Why buy an expensive set of kitchen cabinets when you can build them yourself at no cost?
That’s the way Tom Wynn, a steam fitter in the Mechanical Systems Department, Plant Operations Division, sees it.
“There’s nothing more gratifying than harvesting the wood, saving money and creating a useful piece of furniture yourself,” says Wynn, who enjoys building furniture in his spare time. “Saving the $10,000 it normally costs to install new kitchen cabinets is rewarding in itself.”
Wynn began building pieces eight years ago after a huge storm tore through the town of Gregory in Livingston County, Mich., and ripped down a large number of trees. Instead of wasting the downed lumber, he bought a sawmill, moved it to the small town and began to nurture his interest in woodworking.
Wynn is quick to point out that his pastime fits with his environmentally conscious attitude.
“I’m not the type of person to cut down trees to facilitate my hobby,” he says. “I only harvest trees that have been brought down in a storm. Preserving our environment remains one of my top priorities.”
Wynn has built a number of other items using the sawmill, including a set of cabinets for his son, a kiln, tables, plant stands, coat racks, magazine racks and other specialty objects. He also plans to build a larger number of ornate pieces.
Wynn’s favorite assembled piece is an Oriental coffee table he created for a friend.
“My pieces always go to someone I know; I don’t normally build them for myself,” he says. “Not only do I save money, but family and friends appreciate my personal touch and the time I invested for their enjoyment.”
Wynn has been a University employee for 18 years. Here he works on a variety of projects ranging from service compliance, such as leaks or temperature problems, to construction work. The latter is his favorite, he says.
“Construction work gives me an opportunity to express my creative side,” Wynn says. “After seeing an engineer’s plans, the rest is up to my interpretation.”
Originally from Pinckney, Mich.—where both he and his sawmill now can be found—Wynn worked in the building trades and as a pipe fitter for local companies before coming to the University. He also assisted in the construction of the University Hospital and several Ann Arbor renovation projects.
Wynn also traveled much of the country to work on construction projects before coming to U-M. Some of his more notable experiences include laboring on the Alaskan Pipeline and as a mountain outfitter in Montana.
He single-handedly raised five children, who all have grown up and gone off to college. As a young father, he enjoyed coaching several of their soccer and basketball teams.
When he’s not at work or building furniture, Wynn’s other hobbies include hunting, fishing and helping people with handyman projects around the neighborhood.
