In Illuka, New South Wales, Roy Ellery isn’t too keen on adding up the hours spent working on his unique hand-crafted timber “log books” – he said they are a labour of love. Source: Clarence Valley Daily Examiner
“I’ve never really worked out how long it has taken to make one,” said Ellery, who has now made five log books since his first three years ago. And despite receiving several offers to buy them, he says he has no plans to sell; instead he plans to give them to his children and grandchildren.
Being somewhat of an innovation in the world of woodworking, it wasn’t long before his handiwork caught the attention of an international audience.
After the publisher of a US-based specialist magazine, Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts, contacted him asking him to share his technique, Roy prepared a small story to accompany his step-by-step instructions, but making the front cover of the magazine came as a surprise.
“I’m really excited about seeing it on the cover; it’s not something you’ll see elsewhere,” said Ellery.
“It’s very difficult to find anything new as far as woodworking is concerned.”
He said the idea came to him after he bought a new scroll saw and “wanted to try something quick” and the log books were more by accident than by design.
“The idea to make it into a book came to me out of the blue.
“I had a jacaranda log lying around and decided to slice it on the band saw and after cutting some designs on each slice with the scroll saw, I thought it might make an interesting book,” he said.
Each of Roy’s log books is an original work of art, some featuring gnomes, and bears on others.
“People can’t resist picking up my log books and looking through them. Sometimes I’ll write a story to accompany the scenes, but often I’ll just let the images tell a unique story to each viewer.”
Roy has been working with wood for about 15 years and is a member of Northern Rivers Woodworkers Association.
