|
|
|
Carving It Up
|
|
Local man keeps going with second post-retirement career: Woodcarving and carpentry
RECTORVILLE -- Bob Pollitt has traded grease under his fingernails for a little sawdust on the floor.
And he couldn't be happier.
He spent 25 years as mechanic and owner of Pollitt's Garage in Rectorville, spending his days trying to figure out why a car or truck wouldn’t run. After retiring from owning his own business, he worked for 10 years for the Mason County School system where he kept the school buses running. He retired from that job seven years ago.
Bob was born on a hill near Rectorville and has lived there most of his life. He and his wife, Dora, raised their six children in Rectorville.
After a heart attack in 1984, Bob was forced to stay away from the garage for awhile until his health improved.
 |
| Bob Pollitt is shown with one of the wooden toys he has made in his Rectorville workshop. The bulldozer’s tracks even move.
Photos by Laura Peters |
"I couldn't just sit around," he said. "I'm just not made that way."
He began trying his skill at woodworking. His first project was a clock made in the shape of a black cat.
His skills have improved greatly but Dora keeps that clock in their home as a reminder of how far he's come.
As a woodworker, Bob says he's self-taught but he also says the skill is in his blood.
"My great-grandfather, Daniel Carpenter, made ax handles and any kind of handle to put on a tool," he said. "He used to take them around to the local hardware stores and sell them. He was considered one of the best around here at what he did."
While Bob usually works alone, he partnered with his friend, Jim Boyd of Tollesboro, to make three corner cabinets.
"These cabinets are made from 150 year old chestnut," said Bob. "The wood came from an old barn in Lewis County."
Each cabinet is 90-inches tall and while they are all made in the same style, what makes each one unique is the grain of the old wood.
The cabinet comes in two pieces for easier moving, and one is already sold.
One small building holds many of the wood crafted items he has built in retirement.
"Almost everything here is made from walnut, oak, maple, cherry or ash."
As a tribute to the skills that supported him and his family through the years, Bob has made many different vehicles from wood.
A 1930 Model A Ford, a Model-T pick-up, a '31 Chevrolet and a '32 Cadillac from wood sit high on a shelf next to an Indy racer.
As difficult as it is to imagine, he even has one car with a rumble seat in the back but he's not sure what the model of the car is.
So he gave it a different name.
"I call it ‘the Bob Pollitt,'" he laughed.
There's also an airplane and a bulldozer with moving tracks, all made from wood.
While most of the things he has made remain in their natural state, he did choose to paint a few -- a red tractor trailer truck, a signature green John Deere tractor and a bright yellow Mason County school bus complete with seats inside and a door that opens and closes.
One of the most unusual vehicles he has made is a horse-drawn funeral wagon complete with a miniature casket in the back.
But cars and trucks aren't his only interest. He has made clocks in every shape and size, canister sets, lazy Susan’s, bread slicers, trivets with tile inserts and old-fashioned coffee grinders that will grind your coffee beans just the way your grandmother did.
He's also made baskets with lids, salt and pepper shakers, magazine racks and jewelry boxes.
A high chair, a potty chair, a wagon and a large rocking toy in the shape of a motorcycle always create a lot of interest when visitors come by to see his latest project.
"I spend five or six hours a day working out here," he said.
After open heart surgery in 1994 and being diagnosed two years ago with colon cancer, Bob says going down to his shop and letting the sawdust fly helped him get through some difficult days.
"I just love doing this," he said. "Even when I was going through chemotherapy, I don't think I missed a day going to the shop."
Dora is very proud of her husband's work and says she feels lucky that her home is filled with so many things he has made.
"Bob made my canister set, my spice rack, a few clocks and my knife holder in my kitchen," she said.
Her favorite items, however, are her bed and chest in her bedroom.
"We looked everywhere to find a chest of drawers to fit in this certain place and couldn't find one that was the right size," she said. "Bob made one instead and it's a perfect fit, and probably better quality than I could buy somewhere."
When Bob decided he wanted a lamp to sit by his favorite chair in the living room, he went to his shop and made one.
At his 50-year class reunion in 2003, Bob gave each of his classmates a photo of their alma mater, Orangeburg High School, in a frame he had made.
Bob says it was a privilege to make some things for his church, Tollesboro United Methodist. He made tables, a bookcase, a cedar trunk and a lighted cross.
Most of what he has on hand in the shop is for sale. He will also make special order projects for clients.
"Just bring me a picture or draw me a picture, and tell me the measurement of the space you want to fill," he said.
You may contact Bob at 606-564-6995.
Contact Laura Peters at Laura.Peters@lee.net or by phone at 606-564-9091, ext. 275 |
|
|
Reader Comments
Comments are limited to 200 words or less.
Add your own comments:
|
Copyright © 2008 Maysville Newspapers, Inc., A Lee Enterprises Publication
This site is protected by applicable copyright laws and no part may be reproduced, transmitted or used in any way other than its intended purpose without the prior written permission of The Ledger Independent. Click here to view The Ledger Independent's privacy policy. |
|
|
Jobs
Homes
Cars