Sebastopol farmer crafts wooden works of art

When Tom Marshall isn’t working in the apple orchard or vineyard at his Sebastopol ranch, he’s hiding in plain sight in his basement workshop, crafting wooden works of art.

The semi-retired farmer has the strong, sturdy hands of his trade, but when he’s seated at his scroll saw, his fingers delicately guide pieces of wood around a narrow vertical blade to produce intricate curves and meticulous designs.

The process is exacting: One error can destroy hours of work. For Marshall, 78, it’s rewarding and relaxing, a pastime and passion away from the pickup or tractor of his workday.

Marshall makes wall hangings, decorative boxes, fruit and bread bowls, old-fashioned vehicles, trinket cabinets, picture frames, toys and clocks - his specialty.

He handcrafted an 86-inch-tall grandfather clock with ornate fretwork and has made countless wall clocks, mantel clocks and cuckoo clocks, each exquisitely detailed by hand. Made from recycled tabletop wood, the grandfather clock took three months to complete.

A laser cutter might be faster, but Marshall is an old-school craftsman and won’t consider the new technology.

He prefers handcrafting his designs, using a series of sharp, spaghetti-thin blades to perfect the cuts. He uses patterns instead of kits, each and every item cut and assembled with the finest attention to detail.

He drills holes where he starts the cutwork, each movement precise. The work can be painstaking but he doesn’t flinch. It’s part of the appeal.

“It’s the challenge. The finer the work, the better I like it,” he said.

Marshall is part woodworker, part artisan. A straight shooter, he doesn’t waste much time defining his passion. “It’s a hobby,” he said, matter-of-factly. “It’s something to do.”

The self-taught craftsman doesn’t even have the foundation of a high school woodworking class.

“I took ag mechanics in high school. That was it,” he said. “No wood shop.”

He’s been perfecting his skills since 1992, when he spotted a scroll saw demonstration at the California State Fair in Sacramento.

“I don’t know how many times he went back to watch this guy cut things out,” said his wife, Pat. “He was so intrigued with that.”

Before long he purchased a similar $1,200 scroll saw with the quick-change blades and cutting ease that caught his eye at the fair. Hundreds of completed projects later, he’s more than satisfied with his investment.

“I just love this thing,” he said as his hands nimbly worked on an intricate plaque after a busy day during the apple harvest.

A Sebastopol native, Marshall has lived in his childhood home since 1945. His father built the rural house, complete with the ground-level basement that serves as Marshall’s workshop.

He pops in to work on projects whenever he can, particularly during winter months when farm work is less demanding. His wife and visitors never have to search too far to locate him.

“They always know where to find me,” said Marshall, the father of two and grandfather of two.

Marshall rarely sells his work. He has much of it on display in his home and likes to give pieces to relatives and friends.

There’s little financial return on his work, but that isn’t a motivation.

“It’s quite a bit of time. For materials it can get expensive. Walnut is expensive, oak is expensive,” he said. “Nobody’s got the money to buy them for the time I put into them.”

An Army veteran, he’s donated more than 100 hand-sized hardwood military plaques to a Midwestern hospital for disabled vets.

He enjoys showcasing his talents at the Sonoma County Fair, where he’s been awarded numerous first-place ribbons since he began exhibiting five years ago.

He’s especially proud of an ornate, 37-inch clock tower that two years ago earned best of show and best of division awards along with a blue ribbon. The piece features three sets of doors that open, a balcony, gable ornaments and a dial with Roman numerals that required the steadiest of cutwork and patience.

He once discovered a note tucked into a jewelry box he had on display at the fair. A man admired it and wanted to buy it for his wife.

Marshall priced it at $300 to narrowly cover his time and expenses and was surprised when the man agreed and purchased it as a Christmas gift.

“He took it, no problem,” Marshall said.

He doesn’t calculate the exact hours or expenses that go into each project. He purchases scroll saw patterns and supplies from catalogs and wood from home improvement stores or cabinet shop scraps that he mills for his specific needs.

He selects patterns that catch his eye, many with train themes. He’s particularly fond of the detailed and attractive designs created by the late Dirk Boelman, a Wisconsin artisan well regarded in the trade.

With coaxing from Marshall, Boelman designed an antique-style mantel cuckoo clock similar to one Marshall saw on TV’s “Pawn Stars.” It’s now sold as “The Marshall,” its oak leaf and acorn motif accented with various overlays.

Marshall has an affinity for both clocks and trains and has combined his interests into several personalized pieces.

One is the “Gravenstein Station” at Apple Town, U.S.A., a clock complete with two engine fronts with flashing lights, two water tower tankhouses topped with spinning windmills and, of course, wooden etchings of train cars and a railroad crossing.

Train whistles and the chug-chug-chug of engines and cars ring out on the hour.

For projects large and small, Marshall hand cuts paper patterns, attaches them to wood with a spray adhesive and then cuts each intricate design before using Elmer’s glue to assemble the items.

He often uses different woods for contrast, staining some and gently sanding projects with steel wool. Some woods have natural red and yellow hues that enhance projects like the flowers adorning intricate vines on a display cabinet he recently showed at the fair.

He shies away from using nails, which can split wood. Glue can be tricky, especially for an artisan like Marshall who can spot the tiniest imperfection.

“If I smear it and stain it, it shows,” he said.

Marshall admits he isn’t known for steadfast patience. Even seated at his treasured scroll saw, he sometimes has to take a break.

“Sometimes I get disgusted. I walk away from it for a while,” he said. “When I start something I think I’m never going to finish it, but before long it falls together.”

Contact Towns Correspondent Dianne Reber Hart at sonomatowns@gmail.com.