How do you obtain the logs?
I used to find the trees all myself, and get permission from property owners to cut the trees. Most were shocked that the trees had any value and were glad to have the “junk trees” removed.

But my interest in the streaked wood means that I need to work with whole logs that can be delivered to my shop and stacked for the months of aging. So I have begun to purchase sets of logs from loggers, so that they can be brought in on a log truck (“cherry picker”). Most of my logs come this way now, but I still do cut some of the trees myself.

Have you experienced any breakage in use?
I have made over 500 shades, and I have never had one that cracked from issues that are directly related to drying and shrinkage. A paradoxical aspect to these shades is that the thinness actually makes the shade extremely strong. That is because they are flexible. In varying humidity conditions, the shade will expand and contract, and it can do this an infinite number of times.

Early on, I did make a short series of shades that had a design flaw, where the suspension ring (the disk of wood at the top rim of a regular shade) was too tight, and 3 of these shades shrunk around the ring and split -- I have replaced these shades. And other than that, there has been no problem, and there is no reason there should be.

But I thought that wood cracks when it dries out!
That is what most people (including most woodworkers) assume. And of course, drying is related to the problem. But the real reason that wood cracks is that when it dries, it is changing shape. The most common example of this is warping. Normally wood is a rigid material, so to accommodate the movement and bending, the wood forms a crack to relieve the stress that builds up. The shade are thin enough to be flexible, and wood movement is not a structural problem.

In addition, the shades are turned in a way that makes the form concentric to the annual rings of the tree. Without getting to technical in this explanation, the importance of this is that the surface of the shades do not change shape, they only change size as they shrink and expand. So no tension build up. But this is of secondary importance, since even if the shades did start to build up tension in the wood, it would be automatically accommodated by the flexibility.

What assurance is there that there won’t be a problem?
Any issues with the integrity of my lamps will be taken care of quickly and without question. Even in the two instances where lamp shades have been damaged by pets pulling a lamp over, I replace the shades at deep discounts from the regular price. Simply put, I am absolutely determined to do whatever I can to ensure that my clients are totally happy with their purchase. If a customer were to want to exchange a shade for another style, I would be happy to do that too.

How come some of the shades are streaked and multi-colored, and others are not?
If I make a shade from a freshly-cut healthy tree, it will probably display a very clear yellowish-white color, and the main grain features will relate to the annual ring pattern. But more and more, I am saving long lengths of logs, setting them aside for 6 to 12 months. During that curing time, fungi seep in, causing discolorations in the wood

Where do the trees come from?
So often, I am asked if I bring the Aspen logs in from Colorado. That part of the country is well known for this species of wood, mainly because that is the only common hardwood that they have there. Also, there is that famous ski area named Aspen. But actually, Aspen is the world’s most common hardwood in temperate climates. It grows in NH, but many people do not notice it, partly because it is not a species that is used commercially as a lumber, or even as firewood.

What happens to all the leftover stuff?
The biggest by-product from the process is a tremendous amount of wood shavings. A large shade leaves about 100 gallons of shavings (3 big garbage cans full). These shavings are wet wood, since I start with a “green” log. I make piles of the shavings behind my shop and after they have rotted for 2-3 years, I use them in our gardens as compost. Friends and relatives also cart off some of the shavings for the same purpose.

The other by-products from each lamp are two chunks of wood: a cone-shaped piece which comes from inside the shade; and a flat-topped piece that is where I attach the shade to the lathe until the very end of the shaping process. I provide them to schools and other children’s art programs. The kids decorate the chunks of wood with colored markers and maybe shells, feathers, glitter, etc. Then they stack them up into towers that we call totem poles.

Where did the idea for these come from?
For years before starting with the lamp shades, I had been making thin-walled hollow vessels. With these, it can be very difficult to tell how thick the wood is near the bottom. I noticed by accident that a light bulb close to the surface on the outside would create a dim glow through the wood when peering into the vessel through the small hole in the top. That planted the seed of the idea in my head -- wood can be translucent.

But it is harder to explain how that seed grew to fruition. My initial attempts to make wood shades were not very successful, and my stubbornness in pursuing the concept through years of failure is not characteristic of any of my earlier experiences as a woodworker. Even when I got to the point that the shades I made were successful, I had no idea whatsoever that this would become the predominant aspect of my career. All I can say is that I found the translucent effect to be personally fascinating, and I let that fascination have room to grow and blossom.

How did you become a woodworker? Did you have training or are you self taught?
The simple answer is that I am self-taught. I took shop in 7th grade for a few weeks, but it didn’t capture my attention. And once I did get interested (at age 23) I didn’t ever have too much real training. A week-long course on cabinetry, and later on a weekend-long lesson on beginning wood turning with Russ Zimmerman are the only classroom-like activities.

But I have spent time studying the work and techniques of other wood turners. Four times, I have attended the national symposia put on by the American Association of Wood turners, and I have been very involved in the New Hampshire chapter of the AAW, which I founded.

The fact that I am basically self-taught is perhaps part of the explanation of why my work is noticeably different. Even the earlier pieces like clocks and pencil cups had a distinctive style, and the lamp shades are entirely unique.

I have a 10 minute videotape that shows brief glimpses of me in the various steps of making a lampshade. I provide a copy of this to each person who buys a lamp, and would be glad to send you a copy. Incidentally, I produced this tape myself using Apple iMovie.

Also, I demonstrate from time to time for the Guild of NH Woodworkers, and they have taped one of those events which they sell for $15. It is a two-hour tape, and I can provide you with a copy.

Your lamps are wonderful, but they are too contemporary for my home,... aren’t they?
In the years that I have been making the lamps, I have now seen them in just about every environment imaginable, from antique-filled colonials to chrome-and-maple contemporaries. Some particular shapes are perhaps easier to picture in some types of decor -- for example, a straight-sided shade that mimics the form of a traditional lampshade fits seamlessly with the most traditional environment. But overall, the warmth and romance of the wood lamp shades make them look totally at home in any situation.