Custom Furniture, Woodworking, Miniature Spiral Staircases and Cocoon Lamps

By Rustic Cocoon Woodwork

Rustic Cocoon Woodwork is an Upfront Merchant on TheFind. Click for info.
 
Bio


        As a young boy growing up in Minnesota, I discovered shop class. I built things with my hands and realized I liked it.               It seemed familiar, like a natural thing to do. After moving to Indiana in 1972, I bought a set of wood chisels and a        
        lath/disc sander combo, set it up on a desk in the corner of my parents garage and began my life long love of wood.
 
        I set up my first "shop" on the back porch of a house I rented, started buying stationary power tools and all
        the handtools and clamps I could afford.  I found out how dangerous tablesaws are by cutting off the tip of my
        finger. The hand surgeon was able to  save and re-attach it. The finger works fine, it's just a blade kerf shorter than
        it was. I've learned to know where my hands are at all times.
 
        Moved across town and set up in a one car garage. Got more organized and began to build furniture and
        cabinets. I also read every book on woodworking I could find. This is when I was "introduced" to Sam Maloof and 
        James Krenov. They have continued to be a major influence in my work. Being self taught with no formal training in 
        woodworking, I made lots of mistakes and learned.
 
        I bought a house in the country, where I built my shop in the backyard. It wasn't heated, so every
        year from mid-November to mid-March I couldn't do much woodworking, so I took a job as a carpenter. After some years
        of this, I was offered a position at a local custom display company. Always looking for ways to expand and develope my
        skills in different areas, I accepted the job. After several years, that company moved out to the west coast and with the
        economy going strong, I decided to go back to working in my shop.
 
        9-11-01 : You know .........
        I kept busy for the next 6-8 months and then the phone stopped ringing. People weren't sure what was going to 
        happen next. With the future unclear, I went back to working as a carpenter.
 
        Moved closer to the lake and set up shop in a larger building (with HVAC!). While I worked to re-establish my clientele             base and woodworking, I kept working as a finish carpenter. This was a great way to hone my woodworking,
        stair building and trim skills.
 
        In the summer of 09', the economy slowed down as did the local home building industry and I found myself back
        in my shop
 
        Now I'm woodworking, building furniture, working on my miniature stairs and Cocoon Lamps.
          
        Life has given me the opportunity to work in a variety of trades. As a carpenter, mason, welder, painter, display builder
        and even telescope maker, I've always been a woodworker first.
 
        My designs are mainly Contemporary/Scandinavian, known for its clean lines and simple curves. I also build
        1/12 scale spiral stairs and kits, Cocoon Lamps and bent willow furniture.

Working on spiral stair treads   
                                                                                                                            Fitting the spiral handrail


  
 
“The reverence that the object maker has for the materials, for the shape, and for the miracle of his skill transcends to God, the Master Craftsman, the Creator of all things, who uses us, our hands, as His tools to make these beautiful things.”

                                           - Sam Maloof