Even though Ora’s father made his own instruments–banjos and fiddles–which he played, Ora himself did not become involved with woodworking until his days in the Navy. It all started with a dilapidated bent wood chair that his wife had purchased for a dollar from the flea market. The chair needed to be re-caned and refinished: after this project, he was hooked and began making wood pieces from scratch. He has been at it now for 32 years.

Ora enjoys making primitive cabinets, benches and farm house tables. He uses doweled construction with dovetail joints on the drawers and uses quite a bit of recycled barn wood including wormy chesnut, as well as poplar, oak, walnut and cherry.

Ora currently lives in Cleveland, Virginia, and is available to do commissioned work.