Lumber is a labor of love

Monday, 17 May 2010 00:00

You hear this often from small- to medium-sized shop owners: "I realize I'm never going to get rich, but I love my work and am very passionate about it. There's nothing else I would rather be doing."

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His new call to duty

Written by Jennifer Hicks Monday, 19 April 2010 00:00

Studio furniture maker Andrew Pitts has planned a lifetime for what he's doing now. The sole owner of Andrew Pitts - Furniture Maker in Heathsville, Va., Pitts does it all from joinery to sanding to finishing and upholstery. He built his shop, mills his own lumber and does all of his own marketing and bookkeeping. What's most interesting is that Pitts is a retired captain in the U.S. Navy who yearned for this opportunity throughout his long career in the service.

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Polished and proven

Monday, 19 April 2010 00:00

When a visitor opens the door to Village Woodworking in Sarasota, Fla., he enters a large showroom filled with 11 full-size kitchens. The majority of them feature frameless cabinetry with high-gloss finishes, stainless-steel appliances, and the latest in hardware, including push-to-open drawers and custom-fit storage options. Down a short hallway is the entrance to a 25,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility. For owner Kim Alvis, it is a far cry from how he started his woodworking career in the early 1970s.

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High time for a hybrid saw

Written by Charlie Self Monday, 19 April 2010 00:00

It's not uncommon to have a small shop's single table saw tied up when there's a need for a series of cuts that only a table saw can do well. Is it time to panic or time to move another saw into position and start cutting?

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Making a solid connection

Written by John English Tuesday, 23 February 2010 18:40

Traditional joinery methods - dovetails, dowels and tenons - have been with us for a very long time and have served us well. Unfortunately, some of them require a lot of time to lay out, mill and clamp. In the current business climate, more than at any other period in recent history, time truly is money.

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