About Me
I have been married for thirty-one years with three wonderful children and four great little grandkids.
My wife Kim and I live in rural southeast Indiana not far from the mighty Ohio River. After highschool I
attended college to play golf and was also able to earn a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I worked
for twenty-five years as an automatic screw machinist. Because of health reasons I was forced to get
out of that profession and returned to college for nursing and now work as such in a local hospital
I am a self-taught woodturner that has been turning for about twenty- five years. My interest in
segmentation began after reading an article in Fine WoodWorking magazine. After turning my first
segmented bowl, I knew I was hooked. Only in the last few years has my life allowed me to turn
seriously. I enjoy segmented turning because of the complexity and unlimited possibilities it offers.
My Work
The designing of the bowls is done in my head and at the drafting table and evolves as the turning
progresses. I do use a computer program for the calculations for size and angles of the segments. All
my pieces are one of a kind except for theoccasional piece that someone has seen and contracted for
another of the same design. The second piece will never be exactly the same, therefore each piece is
different in its own way.
Many of my pieces are inspired by ancient Indian designs and symbols. I am amazed by the simple
but captivating use of color and angles the native Americans used to decorate their textiles and
pottery. I often use a reference book for Roseville pottery for inspiration on shapes and proportions.
Materials
I use domestic woods from local sources as well as exotic woods from all around the world. There is
also many woods from recycled sources that prove interesting. Some of the most interesting woods
are from local sources that probably would have ended up in someones fireplace if not rescued to
become a lasting piece of beautiful art. The wood is used in its natural state, no dyes or coloring
except for thin veneers used for highlights and accents.
Have some wood from a favorite or historic tree? What better way
to preserve it than with a piece of art that will last a lifetime.
A list of some commonly used woods
Domestic Exotic
Maple Bloodwood
Walnut Bubinga
Cherry Canarywood
Hickory Wenge
Various fruit species Padouk
Oak Goncala Alves
Ash Satin Ash
Sycamore Brazilian Cherry
Osage Orange Ebony
Locust Zebrawood
Pecan Redheart
Hackberry Bocote
Box Elder Cocobolo
Poplar Tiete Rosewood
Boxwood Bolivian Rosewood
Ironwood Brazilian Rosewood
Chestnut Mahogany
Beech Palm
Afzelia
Koa
Limba
Yelloheart