About Us

For more than 30 years, Ray O'Connor has devoted himself to the fine art of woodworking. In that time, his work has been placed in locations such as Trump Towers, The Empire State Building, Prudential Insurance World Headquarters, The Department of the Interior - National Park System and the NASA Space Shuttle Program.
His pieces stand in Interior Designers offices, Architects homes, fine art galleries, museums and gated communities across much of the nation. From Connecticut to Alabama, South Dakota to Tennessee, every piece he's created has been completed with precision, quality and care.

Valley Creek Woodworking, Inc. is a proud member of the Scott County (VA) Chamber of Commerce and the Home Builders Association of Greater Kingsport (TN).

 

Our work is our
greatest inspiration.

At Valley Creek Woodworking, we have a passionate love affair with wood.

The silky feel of Avodire shavings, the stout, robust texture of Koa.
The rich, earthy aroma of fresh cut Cocobolo, the pungent tang of Mansonia.
The striking color changes of Wenge and the playful iridescence of Lacewood.

All these sensations reach deep within us, stirring us, inspiring an intense desire to create.
The will to bring these boards and blocks to life.

To hear their voices in resonant tones as they’re worked and smoothed with finely tuned hand tools.
To hear a spindle whispering a song in an ever-higher pitch, as turning chisels coax its shape and form.
To watch the light play across the grain, reaching in and refracting its color and depth.

All these things drive us, spurring us on, to fashion these precious woods into pieces that will live on for generations.

We care very deeply about what we do.

There is no substitute
for fine joinery.

Dowels cannot replace a mortise and tenon when the joint requires it.
Machine cut dovetails, factory set at 12 degrees, is not the proper angle for hardwoods.
If the wedge in a through tenon is set incorrectly, the joint will fail.

Even a knowledgeable production worker is powerless to correct these problems.

Every piece we create is worked with skilled hands.
A requirement for lasting furniture.
Every joint is hand cut to a snug fit, ensuring an enduring quality.
Every board we cut is studied, not for square inch usage, but for color and grain.

There was a reason the Masters such as Phyfe, Chippendale and Hepplewhite used the joints and grain they did, where they did.

The quality of fine furniture is in the details.

When a piece leaves our shop, we fully expect it to be handed down through generations.



From the owner:

"There has never been any choice in what I was going to do with my life. From the age of 12, I have always been fascinated with the colors, textures and infinite appearances of wood. The way it can be shaped and formed into objects that enrich and enhance our lives has always captivated me.
That fascination still holds me. Something as simple as opening a thick plank for book-matched grain and finding an exceptional pattern, still creates a fantastic emotion. Little thrills like that remind me of just how fortunate I am, doing what I love most.
Some people have to work on canvas or in clay. Others have music in them. I have to work in wood. On the simplest level, it's my calling."
Ray O'Connor