My name is Mike, “The Wood Hobbit,” and I love making furniture. I have a real passion for the craft of woodworking in general and furniture making specifically.
I’ve been building projects for the better part of 30 years. The ‘organic-ness’ of wood and the variations of color and grain captivate me. Wood is alive, even after the tree has been harvested, sawn, and dried; even after the furniture has been formed the wood breathes and has great life. Maybe the tree doesn’t continue to grow leaves or produce fruit, but it does continue to evolve over time. If the craftsman has done his job, the wood evolves into even greater things of beauty. This evolution is always unique…even the same design over and over…the grain, color and species will always set apart one piece from another.
Over time I’ve developed my “wheelhouse” of skill boundaries. Case goods…cabinets (not the kitchen variety), desks, bookcases, beds, tables, benches, entertainment centers, shelves, chairs, rockers, and more. I have built projects from the simple to not-so-simple. Design possibilities includes Arts and Craft, Mission, Stickley, Greene and Greene, Contemporary, Mid-Century modern, and American Rustic. I am, however, careful to say that I am not a complete woodworker. For example, I don’t carve wood, at least into figurines and such. Why? Because I don’t have that talent……that is much more of an artist’s approach. After all, “a man’s got to know his limitations”.
And with my engineering background my creations tend to be robust. You could set a pickup truck on most things I build.
As you might have guessed I am a retiree. I worked for a fantastic company for over 37 years and, during that time, they gave me the opportunity to grow and experience things for which most people only dream. I met and worked with thousands of people and impacted many (hopefully for the good). I traveled and saw much of the world. I now apply much of what I learned as an employee into my furniture building, but you can check out the “Philosophy” page to get that idea. Overall a great company, great experience, great people, and I do miss them… but the time came for me to move on and do something different.
So today I have a small dedicated wood shop of ~750 sq.ft. with enough tools and equipment to do just about anything I need or want to do. Over time I’ll add to or improve my shop or equipment and will do a few commissions to advance those improvements. The beauty is that I love this work so my best effort goes into those commissions while I improve my venue.
Lastly, I recognize that I can be nothing without God and His son, Christ Jesus. In fact I believe that God created me (and you, and all mankind) in His image…in His reflection, His likeness, and that our consciousness is spiritual and of His universal consciousness, Spirit. He is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. He is the source of all good and girds the universe. I believe, in fact, that “under the hood” we all have the same needs, wants and desires…..for peace and harmony and a sense of purpose. We’ll realize these things as we grow more spiritually each day. And I hope that one day we’ll realize, as humankind, who we really are as God’s sons and daughters.
If you’ve gotten this far I thank you for reading this. The main purpose of this site is simply to log my work through photographs. If you’re interested in a commission I invite you to contact me through the “Contact Me” page. Otherwise please enjoy the site and have a fantastic day.
Mike, The Wood Hobbit