About

Me

When I was young, one of the few things that could tear me away from my Super Nintendo was the PBS classic "New Yankee Workshop.” Watching a master like Norm Abrams was something that I found immensely satisfying. But other than a few projects with my father, my interest in woodworking was mostly in watching Norm.

Fast forward to around 2015. I saw a random, “oddly satisfying” GIF of a 90-degree finger joint coming together perfectly. The comments to that GIF led me to the YouTube channel of Matthias Wandel. I absolutely devoured his videos. His work is tremendously advanced technically but he still has the relatability of someone trying to figure things out. This prompted my pursuit into woodworking as an adult, and things haven’t slowed down!

In 2018, I started Rogan Woodworking, making small boxes and taking on a few projects for family and friends. Inspired by artists and educators like Paul Sellers, I worked mostly with hand tools.

In 2021, I bought a lathe and began turning. It became an immediate passion! I loved turning bowls and watching turning videos from masters like Richard Raffan and Glenn Lucas. With encouragement from my wife, I started attending art festivals and selling my work.

 

My Work

Many of my bowls have a somewhat unique design in that there are multiple layers of different wood species glued (or "laminated") together. This was originally born out of necessity as I didn't have any large bowl blanks when I started turning. But I liked the look so much that I've embraced it as a style.

Of course, I do have some bowls turned from one big piece of wood. These bowls are usually “twice-turned,” which means I turn the rough shape from green or wet wood; then the bowl undergoes a drying process for several months; and finally I turn the dried bowl to its final shape and apply finish.

In both types of bowls, I try to show off the natural beauty of the wood. 

All my work is food-safe. I use Titebond II wood glue, which is intended for kitchenware. For all my products, I’ll use one of three food-safe finishes: Odie's Oil, General Finishes’ Wood Bowl Finish, or Mike Mahoney’s Walnut Oil. See my “Wood Care” page for more information on how to care for these finishes. (It’s not difficult.)

All my work is sustainable. With the recent surge of woodworking hobbyists, it's been important for sawyers to maintain sustainable solutions as they provide for the surge in demand for specific wood species. The wood I buy is from reputable sources who are committed to sustainability of the species they work with. Whenever I use a log for bowl blanks, it's taken from the side of the road or from a friend.

All my work is made by me. I do all the cutting, gluing, turning, sanding, and finishing. Some products like wine stoppers, ice cream scoops, and pie servers have hardware that was purchased from a manufacturer, but I turned the handles and assembled everything together. Some bowls, like the Elora Bowls or Anne Collection, were designed in partnership with members of my family, but I still made the actual bowls. I use primarily use traditional turning tools, like the bowl gouge pictured right.