Eugene Bigelow has been a woodworker since the 1940s, shaping and creating timber into furniture, bowls and knick knacks.
The retired Lakewood man lives with his wife in the Meridian Retirement Community where his work is gaining the attention of residents and staff.
While others in the community, 1805 S. Balsam St., relax and enjoy their free time various ways, Bigelow focuses on his hobby; creating.
These days, working with only a scroll saw and other small tools, Bigelow said he has crafted with lesser means.
“I made that picture frame with a pocketknife while on a submarine during World War II,” Bigelow said as he pointed to a brown, intricately carved frame displaying a picture of him and his wife from the 1940s.
Of all the pieces Bigelow has crafted through the years, a clock, which now ticks in the main living room of the retirement community, is his proudest creation.
“I usually don’t keep track of the time I put into my pieces. That’s not what’s important,” the 87-year-old said.
Bigelow has taken requests in the past for his work, but he said time can’t be an element for his patrons. Although he works in wood, this one condition is set in stone, he said.
Yet, he broke his own rule when he created his favorite clock.
“It took me 320 hours,” Bigelow said of the clock that was once in the conference room of a bank for years, finally given back to its creator.
“I just really like to see it and I do now, two to three times a day,” he said.
Cherry is Bigelow’s favorite wood for specific reasons.
“I enjoy the color and the texture and it always finishes pretty,” Bigelow said as he pointed out pieces in his home made from cherry wood.
Staff members said both they and residents appreciate Bigelow’s talent. His clock certainly catches the attention of all who see it.
Woodworking has always been fun for Bigelow, never a chore. If a piece becomes tiring, he puts it away until it interests him once more, he said.
“I set no deadlines on my work. When I was in the working world there were always deadlines, now that I am retired, there are none,” Bigelow said. “It’s a kind of therapy for me.”
His home features his work on the walls and on display in cabinets. When the couple could not find furniture appropriate for their current residence, Bigelow built some.
“We couldn’t find a table we liked that would fit the kitchen area so I made that one,” he said as he pointed to the circular piece met with two chairs.
The entertainment center in the couple’s living room was created under the same circumstances, Bigelow said.
No piece goes unfinished, all work is completed, Bigelow said.
“I just can’t stand not to finish a project once I’ve started it,” he said.
However, some pieces end up in the trash once they are completed, Bigelow said.
“I was working outside when a man walked by. He was here to visit a family member, and he saw a piece I’d thrown away. He liked it so much he demanded that I sell it to him,” Bigelow said.
Although he could not recall the exact work the man insisted on owning, Bigelow said he never knows which creation will grab the attention of others.