Self-taught pensioner re-purposes old timber into handcrafted pieces

What started as a hobby for handcrafting old timber, has grown into a wood-turning business for this pensioner.

Bob Huard turns old, dated and recyclable pieces of timber into repurposed household items.

A passion for wood-turning and a love of timber started this pensioner’s 35 year obsession for handcrafting items out of timber.

Southern Downs pensioner Bob Huard is the ultimate handyman, using his love of timber to turn old, dated and recyclable wood into repurposed household items.

Mr Huard said he relies only on old timber for his craft.

“I use timber from family and friend’s houses or from people who want their tree removed and I cut it up,” he said.

“I like to repurpose old timber; I never buy it new.”

Mr Huard was inspired to start woodworking after watching a wood-turning demonstration in Noosa 35 years ago.

“When I first looked at it, I thought it was very interesting,” he said.

Since then Mr Huard has taught himself everything there is to know about wood-turning, from operating a wood-turner to shaping pieces with the grain.

His first woodwork piece was an apple that he made with the wood-turner from Noosa.

Mr Huard still treasures that piece to this day, and it is a small reminder of how far he has come in his craft.

Bob Huard Woodworker Stanthorpe

The self-taught man has perfected his craft by watching YouTube tutorials online and wood-turning videos.

“Some things just come naturally to people and for me I just happen to be good at wood-turning,” Mr Huard said.

“The first item I made by myself was a small little dish and it didn’t turn out good but that’s okay,” he said.

The Glen Innes resident likes to incorporate new elements into his timber creations, most recently making a penny box and ingraining an old penny in the lid.

“I want to create things people can use and see value in,” the former mechanic said.

Bob’s handcrafted penny boxes with pennies ingrained into the lids

Mr Huard said he loves working with locally grown timbers with his favourite being Osage orange.

However, the process prior to making the pieces takes months.

“Once you get the timber it’s usually wet, so you have to let it dry,” the wood-turner said.

“It takes a year for just two and half centimetres of timber to dry.”

To speed up the drying process Mr Huard said he hollows out the timber and puts it aside for up to six months.

“I store racks of timber about six foot high after hollowing out the centre,” he said.

“I’m in the shed most days making something up”

Being environmentally-friendly and sustainable is an important issue for Mr Huard who doesn’t like things going to waste.

“When I finish for the day, I usually have shavings up to knee high,” he said.

“I then use those shavings and recycle them into the compost heaps so that they can once again be reused in my vegetable garden.”

Bob Huard wants to continue to using resin in his timber pieces

The pensioner hopes he can continue doing wood-turning for many more years.

“I’m still learning every day and am now looking at using resin in my pieces as it gives them a bit of colour,” he said.

Mr Huard showcases and sells his wood pieces at the Markets in the Mountains in the Stanthorpe Showgrounds.