Bob Hee is a wizard with wood. Virtually anything that requires using timber, Bob can do. Restoring much loved pieces of furniture is a specialty, but he is just adept at making something new.
Bob Hee is undoubtedly a wizard with wood.
Hence the name “The Wood Wizard” on the door of his factory premises in the industrial estate.
His great love is furniture restoration and antique furniture in particular, but he can turn his hand to anything, from making furniture to order for a particular space, to letter boxes, bird houses and trophy shields at the other end of the scale.
Bob’s love of wood dates back to the 1960s when he undertook a five-year apprenticeship after leaving school, with a chair and couch maker.
He won the Apprentice of the Year award at the end of his training, for two Chippendale chairs, which he still has, that he made from scratch.
His first job was with a company called Danish DeLuxe making teak furniture; and from there he went into furniture sales.
It is safe to say that Bob knows the furniture business inside out.
Although he moved across to industrial sales – he and his wife Robyn operated a first aid and safety supplies business for three decades – he kept his hand in with woodworking, his first love, building up an enviable machine and tool collection in this pursuit over the years.
On retirement in 2013, Bob and Robyn moved to Phillip Island in 2018, where he decided to turn his love of wood into a retirement past time.
He purchased a factory in Harvey Drive and has been operating out of it ever since.
Over the past seven years Bob has built up a very appreciative clientele, mostly restoring much loved furniture pieces.
It’s what he loves best, with dining suites a particular specialty.
“I enjoy restoring as much as making new furniture for clients. It is a hobby as much as a job,” he comments enthusiastically.
Virtually anything required in timber, Bob can do. Wooden shields for sporting groups are a specialty.
Bob can be found in his factory five days a week, in the morning from 10.30am to 12.30pm, and is back after lunch from 1.30pm to 5pm. He offers a pick-up and drop-off service for clients, anywhere in the Bass Coast Shire.
The Wood Wizard is located in the Concourse, at 5 Harvey Drive, Cowes. Bob can also be contacted on 0418 173 388.
