I have always had a strong interest in woodworking. I remember when I was very young watching in awe as my grandfather built a beautiful free standing wooden cabinet using only hand tools. He was a master carpenter during the turn of the 20th century, who like so many of the great woodworkers of that period, created with his hands objects of lasting value. Hopefully I can continue my love of woodworking as long as my grandfather who lived to be 103 years old.
I pursued my love for woodworking in my spare time throughout my thirty-year career in the computer software industry. I now get to enjoy my passion full time after retiring from the University of Texas at Austin in 2000. My specialty is the design and construction of custom handmade furniture for clients that have a special need that can’t be met by storeroom furniture. A piece doesn’t leave my shop until it meets my high standards of fit and finish. All woods are selected for both quality and interesting grain pattern and great care is taken to ensure each piece will be enjoyed by generations to come.
In addition to fine woodworking, I have always been drawn to building projects. One of the more memorable was a life-size playhouse for my daughter, Heather, when she was six. I have also remodeled and restored three of our turn-of-the-century homes. After working for years in either my marginal home woodworking shops or the local community school woodworking shop, I designed and built my current “dream” shop in 1994. Find the nitty-gritty details by visiting my shop’s web page.
A distinct advantage of being retired is having time to give to others. I enjoy mentoring the younger generation in the craft of fine woodworking. It’s always a pleasure to work with individuals that share the same zeal for creating a piece from wood, whether it is just utilitarian or an object of art or combination of the two. It has also been rewarding to make special wooden objects for those in need, such as the flag boxes for the relatives of the 9/11 NYCFD victims and toys for children in the Austin Children’s Hospital at Christmas.