Callahan Woodworking

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I create a variety of furniture, from French country, to shaker, to 18th century period styles to modern designs. All of my pieces are hand made using traditional joinery, methods and tools, customized to meet your specific needs. Whether you have nothing more than an idea or unique space to fill, to having a complete set of plans or specific piece to reproduce, I will work with you to design a piece that satisfies your individual requirements.

I have been building custom furniture for over 16 years, usually from nothing more than a picture in a book or magazine. From tables and chairs to beds, chests/dressers and desks, most pieces are customized to fit a specific space, style, purpose or individual preference. Each piece is built one at a time, using solid hardwoods and time honored methods and techniques: dovetailed cases and drawers and mortise and tenoned rails and styles. Like colonial cabinet makers who used apprentices for preparing stock, I use power tools for rough milling solid stock and joinery. Similarly, all surfaces are hand planed, scraped, filed and/or carved to produce a surface texture unlike any other. All dovetails are spaced by eye and cut by hand. Sandpaper is rarely used on rare wood; generally used only lightly in the finishing process. Most pieces are finished using traditional finishes of oil and shellac; or milk paint for painted pieces. Dyes and stains are occasionally used to enhance figured wood such as tiger maple, or to recreate an aged look on period reproductions. In keeping with period traditions, I try to incorporate at least one hidden drawer or compartment in every piece I make. Each piece is hand signed and dated when completed.

In addition to furniture, I generally have available a selection of smaller useful items such as knife boxes, bowls and other turned objects. The knife boxes are based on an 18th century antique and are great for carting cutlery, napkins and/or condiments from the kitchen to breakfast area or deck. These have been sized to fit our utensils and made from left over wood from previous projects, both of which are customizable. Bowls come in all shapes and sizes, from 3 to 20 in diameter, only limited by the size of the scrap wood (smaller bowls) to the diameter of log (larger bowls). I typically use single log sections for bowls for the dramatic look, however glued up stack, segmented bowls are another option. I use food safe finishes on all bowls. For bowls and platters used for snacks, fruits and display (small and medium bowls), I usually finish them inside and out with shellac. For salad bowls I finish the outside with shellac, and the inside with mineral oil and beeswax, which can be reapplied occasionally and will not flake.