January 2002 Woodworker of the Month II

JANUARY 2002
WOODWORKERS OF THE MONTH II

David K. Eller of Las Vegas, Nv.

Dave's favorite project is always the one he's working on. Lately, those projects quite often involve using the Powercrafter. It's a high speed carving tool that carves on nearly anything. That's why I've hidden most of our tableware and glassware and I'm ready to fight for the furniture.
The inlaid box you see is one of Dave's most recent projects. In the center of the box is a leaf carved in relief with the Powercrafter.
The old saw that you see pictured here was one of his first Powercrafter projects. He always says "imagination" is his favorite tool and he certainly proved it with this saw. Of course, a drum sander is on the top of his wish list. You can learn more about the Powercrafter tool here.

These tables were built about 1 1/2 years ago, after Dave sold ours right out of our livingroom. It was worth using crates and boxes though, while we waited for him to complete these.
Dave feels that his weakest skill is finishing, so he often uses oil or wipe on poly to complete projects. He's always looking for tips on finishing.

This is Dave's most recent project. It was made to be placed over a fish pond. The idea came from a crude drawing, but as usual he worked without a paper plan. He seems to have a small drafting board in his head and says he literally dreams up projects while asleep, sometimes waking up to go directly to the shop to build his latest dream.
Dave's advice for young woodworkers is "Watch your fingers!" A tip for more seasoned woodworkers is "Keep a lock on the inside door of your shop.

There was a time when Dave owned a photography studio, and when he's not doing woodwork you will very often find him taking pictures. I had to get used to those sudden stops in the road for 'Kodak Moments'. We hope to offer some of his photography for sale on the site soon.
He also has a love for horses, particularly Peruvians. One of those real cowboys (you can tell by the hat), he has owned and trained Peruvians, Saddle Breds, Quarterhorses and others. One of his most interesting tasks was training police horses for riot control.
Very soon, Dave may realize another lifelong dream. We hope to open a combination Custom Furniture & Home Decor Gallery with a shop in the back for custom orders. It will feature Dave's work and the work of many other American and International craftsmen, such as the work of the Lithuanian Studio you see featured in
Sawdust Studios Gallery. That's when he gets that really big, well equipped shop like Norm Abrams has.
But helping others is particularly enjoyable for Dave. He really likes teaching woodworking and helping other woodworkers. So, if you've got a question or a comment, I know Dave would like to hear from you. Just write to him at sawdustone@woodworkersauction.com .

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