The Woodshop Crew
It was here—in a nearly unused storage space towards the rear of the Epworth Villa campus—that this story begins. A few residents had borrowed a corner of the space to use as a makeshift woodworking shop. But as the collection of shop equipment grew, sharing space with storage items was getting harder and harder, until the decision was made to clear out the storage items and make the space a dedicated shop at long last.
“We had a relatively meager collection of equipment at the start,” said Bill Elliott, one of the long-time users of the shop. “But that didn’t last long as more guys offered to bring their tools in.”
Today, the shop is well equipped enough to turn out all sorts of projects, from the practical to the artistic. “I wanted to add some shelving to my apartment so we could store items higher. Bending over low to get stuff isn’t as easy as it used to be,” said Alan Badgett with a wry smile.
“The shop really grew when Charles joined us,” said Pat Hensley, part of the regular crew. “He may have had more experience and more equipment than the rest of us combined.”
Charles Jack got into woodworking on an R/V excursion when he met a new friend that was a master at turning bowls. He was hooked immediately. “I just love the process of turning a wood blank into something beautiful,” said Charles. “Bradford Pear is one of my favorite woods to turn. With the turquoise accents I use as both decoration and to fix damaged areas, it just makes a stunning combination.”
“Charles brought with him quite a few blanks for any of us to use, which was very cool,” said Bill. “And we get wood from downed trees in the area too, so we have years of material ready to use.”
Charles Jack
Like many of the guys who use the shop, Pat had taken woodshop classes in high school but really hadn’t done anything since then. “I’ve had a lot of fun re-learning woodworking and making new friendships. I’ve made some cabinetry that came out great, but my next goal is to have Charles show me how to make some of those beautiful bowls,” said Pat.
As the shop grows and more residents get involved, new equipment and even new materials come into play. Jerry Johnson, one of the newest members of the crew, is more of a metalworker thanks to his decades of experience refurbishing and rebuilding cars and aircraft—from Piper Cubs and ’69 Chevy Chevelles all the way up to Learjets.
“It’s not just about restoring jets or cars—I can take a ding out of a car door too so it’s a practical skill,” said Jerry. “But it’s been fun to watch these guys making beautiful things with wood. Maybe we can use the two materials together in a creative piece one day.”
From time to time, you can find items crafted in the woodshop for sale at Epworth’s Consignment Corner in the Market. The money from sales supports interest groups like the woodshop. “We’ve earned around $500 so far, and are talking about what to do with the funds,” said Bill. “And it’s great to help support all the fun groups here at Epworth.”
