Finley River Woodworks is the result of a lifelong passion for creating unique items and furniture out of wood. What started as a simple hobby has evolved over the years into a wonderful way for me to share my passion and creativity with others. From hand turned burl bowls turned from exotic burls from New Zeland to custom designed bedroom sets made from Douglas fir logs from the Midwest, each item we create promises to be a unique, beautiful, and functional addition to your home.
Woodworking is not dissimilar to many other art forms in that the woodworker often creates the item from his or her head and not from a set of plans developed by someone else. Wood has character and each piece has its own internal beauty. The craftsmans job is to help accentuate that beauty into the piece, and that's what I strive to do. That's why many of the items you'll see in our gallery are one of a kind. You won't find one just like it anywhere else!
Most of the pieces we create at Finley River Woodworks are items I just decided I wanted to build, and as the shop began to fill up I had to either sell them or store them, so I'm sharing them with you! Through the years I've found many friends and acquaintances who see my work and have asked if I could build them a custom article of furniture, hence how the hobby turned into a business. I truly enjoy taking your idea and turning it into a reality which will grace your home for generations. Whether its a rocking chair, a bay window bench, a log bedroom suit, custom table; whatever your need, I'm anxious to build it for you.
A few years ago I retired and as a result I’ve been able to spend more time in the shop. Probably my favorite thing that’s happened as a result of this added time is the rekindled love of turning wooden bowls and vessels on the lathe. Should you choose to look further through the site you’ll see some of the items that have become a product of this added time spent standing in front of the lathe making woodchips fly.
One of the coolest things I’ve learned over the years is almost no bowl, urn, hollow vessel, etc makes it to the end result ‘exactly’ as it was initially planned in my head. I think…..well I know…..that’s the most enjoyable part of this art form called woodworking. Wood has a mind of its own, and most usually it’ll tell you what it’s going to be and not the other way around.
Another thing which always is surprising is that once a project is completed it may not stay exactly as it was when it comes off the lathe due to warping, cracking, etc. This is caused by moisture leaving and entering the wood as the humidity in its surroundings change. Obviously not every project changes as some wood is very stable. But….when you start with a piece of rough wood that has a high moisture content you can count on changes to it’s form as it ages. These changes give each item its own unique characteristics as it cannot be duplicated!
If you see something you like and would like to purchase it please don’t hesitate to send me an email and we will work out the details.