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I was born July 12, 1952 in Clinton, S.C., spent the first 17 years of my life traveling all over the world, my father was in the US Air Force. After returning to S.C. in July of 1969 from Germany I finally got to call some place home. I dropped out of school in the 11th grade, went to work full time in a cotton mill for 5 years until I finally got a job working in a machine shop as a trainee. My first experience working with a lathe and found I like what it would do and got to be pretty good at it.

I went back to school, earned my GED in my pursuit to become a maintenance mechanic after spending 15 years with my friends in the tool shop. I found I was fairly good at repairing the equipment as well as running it. About 22 years ago while I was renting from one of my former landlords, his son showed me his wood lathe and let me play with it, that was all it took, I wanted one but being a single father, raising 3 children and all the bills that go with being a single parent I couldn’t afford one, so I put the wood lathe on the back burner and really forgot about it.

Two years ago my neighbor’s son in law was given a wood lathe for a Christmas present from his wife from HF. With them living next door and Robert knowing I loved tools and such, he invited me over one evening to show off his new toy, that is when the fire was rekindled. After about a month of working with him and his lathe I talked it over with my wife and decided to purchase my own lathe. My first was a Grizzly G0426, I still use it today, my other lathe is a Jet 1220VS and its my main lathe for turning.

I am not a skilled “wood” turner, more or less a novice at best. I let the wood do the talking and what ever it finish’s up as is what it becomes and I prefer natural wood colors. Why hide or cover up what the good Lord has created and allows me to bring it to life. So far I’m fairly pleased with what I have accomplished on my own, but I owe most of my experience from what I have learned at WR. With out these fine folks, I’d still be making a bunch chips…

Wizzy
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First little box

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Acorn 
The top is locust, the bottom is sapele and the finish is walnut oil.

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Bottle stoppers

The two on the left are from mahogany.
The center is padauk and the two on the right are walnut

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A gouge bowl... finally

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Mahogany rolling pin and bowl 

2 3/8" X 13 1/4" Bread bowl made out of Khaya mahogany and 2 1/2" X 18" rolling pin made out of the same mahogany. Finish is walnut oil

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Majestic Pen

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 Khaya Mahogany Platter 
15 1/2" x 1/2" and bowl 6" x 1/2"

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Sapele and Holly Box

2 3/16" x 3 3/16"

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3" x 8" Sapele bowl

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1st textured bowl

Textured red oak bowl, 3 1/2" X 2 3/4" w/two burned rings bordering the textured top, sanded to 600 and the finish is sanding sealer and carnauba wax.
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My first try working with walnut, I really like the feather on the bottom, makes me think of turkey hunting.		 1

1st Wing bowl
Made from Sapele, its 8" x 8" x 2 5/8", the bowl is 4 1/2" across and the wing tapers from 1/8" in the center to 1/16 on the end.