Hi Everyone! I’d like to introduce you to one of our local wood-workers here in Roanoke, Jim Tedeschi. Jim was actually one of the very first local artists that I met here in Roanoke – even before we had moved here. Actually, his wife and my husband went to school together in Florida. So it’s only fitting that he be among the top 10 or so artists to be featured in our shop. The wood he uses is stunning – Purple Heart is my favorite – and makes every day, ordinary things from it – from pens to candle holders to pepper mills. For those of you that think art is just something to be looked at – try to change it up a little, come take a look at Jim’s items and maybe use a piece of art in your every day life.

Without further ado, Readers, please meet Jim:

ALBH: How did you get into woodworking?

JT: I have been working with wood since my mid-to-late teenage years, starting mostly out of necessity to help my mother both organize and add life to her home.  I started with rough construction of stand-alone shelving, then built and finished a deck, and finally added a fence.  Over the years, I was able to build some accessory items, like outdoor planters, and do some minor-to-moderate repairs on furniture.  I was limited with what I could create, since I only had a few tools.  By my mid twenties, I had built a pretty sizeable collection of woodworking tools, and started working on more complex projects.

ALBH: Was woodworking hard to learn?

JT: It was not terribly difficult as a whole, but some aspects and projects were much harder than others.  For example, creating basic furniture is rather simple, with some of the detail work being moderately difficult.  Creating an acceptable (to me) pen is still very difficult, even with the experience of doing roughly sixty pens, because they require exceptional attention to detail due to their size.

ALBH: As a customer, is there anything special I would need to know about how to care for one of your pieces?

JT: Carnauba wax is excellent to keep everything bright and shiny, but there are no specific regular maintenance requirements.  However, it should be understood that these are fine pieces of wood, and can be subject to damage from misuse or neglect, like any other wood furniture in your house.  It is not advisable to expose any of these pieces to solvents (especially petroleum-based) or abrasives because they will certainly ruin the finish.  Use water and mild soap whenever possible.  I intentionally create most of these projects with high quality, but readily available finishes so the end user can make repairs, if they feel capable.  For example, most of the wood projects are finished with a quality spray laquer (available at any hardware store in the paint/stain/protectant section). Many of the candle glasses are simply hot glued to the wood, which allows the end user the ability to remove and replace the glass, should it be accidentally broken.  High-strength glues are only used when necessary, and most of the specialized finishes are not appropriate for these pieces.  I felt it would be doing the customer a disservice if I was to make the project irreparable, because things happen no matter how well one tries to care for something.

ALBH: I know you make a variety of pieces – what’s a quick list that comes to mind that we can share with customers?

JT: Most of my items are turned on a lathe.  Some include candle holders, spice mills, and pens.  I can make furniture pieces as well.

ALBH: As a wood-worker, what’s your long-term goal?

JT: I intend to keep this hobby from becoming very stressful.  The draw for me is to relax and have fun, so I don’t particularly like to set high production numbers and short deadlines.  I have done it occasionally, but would have a hard time sustaining it long-term.  As for goals, I would like to work my way into projects that require even more intricate detail.

ALBH: What does the word “Hippie” mean to you?

JT: Happy, joyous; artistic; thinking outside the box.  As for people, anyone can have characteristics that apply to the culture.  I don’t believe in stereotypes.

ALBH: How long does a typical piece take you to make?

JT: An average time to completion is 3 hours of working time (not including any stops to wait for glue or finish to dry).  Some projects take less time, some much more.  It depends on complexity and the type of wood.

ALBH: What is your typical day like?

JT: School, work, and home take a pretty good chunk out of my day.  When I have free time, I work on my hobbies or relax.  My wife and I are “expecting”, so I try to let her relax more, and I do all of the housework, if possible.

ALBH: What is your draw to woodworking?

JT: No piece of wood is ever the same, and the possibilities are endless with regard to project ideas.  Wood is inherently beautiful as well.  Wood can be both decorative and functional.