By way of introduction . . .   

That’s me over there, all cleaned up and sitting in front of a professional photographer, in a studio, no less.      

There now.  That picture just saved 1,000 words.  


Closer to home, this one shows me trying to make some impressive shavings for the camera. That didn’t work out, but it does show my home-built shop apron pretty well.  My philosophy is, don’t buy it if you can make it.


This is a quick snapshot of my turning setup, taken when I was shooting the pictures for Fixtures and Chucks.  That was a busy time. Check out those fancy light stands that hold the halogen work lights.  Like I said, if you can build it, . . .  

I’ve been turning since late 2004 when I bought a cheap lathe to turn wheels for toy wagons, of which I made at least one. Once I discovered turning, my flat work soon became little more than a distant memory.  I stumbled along by myself for a while, then found out about and joined the Piedmont Triad Woodturners Association, an AAW club located in Greensboro, NC, USA.  From that point, the rest is history.

I had the good fortune of being raised on a hillside farm in East Tennessee, way up in the mountains not too far from Boone, NC.  That environment was rich in opportunities for a young kid to learn what it took to have food on the table and be warm in the wintertime, and also how to make things or fix things when they broke.  When I learned to plow with a team of horses at the age of 10 years, I was king of the world.  I always kinda liked to plow.  

After observing that is was becoming increasingly difficult to “make a living” on a small farm (now a thing of the past), I set myself to the books in a serious sort of way.  I graduated from Hampton High, in Hampton, TN, then went on to East Tennessee State University, and finally to Clemson University where I received a PhD in 1970.  I studied math and physics because English literature, Shakespeare, and ancient history just didn’t mean a thing to me.  

After a brief encounter with the corporate world, I began teaching electronics and physics at Southside Virginia Community College in Alberta, VA.  After 11 great years there, I transferred to Davidson County Community College for 22 more.  I had the pleasure of working with a lot of fantastic people.  I retired in 2005.

My writing career, if you could call it that, started in 1975 when I began working (with a coauthor) on an electronics book, The Theory and Servicing of AM, FM, and FM Stereo Recievers, published by Prentice-Hall.  Incredibly, the second edition of that book is still available on Amazon.com. My next writing project was Technical Physics, a text on introductory physics published by Prentice-Hall (1984).  I worked under the pen name of Clarence R. Green.  

And, of course, there’s Fixtures and Chucks for Woodturners, published by Fox Chapel Publishing, released April 1, 2011.  A link to a description of that book is given on the home page.

I’ve had a couple of other interests for many years, namely photography and airplanes.  I started studying photography on my own while I was still in school, and, if I may say, got pretty good at black and white darkroom work.  However, all that is history now; I’m presently trying to learn the fine points of Photoshop Elements.  

Now what I really wanted to do was be an airline pilot. However, that plan got tossed when I hung a pair of spectacles on my nose at the tender age of 17.  Even so, I got a private pilot’s licence and did a lot of pleasure flying over the next 40 years.   

In 2002, I stumbled onto an ultralight airplane at the local airport, was smitten by the idea, built one in my basement, and then flew it for 200 hours.  I eventually let it go because of impending FAA regulations and liability issues (like no insurance), but it was a ton of fun – flying at its best.   

And finally, I would like to introduce Ol’ Rambo, who has been my loyal companion and shop dog for well over a decade now. The following pictures capture his essence far better than any 3,000 words you could ever put on paper.  

While out on a Big Hunt in a nearby field, we came upon a huge pile of mildly aromatic chicken litter that the farmer had dumped there to be used as fertilizer.  This is Ol’ Rambo shortly after making the discovery.   

Why do dogs do this and seem to enjoy it so much?



After the adventure, Ol’ Rambo relaxes in his box as the sun sets slowly in the west.  




That’s my story.  I would like to hear yours.  ~Doc