Village Squire, 1979-08, Page 29PROFILE
Sam Doherty of Londesboro shows some of the products of the craft he fell in love with in high school
days.
Unique jobs
challenge
wood turner
BY ELAINE TOWNSHEND
It's not unusual to build drawers for an
old dresser, but it is a little unusual to build
a dresser around three drawers. That's just
one of the unusual woodworking jobs Sam
Dougherty of R.R.1, Londesboro has
tackled.
An electrician with Ontario Hydro by
occupation Sam devotes as much spare
time as possible to his hobby. He came
originally from Blyth and attended high
school in Clinton. In the Industrial Arts
department at CHSS, he was introduced to
woodturning - the art of shaping blocks into
various forms by means of a lathe. That
was when his hobby began, and he still has
the first lamp he "turned" at school.
He and his wife, Diane, lived in Petrolia
for six years after they were married, and
Sam studied a three-year night course in
woodworking.
An old lathe was given to him, and later
he bought a new one. Through the years,
he added a band saw, table saw, drill press
and countless other tools. He wasn't
content with ordinary tools for ordinary
jobs, though. He made his own small tools
for special items, such as a half-inch
eggcup and a spinning top one-quarter
inch in diameter. Sam estimates he has
57,000 to $8,000 tied up in tools and $6,000
in wood.
In Petrolia, he built a complete shop with
vaccuum system, electric heat, insulation,
intercom to the house and other
conveniences. He constructed a portable
workbench that he was able to bring with
him when he moved to the Londesboro area
six years ago. Although the shop was also
designed to be taken apart, he left it
behind and now it serves as a carpenter's
shop.
"I never make anything that can't be
taken apart," explains Sam.
Diane feels fortunate to have a
handyman around the house who tackles
August 1979, Village Squire 27