Jeff Petter

Woodturning

 

I began woodworking at age ten in my grandfather’s cabinet shop in Wisconsin. Furniture-making has been a lifelong passion, and over the past 55 years I’ve built practical pieces for my home while steadily growing my skills and collection of tools.

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In 2018, I bought my first lathe—and within two years had turned more than 200 objects, each one a new lesson. I was hooked from the start.

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After retiring in 2019 from a forty-year career as an electrical engineer and inventor, I devoted more time to the lathe. My engineering work focused on designing large power electronic devices and rotating machines for physics research, renewable energy, and electric aircraft—earning several awards and more than thirty-five patents. Although this work was rewarding, I had always yearned for a more personal, hands-on form of creativity.

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Now, my shop is a place of exploration. I often begin with little or no plan, letting the wood itself guide me to the final form. I’m especially drawn to pieces shaped by damage, decay, or stress—where nature has already started telling a story. My work is about revealing and honoring that beauty.

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