Lloyd Mandel
Born and raised in New Jersey, Lloyd attended Rutgers undergraduate school, SUNY Upstate Medical Center medical school and spent a five-year internship and residency in general surgery in Baltimore. His last 3 of 9 years in the Navy were spent in Charleston, where he settled with his wife Dianne and sons David and Jonathan, and practiced general surgery for over 30 years. Since his retirement in 2011 he has finally had time to indulge himself in his life long love of woodworking, especially woodturning.
Using found wood from the Charleston "urban forest" he enjoys creating both simple bowls for everyday use as well as more creative bowls which may be additionally carved and colored. His most challenging pieces are probably his "sweet gum baskets" which were inspired by Charleston's traditional Gullah sweet grass baskets.
Lloyd also enjoys the challenge of making larger (18-24+ inches in diameter) bowls. A 20-24" diameter freshly cut (green) log weighs about 250 pounds when placed on the lathe. It is then "rough turned" to about 2" thickness, sealed (to slow the drying, warping and cracking which inevitably occurs) and allowed to sit and dry for 9-12 months. Once dry, the warped bowl is now returned to the lathe and turned to its final shape. At this point, a salad bowl is oiled, or an art piece may be carved, colored, lacquered and buffed.
Using found wood from the Charleston "urban forest" he enjoys creating both simple bowls for everyday use as well as more creative bowls which may be additionally carved and colored. His most challenging pieces are probably his "sweet gum baskets" which were inspired by Charleston's traditional Gullah sweet grass baskets.
Lloyd also enjoys the challenge of making larger (18-24+ inches in diameter) bowls. A 20-24" diameter freshly cut (green) log weighs about 250 pounds when placed on the lathe. It is then "rough turned" to about 2" thickness, sealed (to slow the drying, warping and cracking which inevitably occurs) and allowed to sit and dry for 9-12 months. Once dry, the warped bowl is now returned to the lathe and turned to its final shape. At this point, a salad bowl is oiled, or an art piece may be carved, colored, lacquered and buffed.