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Woodworker’s hobby became a vocation, then a donation

Doug Perry’s mother inspired him to explore woodworking. Her crafting hobbies and creations gave him the confidence to seek out a creative outlet that has now become a vocation.

He retired from a career in the Air Force, then a stroke ended a second career in manufacturing management. Woodworking had been a hobby since his junior high days, when he made a flower planter in the shape of a conestoga wagon (i.e. an old covered wagon design).

That old hobby became a new passion, both a way of earning a living and a means of giving back to local nonprofits.

It takes Doug Perry three to four days to create one wig stand. He had donated more than 50 of them to the Virginia Mason Franciscan Health system’s wig program. Photo courtesy of Doug Perry

Wig stands

“A few years ago I saw a wig stand that a fellow woodworker had made,” Perry said. “I decided to make a few to see if local cancer clinics may like it. It seemed like a good way to meet an unmet need.”

He took a few of his custom wig stands to the Wig Salon in the cancer center at St. Anthony Hospital. Perry’s creations have now given the Wig Salon a whole new look, replacing the styrofoam head that most wigs sit upon.

He has donated more than 50 wig stands, which St. Anthony shares with other wig programs within the Virginia Mason Franciscan Health system. More than 20 of Perry’s designs display a variety of wigs available to cancer patients at St. Anthony.

Doug Perry donates the wig stands that he crafts from non-hazardous woods and finishes to the Virginia Mason Franciscan Health wig salons. More than 20 of them are in the Wig Salon at St. Anthony Hospital’s cancer center. Photo by Marsha Hart

Walnut and what have you

Perry prefers to use walnut wood in his projects, which range from the size of a wine bottle stopper to a conference table that he created to seat 22. The warm, rich grain just can’t be beat, he said.

“I only work with non-hazardous woods and finishes, and over 90% of the wood that I use is repurposed,” he said.

Scraps left from his one-of-a-kind custom pieces provide some of the raw material. Perry said he also uses pallet rack shelving, flooring crates, and finds some beautiful wood through auctions and garage sales.

“I still build a lot of furniture, so a lot of the wood for wig stands comes from that,” he said. “It took a while to get the proportions right for the base and the stem. I make a lot of bowls, so the bottoms are like that, and I do a lot of lathe work.”

Perry needs three to four days to make a wig stand. He typically uses green walnut, oak and mahogany for them. He labels the bottom of each piece with the type of wood used, along with an encouraging Bible scripture, he said.

Displaying wigs in an appealing fashion

“I would never sell these,” he said. “I’ll sell everything else but these. And I told Jamie I’ll keep making them until they tell me to stop.”

More than 20 of Doug Perry’s custom wig stands are in the Wig Salon at the St. Anthony’s cancer center. In all, he has donated more than 50 wig stands, which are shared within the Virginia Mason Franciscan Health system. Photo by Marsha Hart

Jamie Dobosz is the manager of the community cancer program in oncology services at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health at St. Anthony Hospital.

“It gives us an opportunity to showcase the wigs in a manner that is appealing to our patients,” Dobosz said. “He brought in five or six the first time, but we expanded the program, and now we share with other facilities that have a wig program.”

The Wig Salon at St. Anthony is one of five wig salons in the VMFH system, made possible by the Gary E. Milgard Family Foundation, the St. Anne Foundation, Wigged Out, and the BFE Motorcycle group. The program allows wigs to be fitted and donated to patients for free.

To order a custom designed piece from Doug Perry, contact him at [email protected].

In addition to the wig stands, Doug Perry makes custom furniture, and other wood products like this table. He’s been a woodworker for more than 50 years.
Photo courtesy of Doug Perry