Jeff Phillips

Wood Carver

Artist' artwork/info

Jeff Phillips's Bio:

Jeff was born and raised in Richland, Washington. His parents still live in his boyhood home. Jeff and his wife Linda reside in West Richland where they bought a house with a lot next door and proceeded to build a “hop” where Jeff got started in scroll saw work. Jeff has two daughters from his first marriage and 2 step-children with Linda. They are now empty nesters.
Jeff took wood shop in junior high and always wanted to get back into making things out of wood. He attended Western Baptist College and graduated in 1982 with a Business Degree. A friend told Jeff about making pens on a mini lathe. Since Jeff didn’t own a lathe at that time, he went out and purchased a jet mini lathe and started making pens. He found out about the Mid Columbia wood turning club and decided to join. Through the club he took classes and learned to fine tune his wood turning skills. Jeff enjoys wood turning even more since he purchased a “bigger” lathe so he can make “bigger items”. He says it is a great stress reliever. When he gets stressed about anything he can go out to the shop and turn wood. This keeps his mind occupied and helps the stress go away. Wood turning is Jeff’s favorite thing to do.

How does he select the wood?

When selecting the wood, Jeff looks at the grain and figure of the wood and any bold markings; this depends on the type of wood. For example, fruit wood has a real high chance of splitting and cracking so a lot of wood is lost whereas exotic wood doesn’t split as much. Oak has a softer grain which can tear out during the turning process so something the finished piece could feel rough. Some exotic woods can be toxic in the sanding and turning process so Jeff wears a respirator.

The Process

Green wood comes from a freshly cut down tree. Jeff cuts the wood to the size he wants and then seals the ends with sealant to prevent rapid drying. He then takes the wood to his shop and lets it sit until the moisture content is at a desirable amount (this varies with the wood). Jeff can also “rough turn” the wood to reduce the wall thickness and speed up the drying process.
Once the piece of wood “dries” enough Jeff places it on the lathe and turns it into the object he wants… bowl, vessel, box, or whatever comes into Jeff’s head. The size of the wood he places on the lathe helps determine what the piece will be. Jeff also can turn the wood “green”. This can and does cause the piece of wood to warp and/or crack. The process adds a neat effect to the finished piece such as an out of round bowl for a different kind of look. If Jeff wants to cut down on the time it takes to process the wood, he can buy wood that is already dry and go directly into the turning process.