The Woodworker
I have been a serious woodworker for over 30 years, specializing in cabinetry and furniture making. I have always enjoyed using hardwoods that I harvest locally from the Adirondack region and incorporating them into my woodworking. I enjoy combing the Adirondacks for unusual woods and making unique pieces out of the wood. My retirement from the New York State Police has enabled me to pursue my passion for woodworking full time.
In recent years, I have developed a style of woodworking I call "hybrid" rustic. This technique takes an aspect of rustic furniture making and combines it with more traditional advanced woodworking techniques to make a uniquely artistic and creative piece. The aprons on my tables are attached to corners or legs using mortise and tenon joinery; where logs meet logs, they are carefully scribed to match the profile of the mating log. The drawers are dovetailed and slide on a wooden surface guided by a pegged track (no metal slides).
The woods used are unique and highly-prized hardwoods. The tiger maple is "hard" maple that I harvested, milled and dried myself. Much of the spalted maple I made by exposing the wood to spores and leaving it in a wet environment for over a year. I cut the "brown" maple from burl-riddled dead or dying maples. I place a strong emphasis on the natural aspects of woods in my work: I incorporate a lot of "live edges," because I feel they are not only beautiful, but they are also an integral part of the tree, allowing the viewer to look into the tree to see how the wood was formed over many years. My pieces place an emphasis on the visibility of the wood, using the bark to accentuate the natural grain patterns. The sides and tops are "live edge" Adirondack hardwoods finished with a clear hand-rubbed finished (no stain) so that you see the natural wood colors and grain patterns.
In recent years, I have developed a style of woodworking I call "hybrid" rustic. This technique takes an aspect of rustic furniture making and combines it with more traditional advanced woodworking techniques to make a uniquely artistic and creative piece. The aprons on my tables are attached to corners or legs using mortise and tenon joinery; where logs meet logs, they are carefully scribed to match the profile of the mating log. The drawers are dovetailed and slide on a wooden surface guided by a pegged track (no metal slides).
The woods used are unique and highly-prized hardwoods. The tiger maple is "hard" maple that I harvested, milled and dried myself. Much of the spalted maple I made by exposing the wood to spores and leaving it in a wet environment for over a year. I cut the "brown" maple from burl-riddled dead or dying maples. I place a strong emphasis on the natural aspects of woods in my work: I incorporate a lot of "live edges," because I feel they are not only beautiful, but they are also an integral part of the tree, allowing the viewer to look into the tree to see how the wood was formed over many years. My pieces place an emphasis on the visibility of the wood, using the bark to accentuate the natural grain patterns. The sides and tops are "live edge" Adirondack hardwoods finished with a clear hand-rubbed finished (no stain) so that you see the natural wood colors and grain patterns.