I started working for Grandpa while I was in high school. He was a hand
wood-turner from Holland. He would turn the posts on one lathe and I
would sand them on another. Eventually I was doing most of the turning
as well. I also worked as a residential construction carpenter and
completed four years of apprenticeship training and earned (not
bought) my Journeyman’s Certificate. Grandpa officially retired (1976)
and I took over.
I expanded the business that year to include some handrail
components but instead of buying and reselling mass-produced factory
rail and fittings, I elected to custom make everything according to
actual job-site requirements (just like Grandpa taught me). While
supplying a few local builders, I got to know some very good finish
carpenters and it was not long before I hired one. This was the
beginning of my stair contracting business which continued until 1991.
During that time we focused on “high-end” custom staircases for new
and remodeled homes throughout much of Southern California.
Because I was willing (and able) to make custom stair parts from scratch
(especially for curved stairs) I was afforded the opportunity to work on
some of the largest and finest estate homes. Working with discriminating
clients and architects continually challenged me and eventually lead
me to where I am today.
Today (and since 1991) I make only “sculptural” handrail parts for other
stair companies and individuals. I’ve learned that even the most
capable stair building professionals often welcome a little qualified
help with a difficult or time consuming piece. Professionally, this is where
I think I do the most good…instead of building just a few custom stairs a
year, I am now involved in hundreds of projects.
Today, I am as determined as ever to help improve the stair building
industry (one piece at a time) and my “best work” has now become
an important part of the other guys “best work” The home owner’s
themselves are the real beneficiaries of a “job done right”. Incidentally, I
still have Grandpa’s old ten-foot wooden lathe and still enjoy doing a
little hand-turning.
Thanks for your time.
Jim Baldwin
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