Eyeworld

EW IN OTHER NEWS 78 April 2018 you have to think in three dimen- sions," Dr. Steele said. "Certainly a lot of patience is necessary, and like surgery, it's enjoying the process. It's the joy of going through this obses- sive-compulsive exercise that keeps me going back not just to surgery but to woodworking." Mostly self-taught, although he attends some workshops now, Dr. Steele describes his most prom- inent style of furniture as mid-cen- tury modern. It's not just personal preference that drives it, though; Dr. Steele said the type of wood you choose also determines the style. Quarter sawn white oak, which Dr. Steele said has rays and flecks giving it a three-dimensional quality, is best featured in a mid-century mod- ern piece. "The wood tells you the style; it directs itself," he said. Dr. Steele goes to a lumber source and selects each individual piece of wood, which can range anywhere from ¾ of an inch to 10 inches thick. The wood in this state is unfinished, requiring Dr. Steele to plane it, smooth it, and square it off in a process called dimensioning, which he said is very rewarding. "There is often a live edge; there is literally bark on it," Dr. Steele said of the wood in this form. "When you select it, you have to envision what the grain is going to be like when it's finished." From there, in his woodwork- ing shop, Dr. Steele has a table saw, jointer, planer, shaper, various sand- ers, drills, and a drill press that will be used to transform the raw hunk of wood into a piece of furniture. A table, provided it doesn't have too many curves, could be finished in a weekend. A chair, on the other hand, could take up to a month, Dr. Steele said. "Chairs are the ultimate chal- lenge, particularly one that doesn't have any right angles where every- thing is curved or skewed," he ex- plained. "It's the curvature; bending wood is very time consuming." After the wood is shaped, he puts any of the necessary pieces together in a process called joiner, which he explained can be done with wood tenons, dovetails, or steel rods with epoxy glue. The piece is then protected with either an oil, lacquer, stain, or paint. The finish, Dr. Steele said, is also driven in part by the individual characteristics of the species of wood. "Some pieces are more amena- ble to oil than others, and some are more amenable to straight lacquer- ing," he said. With two homes—one in Man- hattan and one in New Jersey—Dr. Steele said he had blank canvases to furnish. He has also created pieces for the homes of his two children. He hasn't started giving pieces to friends yet, but that's the next step. "It's hard to part with a piece because you put your heart and soul into it for a reasonably long period of time. To sell it or give it away is difficult, but I'm beginning to realize that's the transition I'm making now, and I feel good about it," he said. Dr. Steele finds woodworking to be relaxing and rewarding. "If you go on the golf course for 5 hours and you return home, you have nothing to show for it, and that bothers me. The nice thing about furniture making is when you're done you have a finished product, there is a sense of perma- nence, you can always enjoy it, sit in it, use it," he said. "It's pure relaxation. It's called the flow. Four to 5 hours pass and you don't even realize the passage of time; you're immersed in problem solving and technique. It's like spending a day in the OR, which is my favorite day during the week." EW Contact information Steele: steele@pedseye.com Ophthalmologist continued from page 77 Dr. Steele has been crafting fine furniture for more than 3 decades. Source (all): Mark Steele, MD Do you have a hobby, interest, or sideline work that might be of interest to your fellow ophthalmologists? Contact Amy Goldenberg, amy@eyeworld.org, with your idea for possible future inclusion in the "In other news" section. In other news

• Cover
• Blank Page
• Blank Page (1)