Woodworking Blog

A bit of history...I started making wine stoppers in 1988 and since that time, I have made more than one quarter million.  I managed to pay my mortgage for more than fifteen years by turning these little guys.  Not really sure why anyone needs a wine stopper because when I open a bottle of wine, I do my best to finish it.

I first became interested in woodturning after watching Tim Yoder on PBS. I watched how organic and creative the process was and it just looked fun. I saved up some money and bought a midi lathe which is what I still turn on today. At first, I didn't really want to make anything structured, like pens or bottle stoppers (even though I eventually learned to enjoy them).

The centuries-old methods of Japanese joinery have captivated western woodworkers for the last few decades. Saws and planes that work backwards from ours seem foreign, until you try them out and see how they use gravity instead of fighting against it.