November 2024 – While traveling the state as part of his work at Maine Medical Center as a clinical endocrinologist and medical educator (his ongoing 38+ year career) Bob Bing-You would drive past the Woodschool campus. In 2014, he enrolled in Peter Korn’s Basic Woodworking workshop. The following year he attended Beth Ireland’s Learn to Turn and was hooked. “Beth has been a great mentor and inspiring instructor. I consider myself a beginner in many ways and I often hear Beth’s voice in my head urging me to up my game and improve my woodcraft.”
Bob has explored many aspects of woodworking through more than a dozen workshops here at the Center, as well as attending and subsequently assisting in the Turning Intensive. Bob is fascinated with boxes and his final project in the Intensive was a chess set, each chess piece a tiny box. His recent interest includes exploring the shaker box form and he has incorporated some new skills in veneer and marquetry as embellishments. “I am most happy creating wooden ware that brings joy and smiles to others. I still enjoy making functional items on the lathe and get excited discovering new approaches as well as combining different crafts.”
Bob volunteers with the local Downeast Wood Bank which supports Maine families facing a winter heating crisis. “Since 2022, 90% of my woodworking has been geared towards raising funds for this wonderful nonprofit organization.” To raise funds, Bob sells his work on the organization’s website as well as items in the local Handworks Gallery in Blue Hill.
