Retired BJ photographer Ted Walls

still enjoys woodworking projects

Retired Beacon Journal photographer Ted Walls is still busy with woodworking.

Here= s a report from Ted on his recent projects:

We took a spare bedroom and made a computer area for my wife and a Stampin Up area. She loves to do this kind of (Correction about half of her stamps) on display. The bottom cabinets I made so she could store some supplies and more stamps. She has about 850 stamps.

The other side of the room is the computer area. I made the desk so my wife could figure out the bills to pay and file then. I figure that was an easy thing to make for her since she will be doing all of the billing. Next to it is the computer desk, holding all of that stuff..Scanner, Computer, Printer and the computer hide under  the desk out of the way. Once again, all made out of Oak Plywood with solid Oak lumber. All cabinets are special built to fit in area that is left. I have never figured out what the cost to dupe this kind of thing yet, maybe I will some day and find it hard to believe.

We asked Ted for the update to go with a feature article on his woodworking in the January / February 1982 article in Tower Topics by Vonda Reckner. 

Here's that article:

"Wooden I like a new hobby'?" might well have been the question asked by BJ photographer Ted Walls 13 years ago. After all, when a guy is an ace at taking pictures for a living and comes home to shoot still more photos as his hobby - well, a little variety seems inevitable.

It all started when Ted and Nancy decided to have their kitchen remodeled - and every estimate was higher than the next. So Ted became a do-it-yourselfer, building not only the entire kitchen - but adding a bay Window to enhance all his cabinetry.

A At first," said Ted, "my woodworking was trial and error - until I discovered library research and professional power tools, including an expensive thickness planer, joiner, and radial arm saw for my workshop - far away from the rat race of the world."

His "Ted Walls originals" are just that; designed from his own sketches, he builds, sands and stains them to compliment the finished product. Oak must be highly stained, cherry (the most natural) not as much, and walnut only receives a varnish coat.

A mini vacation for Ted often means venturing down to Cambridge or Mt. Eaton (Amish country) to buy lumber direct from the mills.

Ted has not only completed all the cabinetry in the Walls' home, but an old-fashioned paymasters' desk for his son Tom, (a two-year project that weighed 500 pounds), gun cabinets, drysinks, a solid oak roll-top desk with 16 compartments, a raised paneled wall library (still in the to-be-completed stage), quilt and plant stands, dressers, baby cradles, and children's rocking chairs for his two grandchildren.

However, his favorite is designing and building that solid piece of Americana: the grandfather clock. A completed clock is worth about $1800, for the works inside cost $517 alone and chime every quarter hour. Creative Services' Linda Themely has a grandmother model (60 inches or less). Ted has yet to finish one for Nancy and himself, even though everyone of his children have been promised one as a wedding present. He even built one for his parent's 50th anniversary - and toted it all the way to Wilmington, Del. on his Mercury. (He akso built a special rack and carrying case). An army of about 30 grandfathers are awaiting completion.

Ted's advice to other woodworkers: "Never work on a project when you're angry. The result could be costly carving mistakes - or even personal injury." Ted's dream is to build a large highboy chest with the "Queen Mary" design. And to have a small retirement business selling his wonderful wooden wares.