I am a woodworker, currently living in Hastings, MI with my wife, Lori, and daughter, Ivy. My love of woodworking started by going to the job site with my father, who is a general contractor, as a child. Eventually, I figured out that I enjoyed the detailed work in trim carpentry and making built-in cabinetry. This led to the creation of Mirus Custom Cabinetry in the summer of 2008. Secretly, one of the reasons for starting this venture was that it allowed me to get some big power tools, which I’ve always very much enjoyed. In the past year, I have come to the realization that I want to build custom furniture and create artistic pieces from wood. I bought my first hand plane in December 2008, and it changed my life. I have become increasingly enamored with hand tools and I’m slowly creating pieces using this mix of powered and hand tools. This blog will essentially capture this woodworking journey that I’m on, as I learn what it means to be a craftsman.
“I think that if I did not work with wood, my life would be a hollow emptiness. If I did not form and shape and build, what would I have done to leave my mark in this world? My eyes have been filled with the endlessly changing patterns of the grains. I have felt the warmth of a thousand suns in my hands every day. I have smelled the rich tangy odors of the freshly hewn chips. These are the things that have made my life so fine. These are the most precious things I can leave for you, my son.”
| — | Jonas Wainwright, Master Carpenter, in a letter to his son, 1832 |
