Tree to Gallery

Most of the wood I use is from trees that have been blown down in storms and left to rot.  Since I live in the Appalachian Mountains, I have a wide verity of wood to choose from.  My favorites are maple, cherry, black walnut, and rhododendron root burls.  I also turn sycamore, beech, apple, pear, sweet gum, rhododendron, oak, and hickory to name a few.  I am always looking for unusual and interesting parts of a tree, such as burls, which are growths on trees and are my favorite part of the tree.  They contain spectacular grain patterns.  Another wood I look for is ambrosia maple.  The ambrosia beetle boring into a maple tree creates a unique pattern.  The beetle carries a bacterium as it bores through the tree causing a dark stain streaking along the grain.  Spalting is caused by a mold, which often produces beautiful black lines through the wood.

Other materials I use include end grain sealer (for sealing fresh logs to keep them from splitting), glue, sanding sealer, sandpaper, and finishes including lacquer, shellac, tung oil, and wax.