Creative Woodworks & crafts-111-2005-Holiday, страница 60

Dave Johnson is quite an inspiration. Despite suffering for the past six years with MS, he pursues his love of fretwork with great passion. In fact, his home is bursting with fretwork projects that he has made! Dave finds that focusing upon his woodworking helps him to cope with his affliction.

Dave's mother died when he was four and he was "put in a home." Another boy in the home did fretwork projects and Dave became interested in it as a result. When he left the home he stayed active with fretwork for a while, but his interest in it faded as work and marriage came to the forefront of his attention. However, while shopping in Bury, England (his hometown) about six years ago, he saw a book about fretwork and his interest was quickly rekindled. Dave soon finished making all the projects in the book and found himself corresponding with an American company for more plans. At present, he's almost exhausted all sources of patterns to purchase and will soon have to start designing his own!

Dave describes himself as a "perfectionist" and he will redo any project piece that contains even a liny mistake. Most of his work is cut from birch plywood. About his projects he says, "I love building them. They keep me busy and I want to keep on with them, although it's quite an expensive hobby." While his projects may appear delicate, they're actually quite sturdy, in his own words, "Sometimes when I'm building the dolls' houses T wonder where they'll be in 1(X) years...I make sure I build them so that they'll take a bit of knocking about. Imagine people seeing them in the future and saying, 'That's a Dave Johnson.' That would be fantastic."

Dave used to be very physically tit and active, regularly going on I Ok runs and winning a number of medals. Therefore, it was initially very difficult dealing with his MS diagnosis. Despite this setback, he's remained positive and active. He unfailingly logs in five miles each morning in his wheel chair, and he works out diligently at the gym three days a week. After lunch he goes to his workshop/shed and becomes engrossed in his woodworking, often until late at night. In short, through his positive attitude, regular physical exercise, and his beloved fretwork, Dave has left little time for "Old Man Worry" to bother him!

Dave, thank you for sharing with us and for being such a beacon of positivity and strength!

Dave Johnson with his Big &en models.

Dave's living room is chock full of his projects. Notice his wall of clocks. Dave in his workshop.

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