What’s in a name?

Trail has a double meaning for me, one the literal trail of sawdust from my garage workshop into the house and the second my journey in woodworking.

My path to woodworking was rooted in charity work. I began creating custom pieces to be sold at auction to raise funds for causes I believe in. At first, materials were often recycled, and my time was the donation. As time went on, projects became more elaborate and materials more difficult obtain. Friends and family, seeing the result of my work, began requesting items and I sold my first project. I continue to support charity and profits are invested in equipment and supplies.

Environmental impact is important to me, and it continues to be a focus of my business. I favor used high quality tools over purchasing new ones. My table saw, planer, joiner, and nearly all hand tools are used. Sandpaper, glue, and gloves are most of the consumables and I aim to produce less than 1 bag of trash per month. I favor natural finishes where appropriate and avoid chemicals whenever possible. I recycle everything I can, including all metal.

I make every effort to obtain sustainable wood products however as a realist I know I cannot be guaranteed the origin of lumber. To offset my impact, I work with a charity that plants trees at a rate far greater than I can consume as a business. I hope to post more about my efforts in this area soon.

My current focus has been in improving my workshop, adding heat for the winter months and air conditioning to control the humidity. My solar system has been running for a few years, offsetting all power used in my endeavors.