sources of Information on the second page.
More advanced turners may enjoy some of the more sophisticated turnings, as well as the photo-essay on making a Yew Hollow Form.
The general public will, I hope, be motivated to explore this wonderful craft that is in the early stages of incredible growth. Woodturning is exploding as baby-boomers retire and look for a hobby that provides instant gratification, and yet a challenge that can only be explored further, but never mastered. Perhaps you may even be persuaded to to try this out for yourself, but, let me warn you, it is extremely addictive! If I may be allowed to be crassly commercial for a moment, let me know if there is something on these pages that you would be interested in buying. As these are one-of-a-kind pieces, I may even be able to design something specifically for your likes, e.g., a particular style that you see in a picture, but with a different colored wood.
