Q&A

AS primary eye care providers, most of us have eyes for detail and superb technical abilities, in dealing with sophisticated equipment and diagnostic technologies.

This skill set allows us to engage in many creative artistic pastimes, including woodworking, which is the focus of this month’s “O.D. Scene.”

Yup! When Justin Coleman, Joel McGahen and Fred Shanks aren’t spinning dials, prescribing spectacles and contact lenses and identifying and managing eye disease, they’re in their respective workshops using an array of tools to create memorable items, such as a cradle, for significant others, family and friends.

The last time I used a hammer and a chisel — actually, I do not have a chisel, whatever that is — I think I ended up with a sore thumb and subungual hematoma, due to a missed blow. The guys you’ll meet here, however, could probably hammer a nail in one shot wearing blindfolds. You know the drill…

Jack Schaeffer, O.D., F.A.A.O.,
Editor-in-Chief
O.D. Scene

WOODWORKING O.D.S WEIGH IN . . .

JUSTIN COLEMAN, O.D., JOEL MCGAHEN, O.D., AND FRED SHANKS, O.D.

Q: HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN WOODWORKING?

JC: I’ve been handy my whole life. My dad has too, so he would always include me in his projects. When he built my parent’s house, he made the kitchen cabinets out of the wood leftover from his father’s demolished more than 80-year old barn. Naturally, I began picking up projects myself.

JM: As a kid, I always played around in my Dad’s workshop, trying to make wood boxes, so I guess I’ve been toying around with wood projects since I was age seven or eight.

FS: I inherited the farm I grew up on, and it had an old barn with beautiful old wood, begging to be reclaimed into furniture. I really love the old weathered wood that has insect holes and either needs to be burned or turned into some knock-out piece of art.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TOOL TO WORK WITH AND WHY?

JC: I love my router. It really transforms projects from works in progress to almost finished.

JM: It would be hard to say what tool would be my favorite, but the one tool that every project requires, as funny as this may sound, is the Shop-Vac for clean-up.

FS: My favorite tool is probably a fine steel brush fitted on a drill. It’s amazing how old wood will shine when brushed.

Q: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN INTO WOODWORKING?

JC: Off and on for years, tinkering around, but really working on projects for the last three years. I’m still a novice, in the grand scheme of things.

JM: I got serious about woodworking the year after I graduated from optometry school. In debt, out of money, expecting our first child, I decided to make my son a handmade dove-tailed cradle. I only had two power tools: a table saw and a router. All the wood was rough cut — totally unfinished wood straight from the saw mill — and each piece needed to be hand planed and joined. It was very labor intensive.

FS: I began seven or eight years ago making simple bird houses for my grandchildren. It has progressed to tables, accent walls and now planning on restructuring the front desk in the reception room.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WOODWORKING PROJECT AND WHY?

JC: I made a nice flower box/bench for my girlfriend, who’s into plants.

JM: I truly enjoy making gifts and surprising people with items, like a handmade cradle for the birth of a child. I also like to donate projects to charity auctions, like for the American Cancer Society.

FS: I built my wife our present dining room table and bench with wood that came out of the barn loft where my brothers and I worked and played.

Q: HAVE YOU EVER CARVED AN EYE OR EYE-RELATED PIECE?

JC: No. I’m dorky enough without adding to it.

JM: I have never carved an eye from a piece of wood. They have their own. They’re called knots.

FS: I’ve never carved an eye, but I have boards with knot holes that resemble eyes.

Q: HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND ON THIS HOBBY PER WEEK?

JC: Some weeks, none. I just bought a practice. Other weeks, I spend 10 to 15 hours on it. It really depends on my focus.

JM: I really don’t spend time per week, per say, it’s more like binge working, where I see a project to build and then over the next few weeks, I devote my spare time to it. Most of the cradles and furniture I make takes 40 hours a piece to complete.

FS: The amount of time depends on the project at hand, but usually four to six hours a week.

Q: HAVE YOU SOLD ANY PIECES?

JC: No, but I’ve given a few things as gifts.

JM: With the exception of items that have gone to auction, no. For me, selling my work would take some of the joy out of it. The look on people’s faces when I walk in to their homes and say, “I made this for you,” is payment enough.

FS: I’ve never sold any pieces, but I recently donated a coffee table to our church for a fundraising auction. It became the last item offered and brought $500 and orders for two more. So, I was able to raise $1,500 for mission trips.

Q: HOW IS WOODWORKING LIKE BEING AN O.D.?

JC: As with woodworking, there are many different styles of practicing optometry. For me, I try to avoid excess. I often ask myself, “What is the least amount of work required to do a task effectively?” Then, I break it down: “Do I really need to buy or use a huge power tool when a simple hand tool has worked for years?” ( I enjoy using my hand plane and chisels.) The same goes for my vision therapy patients. I could have them invest in the coolest, newest computer program, but can I get the same level of improvement with a Brock String?

JM: My personality is Type A. The incredible detail that it takes to join, match grains and finish a beautiful piece of furniture is the reason why I do low vision in the same type of meticulous thought process.

FS: I don’t think it’s like being an O.D. It is quiet, creative, good-“me”-medicine time.

Q: HOW DO YOU THINK YOUR WOODWORKING HABIT HAS HELPED YOU IN OPTOMETRY?

JC: The adage “measure twice, cut once” comes out a bit. Good woodworking, like most things, is improved with fastidious preparation. Putting it all together is the easy part. The same goes for being a good doctor. Being careful about data collection is very important.

FS: Woodworking is so relaxing. It is restoring the mind and restoring old trees. I love what I do in optometry, helping people see clearly and all the things we do in patient care. Reassuring parents, reassuring the elderly, making quality of life better.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE STORY ABOUT A WOODWORKING PROJECT YOU WORKED ON?

JC: After felling (cutting down) a small tree in my backyard, I used my axe to cut small logs for a fire pit. One of the pieces of the tree had a small branch protruding from it, and I thought, “I’ll just lean over and lop it off quick.” The outcome: a hole in my pants, a whole in my sock and a hole in me! A few stitches and an angry girlfriend later, I reminded myself to always maintain proper form and technique to remain safe and to do a job well.

JM: One of my church’s pastors lost an unborn child. When I found out the pastor was expecting again, I crafted a cradle that had a triple inlay of the church’s insignia for the baby and put it up at the annual church auction, thinking the pastor would bid on it. He didn’t, so I bid on it myself, won it and happily handed him the bill of sale of the cradle. He was touched.

FS: It is every time someone receives a piece. They are wowed that I made it and appreciate the time and effort involved. It is similar to the response we get in optometry, as patients are so pleased with the care we provide.

Q: IF SOMEONE WANTS TO GET INTERESTED IN WOODWORKING, HOW WOULD THEY PROCEED?

JC: Start simply. It’s easy to buy too much without knowing what’s necessary, useful or what will fit your style. A jigsaw, drill, hammer, speed square, a couple of clamps, sand paper and wood glue will go a long way on most novice projects. Later, you can add the double miter saw, jointer, planer, lathe, router table, table saw, band saw and more clamps.

JM: The first thing to do is to get organized. You’ll need a small workshop in a walled space to prevent dust from spreading, and basic tools, such as a table saw, router and sander. Start with an easy project — maybe a cutting board — and as you progress, you can add more tools. Most importantly, always count your fingers before and after each cutting job.

FS: To get interested, just start Googling “wood craft projects.” Pinterest has plenty of ideas. Then, get some basic tools, like a sander, drills, saws, tape measure, etc. You move on to table saw, mitre saw, etc. as your projects increase in size. OM