About TDW Gifts, Decor and More
Where It All Started
Nestled in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada, sits a slightly disheveled house with a small workshop beside it - the kind of place where the scent of burnt wood mingles with sawdust and stubborn determination. Inside, it’s just me - tinkering, designing, and sometimes talking to machines that don’t always listen.
I wasn’t even going to make an “About” page. Then I realized that before I buy anything from a small shop online, I always check the “About” section to make sure it’s not a scam. So here I am - not a scammer - telling you how this all came to be.
I’ve been a blue-collar, no-collar kind of guy my whole life. I spent years under car hoods as a mechanic and drove a tow truck through Arizona heat and traffic - helping with everything from jump starts to messy accident extractions. I’ve always believed in working hard, fixing what’s broken, and doing things right - even if that meant doing them the hard way.
When Life Took a Turn
Then things went south - I was diagnosed with CRPS/RSD, a chronic pain condition that doesn’t play fair. You can learn more about it here. Over time, it took away the work I loved and the life I knew.
Finding a New Way to Create
But I’ve never been good at sitting still. I picked up woodworking as a way to fight back - to keep moving, creating, and finding peace on my own terms. Since CRPS messes with how I think and move, I tend to do things differently than most. That’s how The Dysfunctional Woodworker was born - a name that started as a joke and became a badge of stubborn pride.
These days, it’s just this broken ol' fart, a couple of lasers, and a head full of ideas. As the disease has progressed, I’ve had to adjust what I can do - working more with my computer and less with sharp things that spin very fast (which, honestly, was a good move for everyone and everything involved). Even as my body cooperates less and less, I press on - not by my own strength, but by His. Every piece that leaves my hands is a reminder that God’s not done with me yet, and I’m grateful for every single day I get to keep creating.
Rooted in Faith and the Alleghenies
TDW Gifts, Decor and More is rooted here in Oil City, Pennsylvania, tucked among the hills and hollows of the Alleghenies. From this little workshop, I create one piece at a time - each one shaped by faith, grit, and a love for the craft.
So if you ever find yourself holding one of my pieces, know that a little bit of that mountain stubbornness - and a whole lot of God’s grace - is built right in.