Keeping Up at Ted’s Woodshop
The summer challenge at Ted’s Woodshop is “keeping up” – keeping up with shop production, our responsibilities as members of our local artist cooperative gallery, and mowing/gardening/harvesting. Considering the challenges of the past year, we are grateful to have several Homer venues for selling our work. And in these uncertain times, we are grateful to […]
Creating A Spiral Mill Set
A client contacted me recently about a special order salt and pepper mill set. She was interested in my “dizzy mill” design. I adapted my process in creating a spiral mill set using walnut, maple, and cherry — woods that will complement the color theme in her home. Step 1: Lamination I laminated (glued) five […]
Sanding Sealer for Finishing
Ted’s creations involve several steps: he designs the project, prepares the wooden blank, turns it on the wood lathe, and applies finish. The last step is the most time-consuming. Recently Ted tried a new finishing process on a white ash and rosewood pepper mill. He was very pleased with the results. It saved time to […]
Cypress Sinker Log Pepper Mill
Who’s this guy, why is he standing knee-deep in the swamp in Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin, and what does that have to do with a cypress sinker log pepper mill? Alaska woodturner Ted Heuer, in an earlier life, conducted his graduate research in the Basin and happened upon a bald cypress tree so enormous it warranted […]
Segmented Stave Pepper Mills
Segmented stave pepper mills put the “fun” in functional artwork. They also provide woodturner Ted Heuer with an opportunity to showcase his precision cutting, laminating, and turning talents. Over the summer Ted created a series of segmented stave pepper mills ranging in height from just over 7 inches to 12 inches and utilizing some of his “go-to” […]
Ted’s Woodshop 2016 Gift Guide
With Halloween behind us, the elves at Ted’s Woodshop are getting ready for the holiday shopping season. Chief Elf Ted has been spending long hours in the shop turning out beautiful and functional creations, with Junior Elf Beth busily applying finish, tagging, pricing, labeling, and packaging. Looking for a special gift for a friend or […]
Special Orders
Recently one of our repeat customers contacted us. He had admired a pepper mill in our Store and asked if Ted could turn a salt shaker to match it. This is exactly the type of challenge that Ted enjoys. We welcome special orders, and Ted is glad to create custom pieces using the customer’s choice […]
Spalted Birch Salt and Peppermills
A few months ago friend and fellow woodturner George Overpeck, who specializes in bowls and hollow forms turned from local woods, gave Ted a spalted birch log. This is the story of that log’s transformation into salt and peppermills. After applying Pentacryl to the log and Anchorseal to the end grain, Ted let the log […]