Tom Freeman

Woodwork

I grew upon a small farm in Spruce Pine, the youngest of four children to Bob and Artha Freeman.  My father was a grease man in one of the local mineral processing mills, and my mother was a stay at home mom (domestic engineer).  Early in life I learned that we made what we could not buy or afford – my mother was an inventive person who sewed and made clothes not only for our family but also for others as a way of producing income.  My dad was an expert with an ax and taught me early on how to hew logs into to feed troughs, split post and basically use an ax. In the summers I would make wagons and other riding devices from scraps of wood and lawnmower wheels; in the winters I would make sleds from wood and other materials to ride in the snow. I grew up without the things children have today but I never lacked for something to do and always came up with a way to make what I needed.

During my Army career I worked in hobby shops and learned the art of leather crafting. I started a small business with my wife in the early 1970’s.  During this time we built a log cabin with the help of my Dad and a good friend from Pennsylvania. While building the cabin I became interested in working wood with tools other than a broad ax and began to buy the necessary tools.  As the number and quality of tools has grown I have been able to do bigger and more complex projects and build almost anything I want. My brother (Bobby) and I both enjoy woodworking, which has been in our family for generations in various forms including “whittling”, cane making, casket making and general carpentry.

I recently retired after working as an environmental engineer for a local mining company and have worked with wood in my spare time.  Over the years I have also learned how to weld and work metals to complement my woodworking abilities.  I now have the time to devote to my work with wood, metal and leather.  The Home of the Perfect Christmas Tree (HPCT) project allows me to concentrate on my work and be creative as an artist and craftsman while allowing them to market and sell the items I make.  With the recent closings of the major furniture factories and the loss of textiles and other manufacturing jobs in our area there are several very talented craftspeople that are in need of employment.  As the knowledge of what HPCT has to offer grows there will be opportunity for more and more people to be involved directly or in companies that will be formed to make items for the store and other retail outlets.

Tom Freeman lives in Spruce Pine with his wife Wanda; they have four children, Corrie, Will, Sarah and Hannah.  Tom has been making the snowflake puzzle for 25 years and has created several other products for the project. Tom cites no formal education in the arts but has learned from master craftsmen such as Bill Gomer (leather smith), Hugh Worthen and Jack Pendley (master woodworkers). 

The snowflake puzzle is a 32 piece wooden puzzle consisting of 8 squares, 8 triangles and 16 diamonds made of native hardwoods and a box to store and work the puzzle in. The Christmas tree ornament is a wooden Christmas tree cut in a wavy pattern and painted green and brown with a red ribbon tied into the top of the tree.