Septuagenarian Woodworker living in the best place on Earth and enjoying the twilight years!
Woodworking was always a hobby since I was a young boy and took woodworking class in Intermediate School many years ago... 1950's . I used to help my Dad with woodworking projects that he liked to make and learned a basic knowledge of handling tools and identifying different wood species in Hawaii.
After College I entered the business world where I was able to travel throughout the Islands of Hawaii as well as the mainland USA and many Islands in the Pacific as well as Japan and Australia. Through all these travels the items that I was most interested in seeing were the wooden art crafts of the different places and I was impressed with many of the techniques used in making these crafts.
When I would return to Honolulu I would "play" in my little shop making small crafts and boxes. As any crafts person knows what starts out as a " fun adventure" becomes more serious and to make more things in less time and with better results you start to buy more equipment and supplies. In woodworking this means electric tools...first electric hand tools and then stationary tools. It was not long before I bought a table saw and then a jointer, bandsaw, drill press,and then on and on. There is no end to the tools you can acquire. After you think you have everything then you start to get an extra bandsaw just for resawing and several routers and router tables so you can have designated machines. Well, there is no end to this and I will probably be buying and selling tools until I pass it all on to my son.
When my Mother passed away about 25 years ago I used a jewelry box for her ashes and the Funeral Director asked me if I would consider making Hawaiian Koa Urns for them. After I looked into it a little I started making the urns and I have been making them ever since for several of the Mortuaries in Honolulu and the outside Islands.
I have made everything from turned bowls, cane shafts, furniture, hair accessories to refinishing homes. As I move on I now make what I want to make and I enjoy working with local Hawaiian Wood as much as possible. I only plan to work until I am 95 so I have many more fish to fry.
After College I entered the business world where I was able to travel throughout the Islands of Hawaii as well as the mainland USA and many Islands in the Pacific as well as Japan and Australia. Through all these travels the items that I was most interested in seeing were the wooden art crafts of the different places and I was impressed with many of the techniques used in making these crafts.
When I would return to Honolulu I would "play" in my little shop making small crafts and boxes. As any crafts person knows what starts out as a " fun adventure" becomes more serious and to make more things in less time and with better results you start to buy more equipment and supplies. In woodworking this means electric tools...first electric hand tools and then stationary tools. It was not long before I bought a table saw and then a jointer, bandsaw, drill press,and then on and on. There is no end to the tools you can acquire. After you think you have everything then you start to get an extra bandsaw just for resawing and several routers and router tables so you can have designated machines. Well, there is no end to this and I will probably be buying and selling tools until I pass it all on to my son.
When my Mother passed away about 25 years ago I used a jewelry box for her ashes and the Funeral Director asked me if I would consider making Hawaiian Koa Urns for them. After I looked into it a little I started making the urns and I have been making them ever since for several of the Mortuaries in Honolulu and the outside Islands.
I have made everything from turned bowls, cane shafts, furniture, hair accessories to refinishing homes. As I move on I now make what I want to make and I enjoy working with local Hawaiian Wood as much as possible. I only plan to work until I am 95 so I have many more fish to fry.