Band saw box with two drawers

Our Approach

Woodworking has become a retirement hobby. I enjoy the creativity involved in making rather small objects such as boxes, toys, and puzzles out of wood. Much of the challenge for me is to learn the appropriate woodworking techniques that are required to create functional and beautiful products. The pieces featured on this website are all handcrafted and are one of a kind.

Our Story

After forty years of working in academia that involved teaching, research, administration, and advising, I retired in May 2016. My new retired life involved selling our home property and moving with my spouse to Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community where we became residents of Park Gables.

My wife and I maintain a small 5 acre hobby farm, Knoll Acres, where we raise Barbados Blackbelly sheep. You can find more information about this activity on our farm website: http://knollacres.us/

Another retirement activity is working part-time at Rocking R Ace Hardware store in Harrisonburg, Virginia. My typical workdays are Thursday, Friday, and Saturdays.

Finally my newest avocation has been learning and making woodworking products. This has been something that I have long wanted to do and now that I am “retired” I have some time to devote to this activity.

Woodworking Shop at Park Gables

One of the blessings of living at Park Gables is the access that residents have to a wood working shop in the basement. Our apartment on the 4th floor is next to an elevator which provides easy and quick access to the basement area where the woodshop is located.

Here is a view of my work table. In the foreground is a train puzzle that has been painted and is drying (note the white rectangles which go into the window openings) . In the upper left you see some wooden wheels that are drying after being coated with tung oil. In the center you can see the Elmers Wood Glue bottle and to the upper left you see some of the small foam disposable brushes which are so helpful in painting details with multiple colors.

Next Steps…

Explore our product pages to see some of the items that we have available for sale. You can access these by selecting from the categories that are listed on the right, e.g. “Car and Truck Toys” or “Puzzles”. The “Portfolia” page contains the price list for the various items that I have in stock or can make upon order.