About
I work with a wood lathe to create a variety of useful bowls and plates and platters for use in your kitchen and around your home or office. I also enjoy making pieces to enjoy as displays and art.
A number of years ago I started using a laser engraver/cutter and CNC router and have been using them to create a variety of objects, also for utility, display and art. I make delicate ornaments for your Christmas Trees and plants as well as handsome gift boxes for sets of ornaments. Periodically you will see carved and engraved spoons and plant markers appear here, and I have been putting a lot of time and creativity on engraved images of various sizes that have proven quite popular.
I live on the west coast of the US in Greenbank, WA on the south end of Whidbey Island. The nearby ocean, mountains, and forests often serve as inspiration, as well as providing me with materials to shape my pieces from.
FAQ
I will ship anywhere, but not until you OK the shipping cost.
I use simple finishes on my pieces. Turned wood utility pieces have a food safe oil finish that is durable and easy for you to maintain. An oil finish can be renewed with a simple product like General's Salad Bowl Oil available in your local hardware store. Even unscented mineral oil can be used, though you may find it needs more frequent application. I don't recommend oils meant to be cooked with since they can go rancid over time. Oils meant as finishes are heat treated to stabilize them. Oil finished wood can be washed in your sink with normal dish soap and warm water. Please do not put oil finished wood in your dishwasher. The heat and the harsh detergent will rapidly age your piece. An oiled utility piece can literally last for generations with simple care.
Display pieces usually have a french polish finish made with Tung Oil variants and can be cleaned the same way you dust and clean your furniture. A french polish is simply a finish that is buffed while it is wet until the heat from the buffing dries it and polishes it. It is typically thought of as being used on table tops but the technique lends itself very well to a wood lathe.
This may be more information on finishes than you want. But any finish is going to be safe for food contact once it is cured. That includes urethanes and varnishes, shellac's, epoxys, oils, etc. But. And this is a big but...a glossy shell like finish that you get with urethane, varnish, shellac and epoxy is a poor choice on a piece that will be used as a utility piece or be used with moist foods and require frequent washing. The problem is a shell finish expands and contracts at different rates than the wood it covers and that will ultimately lead to micro cracks forming in the finish. Food and moisture will lodge in those micro cracks and will cause the wood beneath to stain and eventually decay. The only way to fix this is to strip the finish and sand and refinish the piece. Mostly likely you would have a wood turner do that for you. That is why nearly all wood turners will finish a utility piece with an oil finish rather than a shell finish.
A shell finish is delightful and beautiful for a display piece or a piece that will hold dry foods like nuts or candies and whole fruit. Shell finishes are best for pieces that rarely need to be washed with water and soaps.