Hello & Welcome!
Johnny is a woodworking artist with 25 years of experience that creates and handcrafts unique, beautiful, functional all natural solid wood one of a kind, custom made and limited edition pieces in quantities of up to 100 that can be shown proudly, provide the possessor with a conversation piece, many compliments, countless years of service, enjoyment, pleasure and be an heirloom that will be passed down from generation to generation that apprises in value as the years and decades pass.
Johnny also works with interior designers and decorators.
Some of the custom made orders he has scheduled to make in the near future are, a Figured Walnut Wood Coin Presentation Box for a set of 5 -1878 U. S. Morgan Silver Dollars, a Walnut Bible Box for a 250 year old heirloom bible, 2- 10 Cherry Wood Multiple Reception Area Business Card Holders for a business advisory company in Australia, 1 ? 3 foot and 1 ? 4 foot Oak Wood 4 door cabinets with pull out shelves for a doctors business office.
Some of Johnny's creations have been bought by or given as gifts to professional people, foreign dignitaries of state, celebrities and even Presidents and First Ladies of the United States.
Some of his designs, woodworking tips and jigs have been published in trade magazines. He has written a few articles that have been featured on websites and in newsletters.
All his heart & soul goes into each piece! The wood is left natural, no dyes, stains, paints or wood fillers are used, the exception would be custom made pieces thet the client wishes to have stained to match the exsiting decor. The wood for each and every one of his creations, he always selects for its grain, figure patterns {reading the wood} color and how much it moves {expands and contracts} with temperature & humidity changes.
He is self-taught and has worked more than 500 species of wood and keeps more than 125 species in stock. He has done numerous solo exhibitions starting in 1989 to now.
Numerous motivational and philosophical proverbs hang on the walls of his studio. He lives and teaches them. Johnny loves teaching people who like and are interested in woodworking the true {art} of woodworking!
Here is one of his sayings he teaches: "The tools you use, the working environment you have and the raw materials you start out with, do not produce a work of art! YOU DO!" J.W.Morlan
Johnny's focus is on remaining environmentally conscientious while creating and handcrafting beautiful yet functional unique limited edition or one of a kind wood items that can be shown proudly, provide the possessor with a conversation piece, many compliments, countless years of service, enjoyment, pleasure and be an heirloom that will increase in value as the years and decades pass.
Below is the first paragraph of Five Star Reviews Magazine's Review/Write Up Of J W Morlan's Unique Wood Gifts
Exquisite taste. Beautiful craftsmanship. A continual quest for excellence. Th...
Review/write-up of J W Morlan’s Unique Wood Gifts that will be featured in the January 2005, issue of Five Star Reviews Magazine.
It is a national United States publication that reviews travel destinations, restaurants, spas, products, services and events in the realm of business and entertainment.Their team of reviewers consists of seasoned writers in the fields of business, entertainment, food, travel,
healthand fashion. Their staff writers have worked for FoodTV, Travel & Leisure, Gourmet Magazine, Vogue, Elle, USA Today and Oprah.
J.W. Morlan’s Unique Wood Gifts
8101 Waco Ave.
Lubbock, TX 79423
Toll Free 1-866-748-9805
By Kelly Whittman
Exquisite taste. Beautiful craftsmanship. A continual quest for excellence. These three elements combine to make J.W. Morlan’s Unique Wood Gifts () one of the finest purveyors of individually-made solid wood items in the world. As a young boy helping his father with carpentry jobs, Johnny Morlan could never guess that one day his gorgeous wood pieces would adorn not only the finest American and European homes, but would even be presented to the President and First Lady of the United States.
When Johnny was just seven years old, living in Moberly, Missouri with his family, he began assisting his father, working on various carpentry projects. By the time he was a teen, the artistry that would later make him such a success was already apparent. “My dad would get annoyed with me because I would always want to make the finish mouldings and cabinets more intricate,” Johnny chuckles. He loved making small wood objects, but was often told by his father and others that there just wasn’t a market for such items. “Well, in 1989, I stopped listening to the nay-sayers,” Johnny says, “and
I’ve never looked back.”
Having already worked for a furniture contractor and in the lumber and hardware businesses, he had a solid base of knowledge as he founded J.W. Morlan’s Unique Wood Gifts. But he also had a passion to keep learning and growing in his craft, reading over 220 books on the subject and constantly striving for perfection. Now working in Lubbock, Texas and a recognized master in his trade, Johnny Morlan has worked with over 350 species of wood and keeps more than 125 species in stock. He cares deeply about the environment, works with woods endorsed by the Rainforest Alliance Smart Wood Program, and in the last few years was nominated for several distinguished
leadership awards.
Johnny sent me three pieces recently: The Americana Letter Opener, The Desk Set, and The Music Keepsake Box. The sleek, elegant Americana Letter Opener ($39.95) is made from Teak wood imported from Burma, India. Its titanium-plated blade has the rich look of 24kt gold and would be a tasteful addition to any home or office. The Desk Set ($95.95) is made from Paela wood imported from Bolivia. The sharp lines of its wood give it an almost art deco look, and its pen, base, and business card holder are 24kt gold-plated for the sophisticated look today’s upscale businessman or woman demands. The Music Keepsake Box ($164.95), carved from striped Sapele wood from West Africa, makes a gift that any wife, mother, or daughter would cherish for a lifetime. Textured ruby red cathedral stained glass tops the beautiful Sapele wood, the stripes
of which give the illusion of changing color when walking by or turning it over in one’s hands. Like everything Johnny Morla painstakingly and lovingly makes, it is a treasure that begs to be handed down from one generation to the next.
I guess what I love the most about J.W. Morlan’s Unique Wood Gifts is that it suits any gift-giving need. Whether you’re looking for an impressive corporate gift for a higher-up with whom you play golf once a year, or presenting the love of your life with a romantic piece that will become a family heirloom. With each gift, Johnny offers a lovely Certificate of Genuineness on which he will write your own personal message. And if you have a special, unique request, don’t hesitate to ask! Johnny Morlan has already proved the nay-sayers wrong, but he’s always up for the next challenge.
Other Coverage
America's Product Showcase Home Shopping TV Show
Handyman Club of America article November 97 issue {Handy Works Section.} Router table I designed and built.
Handyman Club of America tips January 98 issue {Lazy Susan Router Bit Holder I designed and built.}
1990-Present Numerous Solo Exhibitions: Malls, Civic Centers, Woodworking Shop Classes, Grade Schools, Jr. High Schools, Senior High Schools & Private Residence {Invitation Only} in California, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico & Texas.
Hello & Welcome!
Johnny is a woodworking artist with 25 years of experience that creates and handcrafts unique, beautiful, functional all natural solid wood one of a kind, custom made and limited edition pieces in quantities of up to 100 that can be shown proudly, provide the possessor with a conversation piece, many compliments, countless years of service, enjoyment, pleasure and be an heirloom that will be passed down from generation to generation that apprises in value as the years and decades pass.
Johnny also works with interior designers and decorators.
Some of the custom made orders he has scheduled to make in the near future are, a Figured Walnut Wood Coin Presentation Box for a set of 5 -1878 U. S. Morgan Silver Dollars, a Walnut Bible Box for a 250 year old heirloom bible, 2- 10 Cherry Wood Multiple Reception Area Business Card Holders for a business advisory company in Australia, 1 ? 3 foot and 1 ? 4 foot Oak Wood 4 door cabinets with pull out shelves for a doctors business office.
Some of Johnny's creations have been bought by or given as gifts to professional people, foreign dignitaries of state, celebrities and even Presidents and First Ladies of the United States.
Some of his designs, woodworking tips and jigs have been published in trade magazines. He has written a few articles that have been featured on websites and in newsletters.
All his heart & soul goes into each piece! The wood is left natural, no dyes, stains, paints or wood fillers are used, the exception would be custom made pieces thet the client wishes to have stained to match the exsiting decor. The wood for each and every one of his creations, he always selects for its grain, figure patterns {reading the wood} color and how much it moves {expands and contracts} with temperature & humidity changes.
He is self-taught and has worked more than 500 species of wood and keeps more than 125 species in stock. He has done numerous solo exhibitions starting in 1989 to now.
Numerous motivational and philosophical proverbs hang on the walls of his studio. He lives and teaches them. Johnny loves teaching people who like and are interested in woodworking the true {art} of woodworking!
Here is one of his sayings he teaches: "The tools you use, the working environment you have and the raw materials you start out with, do not produce a work of art! YOU DO!" J.W.Morlan
Johnny's focus is on remaining environmentally conscientious while creating and handcrafting beautiful yet functional unique limited edition or one of a kind wood items that can be shown proudly, provide the possessor with a conversation piece, many compliments, countless years of service, enjoyment, pleasure and be an heirloom that will increase in value as the years and decades pass.
Below is the first paragraph of Five Star Reviews Magazine's Review/Write Up Of J W Morlan's Unique Wood Gifts
Exquisite taste. Beautiful craftsmanship. A continual quest for excellence. These three elements combine to make J.W. Morlan's Unique Wood Gifts one of the finest purveyors of individually-made solid wood items in the world. As a young boy helping his father with carpentry jobs, Johnny Morlan could never guess that one day his gorgeous wood pieces would adorn not only the finest American and European homes, but would even be presented to the President and First Lady of the United States.
Here are the names of a few of his most recent customers, who have either purchased an already made creation from him or have had him do a custom made/commission piece for them.
Ginny Peters, President Industrial Drives Inc., Rex Roten, Roten Law Firm Chartered, Emspace Design Group, Brown Wheeldon Investment Advisors LLP, Mary Kay Zanoni, Luv-N-Care, Ina Wallace, Laura & Doug Welsh, Aaron Glavas, Jeff Knoedl, Knoedl Tax, Advisory Group, World Tree Technologies, Jayson A. Wolfe, Attorney At Law, Women's American ORT, Recording Products, Lockheed Martin Corporation, SBR Incorporated, David Syn, M.D., Coleman & Associates, Helene Grosman, Carol Rients LLC.
Below are a few testimonials.
Awesome. Just opened it.
Absolutely Awesome. I know she will love it. Ina W - California
The craftsmanship of my desk set is amazing! People are always admiring and complimenting it.
I keep the folder with the certificate and documents handy to show people.
They are quite impressive also! Its design goes well with my offices decor.
Anthony Barrett - Colorado.
Yes, he loved the cardholder! He has it on his desk for all to see! Thank-you so very much for the beautiful work! Mary Z - Michigan
Your work is fantastic and unique. I love your creations and know a lot of thought and effort went into creating such brilliant and artistic masterpieces. Congratulations and well done. Troy B - Australia.
Whether people view you as a woodworker, artist or designer, you're definitely in a class all your own! Gerald Moffit - New York.
Copyright Johnny W Morlan 1989-2008
* "Besides paying federal, state, county, city, social security, medicare, property and sales taxes, I create, handcraft and sell a little merchandise too!" Johnny W Morlan
* "Customers are quite a treasure, we serve them with great pleasure!" Johnny W Morlan
* "If someone has great passion {not love} for what they do, it is not work. I have not worked one single day since 1989!" Johnny W Morlan
* "There are 4 ways to make a piece of lumber into a wood object, the right way, the wrong way, the woodworking way and my way." Johnny W Morlan
* "I can give kindergarteners a piece of sandpaper and teach them how to round 90 degree corners. Da!" Johnny W Morlan
* "The size of a persons shop, the finest tools that money can buy and the best raw materials that one starts with do not most of the time produce quality, fine craftsmanship, works of art or help in creating or making wooden items. What does though, is passion {not love}, heart, soul, ingenuity and a lot of homemade jigs!" Johnny W Morlan
* "Just because a woodworker makes an object from a beautiful figured piece of wood does not make them a woodworking artist or the piece a work of art. Nature created the wood, not them! True wood art has intricateness!" Johnny W Morlan
* "There are two kinds of artists, one uses their skills, tools, talent, knowledge and their style to create a piece from their own ideas, visions, or dreams, and then presents the piece to the world."
The other, along with being able to create a piece from their own ideas, visions and dreams, can also use their skills, tools, talent, knowledge, and add a touch of their own style to make someone else's ideas, visions and dreams into an 2 or 3 dimensional reality, thus creating a very special custom made piece or pieces." Johnny W. Morlan
* "Deadly sin number eight is, to fill the pores of wood with some type of filler. It would be just like filling all of your fingerprints. It is one of the natural characteristics that help make each piece of wood, one of a kind, just like your own fingerprints do for you. Wood is not meant to look like a piece of glass or plastic!" Johnny W Morlan
* "The greatest thrill in life to me, is having people tell me what I am trying to make is impossible, when I have actually already made at least one before it and sold it!" Johnny W Morlan
* "The two main differences between a professional woodworker and a professional woodworking artist are, a professional woodworking artist creates by letting their imagination run wild, then uses their talent, skills and tools to make their imagination become a reality, incorporating any mistakes made along the way, into the design. When finished, people can't find the mistakes and assume what they are looking at is true excellence." Johnny W. Morlan
* "Dovetail, key, clover, bears ears, pins and tails, eclipse and wave or any other joint looks tacky and out of place on a truly elegant wooden box with stained glass and inlaid with solid embossed gold or natural gemstones like rubies and sapphires." Johnny W Morlan
Overall Wood Box Construction Technique
Boxes can be any creations that have three or more sides and are meant to be displayed either laying flat on a 180 degree surface or standing or hanging in a 90 degree horizontal upright position.
Johnny's wood box creations can take 175-250 separate steps or procedures from start to completion. His more intricate jewelry box creations that have partitioned trays, a musical movement, are lined with velvet, have partitioned lids with stained glass and mirror panels take over 250 separate steps or procedures to complete.
Johnny selects the wood for each and every one of his creations, based on its grain, figure patterns {reading the wood} color, and how much it moves in service {expands and contracts} with temperature & humidity changes. Lumber is checked with a moisture meter, only lumber with moisture content of 6%-12% is used. Lumber in this range is extremely stable.
Each box creation and all its wood components come from either one individual piece of wood or from woods in the same movement category thus allowing the whole unit to move the same amount. The sides of the boxes, trays and Spanish Cedar linings {cigar humidors} are cut in an order which allows the figure and grain patterns of the wood to be continuous wrapping around the perimeter of the box.
The corner joints are cut at a mitered angle appropriate to the number of sides the box creation has. 3 sided - 60 degrees, 4 sided - 45 degrees, 5 sided - 36 degrees, 6 sided - 30 degrees, 7 sided - 25.71 degrees {26 is close enough}, 8 sided - 22.5 degrees, 9 sided - 20 degrees, 10 sided - 18 degrees, 11 sided - 16.36 degrees {16 is close enough}, 12 sided - 15 degrees, 15 sided - 12 degrees, 16 sided - 11.25 degrees {11 is close enough}.
All corner joints have hidden biscuits. The shape of the biscuits differs a little from those that can be bought already made. The biscuits are cut utilizing a bandsaw from the same wood the box is made and so the grain runs across the biscuit instead of vertically {up and down} the long way. This way the grain is running the same way as the box sides and is the same as gluing two pieces of wood face to face. This technique produces an extremely strong joint!
Wood Jewelry Box Construction Technique Featuring Stained Glass & Mirror Panels
Any box creations with back to back wood and stained glass, wood and mirror glass or stained glass and mirror glass panels are done utilizing a technique, which separates the two panels with a soft cushiony type material that under normal use, absorbs the impact of any sudden jar and will keep the glass from breaking.
Wood Music Box Construction Technique
With music box creations, if the wood is left unfinished there are woods such as Mahogany, Alder and Spruce that will produce a richer sound {tone} than others. When left unfinished, harder woods will not absorb the repercussions of the notes as much as softer woods, therefore producing a fuller, louder, richer and crisper sound {tone}. When the wood is finish coated with lacquer, shellac, polyurethane, etcetera, it will cause the sound to bounce off the coating instead of the wood, so even softer woods will have a richer sound {tone}. A softer finish coating such as Tung Oil will produce a mellower sound than lacquers and shellacs. To make the sound repercussion even richer, Johnny surrounds the perimeter of the musical movement with wood, leaving the top open, so the sound is bounced off the perimeter sides {funneled} to the top and then out.
Wood Cigar Humidor Construction Technique
His cigar humidor lids, have to be slightly pressed closed the last 1/2" or so creating the swoosh effect. This indicates and insures the humidor has an airtight seal thus making the inside a fully self contained separate environment. Without the swoosh effect, all it would be is an ordinary box. This is accomplished by cutting the linings 1/2" taller to allow them to stick up inside the lid 1/2" when closed. The lid is also recessed 1/2" to allow the linings and the lid to fit together tightly.
If a cigar humidor is opened and closed {used} frequently, there will be no problem with mold. Because Johnny's humidors are a fully self contained separate environment, there is no air exchange what so ever between the outside and the inside environments. If not opened and closed {used} very much, they should be opened every two weeks or so for a couple of minutes.
Spanish Cedar, the traditional lining for humidors, is in the minute wood movement category, it does not expand and contract as much as the majority of woods do. Johnny either leaves the Spanish Cedar linings floating or he slots the linings and uses stainless steel screws to affix them so as to allow the two woods to slide along one another resulting in no damage to the humidor when it expands and contracts. To leave floating, Johnny cuts the corner joints at 45 degrees making them fit somewhat snugly. Humidors are kept at 70% humidity. Most houses and his shop are kept at 50% or less humidity. At 70% humidity, the Spanish Cedar linings will then expand a little more, thus making the linings fit even more snug.
Spanish Cedar gives off a fragrant scent, because of the oil inside which can also ooze out {sweating} of the surface and appear as a sticky resinous type substance. This is not good if it gets on the cigars. Johnny checks and makes sure that the Spanish Cedar that is used for linings that go into each of his humidors do not have the oils oozing out {sweating}.
Johnny has lined, custom made humidors with Aromatic Cedar, because the client did not want their cigars smelling like Spanish Cedar. He has also lined the entire inside of a humidor with velvet, because the client wanted their cigars to smell natural.
Whether Aromatic or Spanish Cedar wood linings are used, Johnny leaves them unfinished, because any type of coating would seal the wood thus stopping it from giving off the fragrance. Also, the finer the sandpaper used to sand the linings, the less fragrance either wood will give off.
Johnny's Technique For Better Air Circulation
From Johnny's own personal experience, if cigars are stacked more than 3 tiers high, the cigars on the bottom tier do not get as much air as the cigars on the upper tiers.
His technique does circulate the air a lot better. He makes a second bottom {false bottom}, that he drills numerous holes into. It sits on top of 3/8" slats, two that are placed on opposites sides and depending on how long the humidor is 1 - 3 in the middle. The slats are all sitting on the true bottom of the humidor thus making an airspace. Then he leaves 1/4" - 1/2" or more at both ends of the cigars. This allows air to circulate all around the stack. He uses this technique on most of his custom made to order cigar humidors.
Dear Mr. Morlan, The humidor you made for me has outstanding craftsmanship and character. I am a stickler about cigars. Mine have always been stacked 6 high in the box. I knew and could tell that the bottom 2 rows were not getting that much air so I have always rotated my cigars. Your technique for air circulation works great! Larry H - Bethesda, Maryland
Wood Finish Technique
There are numerous techniques and finishes for finishing wood, a true wood artist develops their own techniques and finish to bring out the beauty of their works.
Johnny's technique for finishing wood {small pieces that are not handled or used a lot} is not to fill the pores, thus showcasing the intricacy of his designs and the natural character, distinction and depth of the wood making each piece one of a kind, just like your own fingerprint does for you.
Wood is such a beautiful medium to work with he does not wish to hide its natural beauty by utilizing numerous coats of lacquer, shellac, polyurethane, and etcetera. He handcoats and rubs in the first coat, then adds two more handcoated topcoats using a clear marine grade polyurethane spar varnish that is impervious to most liquids including body oils and some mild acids. It also has ultraviolet inhibitors in it to repel the suns UV rays. Johnny adds a couple of other ingredients to make it easier to apply and be worked into the wood with a cloth thus allowing the finish to penetrate the wood but not thick enough to take away the three dimensional look of the surface or giving an effect of looking like a piece of plastic.
Member International Who's Who Historical Society. A copy of his short biography which is featured in the 2001-2002 edition of the International Who's Who of Entrepreneurs follows:
Inspiration: Introduced to lumber at an early age, Mr. Morlan begun working with his father as a carpenter?s assistant, and throughout his career has been intrigued by the different varieties of wood. Seeking a career which would allow him to profit from a craft he enjoys, he established his own company to share his work with others in 1993. J.W. Morlan?s Unique Wood Gifts engages in the design and production of handcrafted, autographed, dated and numbered gifts fashioned from wood. With 125 different types of wood in stock, the company manufactures a distinctive line of items including desk accessories, jewelry boxes and humidors.
As the owner and sole employee of J.W. Morlan?s Unique Wood Gifts, Mr. Morlan is the creator and manufacturer of all available products. With the experience of working more than 300 types of wood, he also practices a method of visualization of the piece before beginning to work with it. In addition, he oversees all the operations within the business from the administrative work to financial duties. To help create high quality, creative pieces of work, Mr. Morlan has studied more than 200 books on woodworking by as many as 160 authors. In the future, he aims to customize additional products yet to be introduced to the market, and take on the challenges of teaching this art.
