"I use many materials but consider items turned out of ivory - both ancient mammoth and pre-ban elephant ivory - to be my specialty. I enjoy working with many natural materials such as antler, amber, palm nuts, whitby jet and of course exotic hardwoods."

"I also lathe turn items out of Bakelite and as far as I know I am the only miniature turner who does. It's always cool to see what color will emerge from vintage Bakelite because it darkens with age due to UV light. It is fun to bring it back to its original color. And of course, I always love to work with a new material! I try to not limit myself to bowls, vases and boxes, either. I like to turn unique items," he said.

One-twelfth scale is his preferred size to work in but he also delves into the one-half and one-quarter scales.

Such teeny details have to get hard on the eyesight from time to time.

"I don't think any of it is 'hard' because I really enjoy creating pieces on my lathe. Sometimes they can be challenging but I just keep trying until I am satisfied with the outcome."

A bigger challenge can come when he tries to keep track of his finished pieces.

"I was turning a mammoth ivory lid for an amber one-quarter scale bottle when it flew off the lathe. I was determined that I was going to find it, but after looking for what seemed like forever I finally gave up and went in the house. Carla gave me a funny look and asked, 'What is in your hair?' I couldn't believe it but that lid had stayed in my hair the whole time I was crawling around on the floor looking for it! Of course, that was when I had more hair so it had something to stick to!"

Another challenge is duplicating pieces.

"Duplicating pieces is my biggest challenge, not because it is hard but because it is boring. It takes away from the time for me to create something new and different. Also when I turn a new material the hardest thing is finding the best technique to achieve a good finish. The easiest pieces to make are the ones with less detail, although these are also very boring so I try to make highly detailed items," he added.

He has never been a collector, always an artist, and is completely self-taught. Several years ago after finding the old dollhouse and starting on his creative path, the Helmers removed a 15' by 30' pool to add a workshop to his house.

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