Tom Clark is a retired tool and die maker. Born in 1946 in Ohio, he moved to Florida in 1972, after discovering that, through no fault of his own, he was born in the wrong place. After living in Florida for 40 years, Tom and Jeannie moved to New Mexico's dark skies in March of 2012.

Tom founded Tectron Machine Corporation in 1979, and specialized in contract machining until retiring in 1997. He started building large custom telescopes in 1986 until retiring from that business in 1999. Tom became a woodworker by default after he had already built 40 wooden telescopes - using only a bandsaw. Then it was decided that it was time to properly learn woodworking. Unfortunately, he had to reinvent and simplify most of what he learned to suit his practical nature. Thus his books came to be.

In 1994 Tom founded Amateur Astronomy Magazine and published it for 14 years. He is still a contributing author for this quarterly publication today. The magazine focuses on telescopes and observing for the amateur astronomers of the world.

Tom has authored well over two hundred magazine articles on astronomy, woodworking, model airplanes, and travel. He also has given presentations all over the US and Canada.