Image via Wikipedia
I’ve had a passion for woodworking for as long as I can remember.
Maybe it goes back to when I was just a wee lad and creeping around Grampa’s basement.
Even though he was dead and gone long ago, and I never met him (that I remember), I did learn that he was a craftsman and built the house I grew up in.
As a young and intrepid explorer, my brother and I used to creep into the dark, dank, and broken concrete floor recesses of the basement and secretly peer into the old tool bench. Maybe this helped create the mystery and magic of the thing called wood. Or perhaps it was the vast array of tools, most of which I had no idea of what they did, or the cubbies with bits and parts to devices unknown….In any case, Grampas’ basement was just the beginning.
Dad’s workshop was always a place of teaching and learning. I wasn’t allowed out there unless Dad was with me, (probably a good idea) but he showed me cool stuff like chainsaws, small power tools, and how to work and little projects.
Then wood shop in elementary school. Ol’ Mr. Bond – They typical wood shop teacher. A craftsman in his own right, forgetting more about he art of woodcraft than he was ever able to impart to us heathen boys. He was hard edged and gruff, with no sense of humor at all. And as ram-rod straight and scowl faced as an old baptist preacher. But Mr. Bond put up with class after class of young mis-fit boys who, by all accounts, should have been in detention class more often than wood shop.
I remember to this day Mr Bond’s favorite two rules — “We are NOT making bats on the lathe, and we are NOT playing with the air hose, lest one of you fools blow up your rectums.”
Mr Bond helped me make a bowl from an old hunk of Cherry tree. It was my major class project. As work of art for me, and maddeningly frustrating at the time. I had a vision, but not the knowledge. Mr Bond helped teach me the skill of patience and how to not force the wood to my will, but to change my vision to expose what the wood wanted to be.
I gave the bowl to Mom and she kept it for so many years. Even during the rough times when we moved so often, cross country and back again, when most all the family stuff went away, she kept my bowl. When Mom went to Florida to tend to her parents, I got the bowl back, and it sits proudly on my table with a couple of candles and glass beads as decorations. It’s never been refinished or specially cared for – just dusted and kept indoors, and it still looks great.
I have always wanted a wood shop of my own and never been able to make it happen. For whatever reason I didn’t have the space, money, time, building, or commitment to just do the things I needed to do to actually create the space, place, and things to have a wood shop.
Interestingly enough, I still don’t. – I have a carport – ok it’s a huge carport – , a tiny shop, and a collection of dreams and ideas. So with a loose plan and a dream, I have begun creating my place. I guess the carport can be called the woodport now —
I have many of the tools- A table saw, a lathe, (my newest acquisition) a very old Boise Crane scroll saw, routers, and misc. electric tools, and hand tools galore.
As a carpenter and contractor for many years I have honed my skills at building things. But much artistic talent isn’t really needed to build a garage or a deck. This part of my brain has been turned off for many years. A shop on the other hand, where real works of art are brought to life, needs some smarts and talent. I’ve been scraping the rust and dust off that part of my brain and creating some pretty cool stuff.
I have made some cool Harley parts and trim from wood, some nifty things for Pam around the house, and some stuff for sale –
Here’s a picture of the timing cover I made for a Harley – It’s made from Ipe and should last until the bike rusts into dust.
Here’s a link to my Picasa Photo Album – There’s cool stuff there, like the bottle stoppers I made from Spalted Hickory and Red Oak, the eggs from Cedar and Oak, and more stuff for Harley’s too – Keep checking in – I’ll be adding stuff pretty regular. – Just Click the Motorcycle picture and through the magic of Al Gore, you’ll be zoomed along to my picture pages.
BTW – Everything is for sale —
I plan to use this money to support the ministry, so it’s going for a good cause, and I get to have fun while doing it.
If you see something you like, shoot me an e-mail.
If you have an idea for a project you want to have made, again, shoot me a note.. I’ll get right back to you.
Use the Contact Us page to e-mail me.
I’ve got some Cedar and some Birdseye Maple that is calling to me —- Off to the woodport !
– Meanwhile, go look at the picture gallery and enjoy your day.
Here’s a picture of a natural edge bowl I started making from a piece of Sumac – When it finishes drying in a month or so, I’ll put it back on the lathe to finish it out and sell it to someone.
Cujo's Blog 