A Trusted Authority In Woodwork
My basic approach to woodworking is to choose premium materials, and execute simple designs with strong joinery. Since 1991 I have completed a wide variety of work, from custom furniture to commercial installations. Currently my main focus is jewelry chests and armoires.
Our Story
I live and work in Owego, NY, west of Binghamton and south of Ithaca. I have been designing and building functional woodwork since 1990, and am self-taught.
My basic approach to woodworking is to choose premium materials, and execute simple designs with strong joinery. Since 1991 I have completed a wide variety of work, from custom furniture to commercial installations. Currently my main focus is jewelry chests and armoires.
Sometimes I have some completed pieces ready to ship; usually, however, I am taking orders for a few months out. Contact me for details. If you have a custom project in mind, feel free to call to call and discuss. Please keep in mind that large pieces require a good deal of time to design and execute, so your patience is appreciated.
About the Work
Solid hardwood is my basic material and the one with which I am most familiar. It is versatile, strong, and beautiful. Many furniture makers use veneer, dyes, and various composites as a matter of course. This has its place; it's just not what I do. I prefer solid wood, exposed construction, simple finishes, and little or no decoration. Ideally, the piece acquires character through it's proportions, materials, and joinery. Form should follow function.
I primarily use locally sourced curly cherry, walnut, and curly maple, bought in “log sets” from local mills. All the exterior parts from any given piece are made from the same log for color and figure consistency. Rosewood, wenge and other exotics are used for accents. Drawer bottoms are Baltic birch, a unique cabinet grade multi-ply from northern Europe. Interiors parts are solid sugar maple.
Exterior surfaces are sealed with shellac and topcoated with satin acrylic lacquer. This produces a surface which is very durable and resistant. Interior parts are finished with shellac. I use no dyes or stains, except very rarely at a customer’s request. Unless specified otherwise, everything you see on this site is the natural color of the wood.
About the Materials
Black Cherry (prunus serotina) is a member of the rose family. It is native east of the Mississippi from Nova Scotia to Florida, but the vast majority of the trees and those which produce the finest lumber are found in Pennsylvania. It is an ideal cabinet wood. It is not particularly rare, but it is only a dominant tree in the forests of Pennsylvania.
Sugar Maple (acer saccuarum), also known as hard maple, is a common member of the maple family. It is a familiar sight in lawns and streets throughout it’s range in the northeast United Sates and southeast Canada. It occurs with many figure variations, such as curly, fiddleback, and quilted. Extremely hard and fairly heavy. Common throughout it’s range.
Eastern Black Walnut (juglans nigra) is the rarest and most desired native hardwood of the east. It is part of the walnut family, which includes hickories and walnuts, and is found throughout the mid-Atlantic states, from Texas to the Dakotas eastward. No other native tree compares to the rich and complex tones of walnut, which may run from purple and brown to near black, with hints of reds and greens. Slow growing and virtually extinct in the wild.
A Word From Our Customers
Our Studio | Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
-
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
-
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
-
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.