– How long have you been in business?
Started woodworking in 1997, so about 15 years.
– How did you get started?
I saw something made out of juniper wood and decided right away that I wanted to do that too.
– Where do you get your juniper wood?
This is the only secret I have about the business. Only my wife knows where I am. Obviously, if I’m wood hunting on private property the landowners know where I am too. When I’m wood hunting on public property, I always have the proper permits with me. After all, wood hunting is supposed to be fun. How can I have fun if I’m always looking over my shoulder to see if somebody is watching me?
– Can I buy the raw wood with the bark still on?
Yes, you can, but only in the Winter. In the Summer, Fall, and Spring when the weather is fairly warm the bark needs to be removed the same or next day it is harvested in order to eliminate any bug problems. In the Winter the bugs are dormant and therefore not a problem.
– How come you don’t have very much finished furniture in your shop for sale?
Well, I enjoy making furniture, but I enjoy the wood hunting part of the business more. When I’m not out wood hunting I spend time in my shop making furniture, usually dining chairs, dining tables, coffee tables, lamps, and rocking chairs.
– Do you ever have any bug problems with the juniper wood?
When I first started out I did, I didn’t realize that the juniper wood needed to have the bark removed right away when the weather was warm. Even now, about 2% of the wood I clean will have a bug or two in it. But, a quick shot of WD-40 takes care of that problem instantly.
– How did you build that chair, I’m sure I could never do that?
Don’t underestimate yourself, you can build one too if you want to do it. A friend of mine who is paralyzed and in a wheelchair can do it, so don’t tell me you can’t do it. The key is to start with something more simple and work from there. Some of my first projects looked like they were made by a 3 year old, but I improved as time went by and I learned to let the character of the wood do most of the work for me.
– Why are you cutting live trees?
The short answer is because I like the character of the wood. Most people don’t realize that juniper (here in Oregon) is considered an invasive species, the federal government pays the ranchers to have them removed on their own property. There are some juniper trees that have a lot of character, these are the ones you see pictures of on this website.
– Why is your wood so expensive?
In my opinion it’s not expensive, but this is a question I get often so I will try to answer it. Not much of the juniper has character, maybe 1% at the most. So, I have to hunt for it. You can walk through an area 100 acres in size that I’m finished with and you won’t see much cutting at all. I have been out wood hunting many times and brought back nothing. And, if you went out and looked for it like I do you would probably change your mind about it being expensive. And finally, with the prices I have posted on this website I don’t have any problem making a decent living doing this, so I think my prices are reasonable and a lot of other people think so too.
– We stopped by your shop, but you were not open, why?
I don’t know, maybe I was out wood hunting, or taking care of some other business. I don’t keep normal business hours anymore, most of the business these days is by appointment and online. But, I probably work at least 60 to 70 hours a week doing this full-time hobby. I have my phone number and website posted in numerous locations outside of my shop.
– We stopped by your shop, and you were open, but nobody was there, why?
I don’t know, maybe I was checking the mail or over at my house eating lunch across the highway But, I’m sure I wasn’t very far away if I have the doors open.
– Do you ever see any snakes when you are out wood hunting?
Yes, and they are the kind that can ruin your day.