Five Years (a look back)

I'm generally not very sappy, but it's kind of a miracle that I've been able to do this full time for five years.  I'm not sure if going full time building furniture is the best or worst decision I've ever made.  I guess it depends on what day you ask me.

I'm the son of a carpenter who married the daughter of a carpenter and as much as I swore I'd never be one, I became a carpenter.  When I got home (very late) from a party the night of my high school graduation there was a tool box full of tools and a card sitting on my bed.  The general theme of the card was "we love you, we're proud of you, but you're not screwing around all summer. See you at work on Monday".  I did manage to fit an associates in arts degree in between wrestling concrete forms and framing walls after that summer, but the allure of a nice paycheck, a tan, and being able to eat anything and still stay fit convinced me that being a carpenter was going to be an alright path.

Somewhere in the middle of my carpenter's apprenticeship I built my first piece of furniture.  I guess it was barely furniture but it was a lot more fun than laying shingles. It was a plate rack I had seen a picture of in a magazine.  Soon my Dad (boss) saw that I had an interest in more intricate work and would let me get involved in those types of projects.  A mantle, built in bookcases, involved period window trims and things like that.  I also had the good fortune to be working with someone at the time who built furniture and had a nice shop.  He'd let me come over and screw up his tools and steal his woodworking magazines.

All of my first pieces were painted.  I could hide a lot of sins with paint.  And it worked because I was living in a 175+ year old house, so distressed, worn paint fit right in.  I was still thinking like a carpenter at this time but my interest in traditional furniture making joinery and tools was growing.  Building furniture was something I mainly did in the winter, when construction of houses slowed down due to weather.  I kind of took over my Dad's shop space (sorry Dad) but I'm grateful I had a place to learn and grow.

Soon friends and family were noticing the things I'd built and commissioning me to build bookshelves, tables, desks, small cabinets and things like that.  The reclaimed wood look was coming into fashion and living in a small rural community meant lots of old derelict barns were available to pull wood from.  The housing market was crumbling and I found myself laid off from carpentry work more and more. So, for the first time, I was actually starting to draw some actual income from my furniture making hobby.

It was sometime in the late winter of 2012 that I had the ridiculous thought that maybe I could build furniture full time.  I actually had a backlog of orders and the housing market in our area was still shaky.  My Dad, who I was working for, had an opportunity to work in maintenance in a private hospital.  This would've left me to work "out of the hall", essentially if a contractor needed me, they'd call.  If not, I'd wait.  I didn't much like this prospect.  With five kids and a wife counting on me, not working wasn't going to work.  So we made it official on April 6th.

I remember sitting at my kitchen table with one of my best friends talking about the prospect of going into furniture making full time.  He's more of a business minded "money" guy.  I remember him getting pretty excited at the prospects and possibilities of what I was doing.  I guess the excitement was contagious.  I booked a lot of work that summer.  And I tore a barn down (for the lumber) pretty much by hand.  That was ridiculous.  I starting amassing tools and really digging in to books, magazines, social media sites, blogs, anything I could read or watch to learn the craft. I was obsessed.

I continued to grow.  Got a few nice write ups by local papers and did a few art/craft shows.  I was working way too much but enjoyed it a lot.  The stress of everything started to pile up and panic attacks came.  I lost about twenty pounds.  I didn't sleep enough and I kind of lost touch with everything else.  Friends, hobbies, weekends.  Can't fail.

I realized, after a few years of building with almost entirely salvaged materials that at some point the rustic, reclaimed wood wave was going to crash, and I didn't want to be on it.  And, I was starting to grow tired of it.  Tearing barns down was brutal.  Hitting nails with blades was expensive. And, aesthetically I was moving on to more refined designs.  We decided to re-name and re-brand.  RL Johnson and Sons seemed like a good brand to build around.  So we did.  And are.  I began pushing myself to use more and more substantial joinery.  Hoping that what I was building would long outlast me.  I figured if any of my boys take over they won't want to be fixing my work.  

It's been crazy.  Honestly.  I once built a big table in 66 hours in barely five days.  I can't believe that didn't kill me or that the table looked okay.  I sharpened a small screw driver one time because I didn't have a chisel that small and couldn't afford one.  We didn't take out a business loan.  Maybe we should have. We've used loose change to buy diapers for our babies. Sold guitars when I couldn't scrape together the house payment. Family always helps and encourages us.  Friends have been there with advice, encouragement, to photograph and even deliver work.  I've built and done things I never thought I could do.  I've stood in front of people while they admired my work and tried not to hyperventilate at art shows.  Currently I'm trying to salvage a table design that has taken about three weeks longer than I anticipated. I've built it twice now. It's an adventure every day.  

I've been advised to hang it up.  Or dumb it down and hire cheap labor to build things.  But the building is the only part I enjoy.  The small victories are what make it worthwhile.  I met a guy last week.  Total stranger.  He was admiring a young family with six kids (rare I guess).  Of course the "what do you do?" question came up. When I said I made furniture and that it was, "a great life but a hard living" he looked me right in the eye and said, "you're not making any money because you're in love with it".  And he was right.  I do what I love every single day.  I never feel like I need a weekend or a holiday or a vacation.  We're figuring out the money stuff.  I'm just glad I figured out what makes me come alive.

2016 Recap

One of 2016's first completed pieces.  

Wow.  It's been awhile since I've written.  I got a little busy I guess. It's kinda funny actually.  Around this time last year I was sitting down to write out goals and directions for the new year. Personal goals, business goals, house projects to tackle, etc.  The best one was the goal to work a four day work week. Four ten to twelve hour days and a long weekend.  That's rich.  

2016 was easily the busiest, most deadline induced stress filled year I've had to date.  I know that by and large most people were glad to see 2016 end.  I can't say I'm sad it's over.  It wasn't all bad though.  

This past year I got to build some really challenging pieces for some very patient and great clients.  I got to deliver out of state a few times. (If you have a chance to get to Wisconsin in the fall, DO IT.) I was able to incorporate my own designs into some fun custom work.  That's the pinnacle of being a maker, I think. And, we held our first classes at the shop, which has been a dream of mine for a long time.  Even for all the trouble this year brought, I firmly believe there's always a lesson to learn and room for growth.  You can't buy character, you have to learn it.

Looking ahead to 2017....I'm a little gun shy.  Last year I tried to clearly map out my year and honestly, most of my plans didn't come to fruition.  Not that I failed, there were just some "changes in direction".  So, what I HOPE to see happen this year is:

-More classes.  I've got four on the calendar.  Classes for beginners to intermediate. Everything from how to sharpen hand tools to how to cut joinery, even a make and take workshop (project to be disclosed).  I'll be holding workshops here, in my shop, for now, but am open to moving some to the city (St. Louis, should a suitable location become available).  I'm also offering one on one lessons here at the shop.

-More of my own designs. This is tough, believe it or not.  I feed my family building custom furniture.  Sometimes I have some input in the design, sometimes I'm building directly off of a client's picture.  I've got a notebook (and head) full of ideas.  Finding time to build those designs, that aren't guaranteed to sell, is tricky.   To that end, I'll probably be running some promotions on these designs through out the year.  Maybe opening up my design book to pre-orders at a discounted price. 

-This last one isn't set in stone.  My wife's been after me to offer more "rustic", or "distressed" pieces. I started out building furniture from salvaged wood, using more paint and distressed, worn finishes.  I still do this from time to time.  On a personal level, I've lost interest in this to an extent. A lot of that is because we've moved from a 175 year old, historic brick home to 1968 ranch.  The furniture I dream up for our current home is much more mid century modern, to match our house.  But, I know there's still a strong market for rustic furniture. I'd still build it the same way, traditional joints and construction.  I'm not sure how this will play out.  But if this sort of thing interests you, and you don't see it on my web site, drop me a line to discuss.  

Above all, I wanted to recap the year to say THANK YOU. I've had such good fortune to work for such amazing clients.  This year was no exception.  I consider myself so fortunate to get to do something I genuinely love to make a living.  It's almost ridiculous at times.  Thank you all for following along.  For the referrals, the encouragement, the "likes" and "shares", and for taking an interest in what I do.  

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2017.

Summer 2015

Summer is usually a slow and, consequently, stressful time around the shop.  Usually people are spending more time outdoors, on vacation, and at the water park and not thinking much of dining tables.  This summer was an exception.  Lots of tables and generally lots of work.  This is a huge blessing for us.  My busy season is typically Labor Day through the holidays.  There's usually a post holiday lull and then another rush in the spring.  We have to live and budget accordingly.  Thankfully this year's been much more steady.  Even hectic lately.  But I'm grateful for that.  Some notable pieces (to me anyway) were the two walnut tables that went out in July.  A live edge slab table on steel frame and a really nice early American inspired walnut dining table with slim tapered legs and extensions.  Air dried walnut's such a beautiful wood and so nice to work with.  I'm currently in the middle of a large built in project and then on to another walnut trestle table.  Lots of odds and end fit in between the bigger projects too.

I've made time for the garden as best I could .  We spend more money on food than anything else.  My kids eat like it's a full time job, so this year we decided to take gardening from hobby level to a point where it actually affected our grocery budget.  I'd say the weeds did better than some of our plants but we haven't had to buy potatoes for quite some time and there's more cucumbers and tomatoes than we know what to do with.  After another failed attempt at a flock of free range chickens (thank you foxes, raccoons and possums...) we compromised and put our new "girls" in a mobile coop.  Or chicken tractor.  They should be laying within a few weeks.  Looking forward to crossing eggs off the grocery list too.  As summer's winding down the kids and I are putting out some fall plantings of potatoes, carrots, kale, spinach and chard.  We're experimenting with a little greenhouse to see if we can grow greens through the winter.  We'll keep you updated.  

New members of team Johnson.  LAY EGGS!

No vacation for us.  There's rumors of a quick trip to Michigan if I can finish the projects I'm buried in now.  The kids are set to start up homeschool again in a week or so.  My youngest son Wesley will start his first year of homeschool with his older siblings.  He's been my shadow in the shop for a few years and I'll honestly miss his company.  Maybe his little sister Penelope will fill his shoes.  

The fall's starting to take shape for us.  We're signed up for two local shows.  One in downtown Stl with lots of other local makers and one in Chesterfield MO.  I'm not a huge fan of craft/trade shows but it's a necessary evil.  We'll be keeping everyone informed on the when and where via Facebook so come see us if you're inclined.  We should have lots of small items and maybe a table if I can squeeze it in.  We're also very seriously considering offering some classes and weekend workshops at the shop.  Some aimed at beginners, some aimed at ladies (think Pinterest), and some at weekend warriors who want to up their hand tool game.  The shop space is going through some re-arranging in preparation for the possibility of these classes. An open house after the "remodeling" is likely.  More on that in the coming weeks.  Feedback on what folks would like to learn and/or projects you'd like to build is welcome.

Hope everyone's having a great summer and back to school transition.  Maybe we'll see you around this fall.

On Reclaimed Wood

Lately I've noticed a lot of talk on social media and chat rooms about salvaged wood.  A lot of consumers love it, a lot of craftspeople hate it.  (That's a broad generalization, but it seems to hold pretty true) 

I've been working with reclaimed or salvaged wood for the last few years and for a time I used it exclusively.  I have a kind of love hate relationship with it myself.  I figured I'd weigh in on it with some pros and cons and a little education as well.  Most of what I've learned I learned the hard way so maybe it'll help you when trying to decide on when and how to use salvaged material.  

I'm a "bad news first" kind of guy so here's some of the cons in my experience

-It's dirty.  Not just dirt but animal feces, lead paint, maybe asbestos (if you're really unlucky), ect.  Pressure wash it, strip it (or hire a pro) with chemical strippers, wire brush it.  Do what you gotta do.  If it's really old and it's painted, assume it's lead.  I don't mess with old lumber that's painted any more, not unless I strip the paint. Even then I try to avoid it. You or your contractor or builder should always err on the side of caution.

-It's naily.  Screwy.  Full of metal.  The best way to find nails in old wood is to put a fresh set of blades in your planer. (you think I'm kidding) There are metal detectors out there for reasonably cheap.  If you're going to mill or cut reclaimed wood at any level think about a metal detector.  And safety glasses.

-Moisture.  Not rain.  That's moisture content at a cellular level.  MC to woodworkers. I hear all the time "It's so old, it's super dry".  Most lumber that's lived outside (here in the midwest) will come down to around 12% MC after awhile (years).  That's pretty low but not quite low enough in my opinion.  Most heated homes will have a MC of 6% or less in the winter.  The wood in your home will  try to keep up with the air in the home. If it starts at 12% and drops to 6% there's a chance that wood will crack as it shrinks.  Lots of people see this expansion./contraction at work in their hardwood floors during the winter and summer.  How much more so on a large piece of wood, like a table top?  At the very least you should know your wood's MC and plan accordingly.  

-Patina.  This is both a pro and a con.  Sure the texture and color and imperfections are beautiful. But, consider cleaning a mess off of it or sitting on it.   I'm not trying to shoo any one away from using salvaged. Just be mindful of it's intended purpose.  Once, a lady wanting salvaged oak counters saw some boards at my shop, straight from the barn, and said "I want THOSE, don't do anything to them, they're perfect!".  I had to talk her out of them, at least in that state, because from a practical standpoint they would've been a nightmare.  Just keep in mind the intended purpose.  A super rough entry table might be perfect but an unfinished, unsanded counter or dining table is probably going to prove frustrating.  

-Bugs.  Let me preface this by saying I've NEVER seen a living insect in any salvaged lumber I've worked with but I have seen evidence of where they've been.  I now run any and all lumber through my small kiln at a minimum of 140 degrees for a few days to kill any bugs are larvae.  There are chemical options as well.  Something to consider.  Though, keeping wood up off the ground and dry discourages lots of pests and lots of what attracts the insects to the wood dried out and dissipated tens if not one hundred years ago.  

With all that in mind, why would anyone ever want to use salvaged wood?

Well, after all the headaches mentioned above, I still use it at times and here's a few reasons why;

-Patina.  I know that was a con, but it's also a pro.  Lots of people try but you can't fake aged wood.  It develops a really cool patina and character over time.  Lot's of story and lots of history.  As long as you use and highlight the patina in a functional way you get furniture AND a story.  

-History.  This ties in with the patina.  But, to think that someone hand hewed a log, with an axe they sharpened, to house their family on land they cleared, farmed and settled is pretty humbling and cool.  If the barn the wood came from is 150 years old it's probably safe to assume that the trees the wood came from were another 100 (or more) years old.  If I can clean them up and get another 100 years out of them I think that's pretty cool.

-Wood quality.  Some of the clearest, straightest grained white oak, fir and pine that I've seen has come from old buildings.  It's had one hundred years (plus) to air dry and do whatever cracking or checking it wants to do.  It can be finish dried in a small kiln relatively quickly and re-dimensioned to more usable dimension.  Cutting a white oak log into 6x6 timbers today would take forever to fully dry.  The salvaged timbers are almost there and lots of times they're surprisingly clear and well behaved.  

-It's cheap or free.  Sort of.  If you figure in all the extra time and energy it's actually more expensive but if you're not afraid of a little demolition and elbow grease you can get a pretty good deal.  Just be selective, ask questions and know that not all salvaged lumber is created equally.  

-It's "green".  Most demoed lumber ends up in a landfill.  Some of it belongs there but I've seen and heard of ungodly amounts of really nice lumber being dumped.  12"x 3" fir beams, 20' long without a knot in sight.  Trashed.  Heart breaker.  If it can be cleaned up and used it's a great way to recycle.  Even if it's not fit for a table it might make a great garden shed or chicken coop or raised garden planter. Get creative.  

-Options.  This is something I'd like to see more developed.  Not all salvaged wood has to be rustic, shabby chic, or crafted in a rudimentary manner.  Once it's been cleaned up and the damage has been milled out or removed there's often little evidence that's it's salvaged wood at all. To me reclaimed doesn't have to scream "country", it can, but it doesn't have to. Another option that a lot of people overlook is urban sawing.  While it's not old wood taken out of buildings it's a GREAT way to keep otherwise good material out of the landfill.  Urban sawing/logging is taking trees that are storm damaged or being cleared for development and sawing them into dimensional lumber.  It's  a great way to utilize these trees and yield some high character material that a box store and even a lot of lumber yards won't carry.  

So, haters gonna hate.  Admittedly, there's lots of times I hate working with old wood (NAILS!) and there's lots of furniture out there that use the old wood as an excuse for shoddy work.  (I've learned a lot of what I know about old wood through trial and painful error.) But, I don't think the reclaiming trend is going anywhere anytime soon. There's builders using reclaimed and salvage material yards in most cities.  Google them!  I'd rather see someone buy a table from a salvaged wood builder than a Swedish particle board store any day. Be selective and be creative.  

Time

Stella in the garden I promised to plant soon.

March. What a month.  I overcommitted. By a lot.  I flattened and prepped ten large maple slabs for someone else's bar project.  Built my biggest, oddest table to date.  Covered random objects with salvaged plaster lath. Built some last minute doors. Drank a whole lot of coffee and spent a whole lot of late nights in the shop. I drew and bid a bunch of work for the next few months too. 

All that time in the shop, away from my kids, away from the things I like to do to unwind.  I think I made a little extra money, but I don't really know what it's worth.  I mean, I know what money's worth, but it's money.  You can make more of it.  But I can't make time.  

Hoping to find a little more balance in the coming weeks.  I think there's always a fear that if I don't pounce on work it'll disappear.  But I also feel the need to pounce on this stage of my kid's lives.  They're growing really fast.  

We're so grateful for lots of work and support but I'm trying to learn how to balance this crazy life.  I'm thankful for my patient clients and my understanding wife and kids.  I'll probably start adding a week or two to my lead time.  I owe a cute nine year old girl a daddy daughter date and owe her mother several.  I owe the boys some time in the garden and maybe a camp out.  And I owe myself some sleep.  

There is that twenty foot bar in the work order though......

Surviving as a Small Business Pt. II

  My last post highlighted some of the ups and downs and struggles of owning and starting a small business.  I hope I didn't come off as overly dramatic.  It's really a pretty "adventurous" lifestyle.   People always assume that being your own boss is some kind of a yearly vacation. Lots of, "Must be nice".  I wouldn't know. My boss is a jerk.  

  I'd like to talk a little bit about something I eluded to in my last post.  I mentioned that you get something "more" when you shop local and shop small.  Now, there's the obvious, and oft discussed benefit to the local economy.  And that's real.  Lots of us business owners work with other local businesses so the money stays close to home and helps other people in the community out.  A table I'm building may also benefit my local welding shop, if there's steel involved.  It may help out a local lumber yard or saw mill operator.  Who might be buying logs from a local tree service.  Who may be buying fuel for their trucks and equipment locally and employing friends and neighbors.  This is hypothetical in one sense, but also pretty real because I see it everyday in my circle of friends and business.

  When you support small business there's also the obvious warm fuzzies you get knowing that your purchase will literally; "put shoes on my kid's feet." It'll put food on my table and may even allow me to take off on Sunday to enjoy some of that food with my kids (with their new shoes on).  Really.  We appreciate it.  And you should know that your purchase matters to us.

   Which leads me to my next thought, and really the point.  When you shop local and support small business you get something more than just a product. You get me.  I know, it must feel like hitting the lottery of bearded furniture makers.  I tell my wife all the time how lucky she is.  But really, I come with each purchase. You get my blood sweat and tears (only if I'm peeling onions in the shop, I don't cry much) for the time it takes to build your piece.  I'm accessible.  Just an email or phone call away.  I'm building your table on my property, which, you'll likely visit during the process.  I can't and won't hide from you after I get paid.  If your furniture ever breaks, fails in some way or just needs a little TLC, I'm on it.  Because my name's on the underside.  My sons may (man I hope not) take over some day.  I'm trying to set them up with a reputation for quality.  I want your kids to come find my kids when they need a table because the one I built their parents was indestructible.  You don't call in to some automated hold number when you contact us.  Your product isn't outsourced to some underpaid kids who couldn't care less because they'll never see you and you'll never see them.  You're paying more because you're getting more.

   Now I know that there are times when you need a quick, cheap product to get you by.  I don't hate everyone with Ikea products in their house.  Heck, I barely have anything I've built in mine.  But there is such a huge difference when you have access to the maker.  When they're involved in the process, and their obsession with the product and their field comes in to play, it's evident in the product.  Have you ever talked to the guy that roasts your coffee?  And he starts going on about the flavors and "notes" and you're just like "I think I got the over ripe fruit "note"?  I get excited about that.  I don't know anything about roasting coffee, but I drink a lot of it and I know when it's good.  I know that the guy who's spent the better part of his life obsessing over "notes" will probably get me some good coffee.  I know that when I buy a handsaw from my buddy Mark up in Wisconsin he's going to put years of pouring over manuals, practicing and perfecting tooth setting and sharpening, and a commitment to not only his business, but to himself into the saw.  I've bought cheaper saws. Guess what.  They cut like cheaper saws.  

  So, last week the difference was "you".  You, supporting and frequenting Mom and Pop shops, small online retailers (if there's no one in your town) and good old American businesses.  This week, it's about "me".  Myself and the other small business owners (at least the ones I know) would like you to know that with your purchase you get the maker's commitment, passion, knowledge, experience and attention.  We don't want you unsatisfied.  We want you to come back. And bring all your friends.  Not because you feel bad for us but because we made you the best cup of coffee or the best table. Or the best BBQ or the best fitting dress you've ever worn. Because our product was better and so was our service and follow up.  Because when your order wasn't right we made it right or probably made it better. We care.  Because we are our business.

Surviving as a Small Business

   Small business is not for the faint of heart.  It's not for folks who like to sleep a lot.  It's not for people who have a passing interest in something.  It's not for folks who don't handle stress well.  It's not for those who don't like defeat or failure.  It's certainly not for folks who are afraid of trying and doing new things.  And it's definitely not for people who are only interested in making money.  

  This April will mark three years in business, full time.  Before that it was part time, and before that it was a hobby that paid for itself.  Sort of.  We still mostly live week to week.  One project at a time.  Rushing to deliver a table to pay the utilities.  Staying up late to finish sanding a counter top to make the house payment.  It seems normal.  I quit keeping track of hours a long time ago.  I do this because I love it.  I traded being able to work eight hour days and then "turn it off" so I could hear my children on their bikes when the shop doors are open.  I turned down partnerships so I could stay at home and have my youngest son sit on my workbench while his older siblings were doing their homeschool lesson.  I walked away from easier money when I didn't feel right about the methods so I could focus on building a name for myself and my sons.  Sounds kind of romantic huh? 

   I started having full blown panic attacks around four months into going full time.  I lost about twenty pounds from stress and working long hours.  My moms friends would call her when they saw me at the grocery store because they thought I had cancer or something.  I sold most of my beloved guitar equipment when I had slow weeks to pay bills.  My family worried.  I worried.

   I'm not sure what the moral of the story is.  I guess the story's still being written.  I wish I could say that I don't worry or work late at night any more.  I still do.  But, I haven't had a panic attack in over a year.  And, I've increased my income every year over the past three years.  Not a lot, but it's moving the right way. I think I've even put some weight back on.  

   I think if there's a moral to the story it's that my story isn't all that unique.  There's probably a coffee shop owner with a similar story in your city.  Maybe a baker or a barber.  Probably a mechanic too.  I know it's sometimes more convenient to go to chain stores.  Sometimes it's cheaper too.  But in the end, for me, surviving as a small business is about you as much as it's about me.  It's about every purchase.  Every order.  Every like and share on social media.  Every prayer and word of encouragement.  Every surprise visit from friends and family with groceries in tow.   Every referral.  Every repeat and new customer.

  And, as a small business owner, I try, as much as I can, to support other small businesses.  I think you get a lot more than just a product, but more on that later.

P.S. This isn't a cry for help, or sympathy.  I chose this life.  It's just a friendly reminder that there's lots of businesses in your neighborhood that could use and probably deserve your support.  I'd love it if you'd buy a piece from me but I'd be glad if you bought your furniture, coffee, bread, meat or whatever from some one else like me.   Viva la small business.

#dailydovetail

  I'm not a huge resolutions person but around the first of the year I made a commitment to myself, and to my friends on Instagram, to cut a set of dovetails everyday in 2015.  I added the hashtag "dailydovetail" and it seems a few folks around the Instagram community got on board with me.  Dovetails are kind of considered the signature of an accomplished wood worker.  I'd used them in the past but it was always a little unnerving when it came time.  My results were hit and miss when I hand cut dovetails and it's a shop skill I've always admired and wanted. 

  My kids call my little practice sets "puzzles" and they kind of are.  A "tail"(or several) is cut in one board, or workpiece, and mating socket(s) is cut to receive it.  The "puzzle pieces" should go together tightly and, with the addition of glue, should last a lifetime, if not more.  It's an exercise in patience, tool sharpening, and discipline.  Sometimes I find myself waiting until after everyone's in bed to fire out a set before I turn in, or some mornings it's the first thing I do. I can honestly say that after about six weeks of daily dovetails I'm gaining confidence.  My eye and sawing arm are working together and the "puzzles" are coming together more consistently.  I'm incorporating dovetails anywhere I can, because I not only trust the joint, I enjoy cutting it.  

I've got a long way to go.  Lots of room for improvement and each day I try to stretch myself a little. A year seems like a really long time to do anything everyday but if the last six weeks are any indication, I think it'll be worth it.  

We're live (again)

I've spent the last year without a site and with a LOT of irons in the fire.  We're excited to finally have a site up and to fill out a catalogue of items in the coming year.  We're spending what little down time we have on acquiring and milling lumber (walnut, cherry and white oak is air drying now!) and on developing some of our up coming catalogue items.  

Walnut, fresh from the mill and on it's way to being some beautiful furniture.