Local carpenter Jackson crafts cabinetry for a living
CABINETS IN A Bozeman house were created for a friend of carpenter Bob Jackson of Jackson Woodworks. (Photo courtesy of Bob Jackson)
USING SCRAPS of wood, Bob Jackson made a gun safe, which he donated for a raffle. (Photo courtesy of Bob Jackson)
BESIDES CABINETS, carpenter Bob Jackson also makes benches. (Photo courtesy of Bob Jackson)
BOB JACKSON, owner of Jackson Woodworks, stands in his shop in Pablo as he explains how he makes cabinets. (Ashley Fox/Lake County Leader)
Carpenter Bob Jackson has worked with sharp tools most of this life, but his hands show otherwise.
When he started learning his craft, “My mother had a hissy fit, but all fingers, no scars,” he said, as he stretched out his hands - inches above samples of projects from through the years.
The only scar one would notice is a barely visible, faded, thin line near his left thumb, which he acquired while butchering meat.
Jackson, of Pablo, owns Jackson Woodworks, a full-service woodshop.
Specializing in cabinetry and specialty wood items, Jackson, 68, is mostly self taught, having been around carpentry most of his life.
“When I was 5 years old, my dad pulled an apple box next to a table saw and gave me a tape measure” taught him how to read a “tape,” and how to do simple cuts on the saw, he recalled.
As a small child, Jackson would go to work with his father and pass tools around to crews working in homes.
Chuckling, Jackson said, “(His father and coworkers) would have to bend down and crab walk, so I was the back-and-forth guy.”
Originally from Bozeman, Jackson came to Lake County in May 2017.
Included in his photos are countless jobs Jackson has completed through the years, showcasing his work for both homeowners and the former Van’s furniture store in Bozeman, where he was chosen to make and assemble cabinets. w
Jackson works alone, but sometimes when he needs help installing cabinets he’ll enlist a close friend to get the job done, he said.
The last time Jackson worked for a company was Sept. 11, 2001.
“The day the Twin Towers (collapsed), was the last day I worked out on a job,” he said, adding he has been in his own shop since.
His current haven is filled with samples and tools. The layer of sawdust from various woods covers portions of the flooring and workbenches, while the smell of freshly-ground wood fills the air.
The tools, Jackson said, have been upgraded through the years, piece by piece.
Jackson worked as a carpenter for years, but also in home construction for a time.
He said he would oftentimes volunteer to fit cabinetry in odd spaces, over time growing his knowledge. “I’d get little jobs like that,” he said.
While his business is largely by word-of-mouth, Jackson travels to local craft shows to sell “trinkets,” as he calls him.
His creations come from carpentry magazines and, if he’s doing a job in a home, Jackson said he’ll have several long consultations with clients to collaborate and come up with ideas.
To look at Jackson’s crafts, visit bozemanwood.com. Jackson can be contacted by emailing bozemanwood@gmail.com.