Handcrafted by MPD

09/11/2024

Running a sale on whiskey smokers over the next week on my Etsy shop. Under $20 shipped, and they make a great gift for Christmas coming around the corner!

This Drink & Barware item is sold by HandcraftedByMPD. Ships from Apalachin, NY. Listed on Oct 27, 2024

28/08/2024

Was recently asked to make a couple of cutting boards and bread knives as a wedding gift. I think they turned out quite nice, and the engraving is a nice personalized touch. It makes a great gift set for a wedding or the holidays that are fast approaching!

I'm offering a labor day sale as well that will run through Monday, so this set and all other items on my store are at a great discount right now!

This Gifts For The Couple item is sold by HandcraftedByMPD. Ships from Apalachin, NY. Listed on Aug 9, 2024

10/08/2024

Looking for something to do now that the sun is shining? Come to Whitney Point for the Mercantile Market at The Weathered Thread!

01/08/2024

My latest project.

I saw someone build a table similar to this, and immediately thought I wanted to build one of those. I love this table - the leg construction and base, the circular top, the lip detail around the edge - it offered some familiar things and some new challenges.

This is built in ash, and finished with a nice oil/wax blend. It’s currently available, and if you’re interested send me a message!

21/07/2024

A guitar stand in walnut.

I made this guitar stand for my pastor to house his guitar during our local Lord’s Day service. Made in black walnut, I think it turned out quite nice and hope it will serve its purpose well.

I’m going to be selling these as well on my Etsy store, so be on the lookout for that, or if you’d like one you can send me a message.

I also need to change up my lighting setup 😅

11/07/2024

Chair No.2

Still a pretty simple chair with no arms on. This one. However, this is the first chair (or any piece of furniture) I’ve made with curved components. So for that sake, I’m pretty happy with how this came out.

A staked chair based off the one in the ADB, I still love making all the spindles by hand. There’s just something special about incorporating tools that require no power into woodworking.

I hope this chair will serve a family for decades to come.

09/07/2024

It's been a little quiet here as of late. I've been working on a number of projects behind the scenes. One of which is growing and building up my offerings through Etsy. I've recently added a number of goods for the home like bread knives, some board games and more!

I also have a lot more in the pipeline, so be on the lookout for more!

On top of that, I have some larger products I'll be sharing soon including a new chair, guitar stand, and a kitchen hutch!

Shop items by HandcraftedByMPD.

15/06/2024

All set up for today at Strawberry Fest in Owego! If you’re in the area stop by and say hello!

30/03/2024

Traveling to visit family, I can’t be in the shop working on my next project (or cleaning up from my last).

I can however, do some reading on how to become a better craftsman and start planning out my next build. I’m not an avid reader, but I do enjoy a good book. I like the fact that I have something physical that won’t disappear or change down the road. As far as woodworking books go, it’s hard to beat Lost Art Press titles, as not only are they filled with great techniques, but great story telling throughout as well.

Now this book here doesn’t necessarily have a great narrative, but this book by Mike Pekovich is probably the best physical resource I have on the technical aspects of creating and executing joinery and building furniture. Great images, very clear and an all around great resource and I highly recommend this if you’re looking to up your joinery game.

To the left, is a sketch of my next project - a kitchen hutch for my mom. She’s been asking for this for a little while, and I think I have the confidence and skills to give this a shot. I’ve never really tried to draw out my pieces before like this, so hopefully this process will help me in the building. I look forward to being able to make some furniture to go into my childhood home.

26/03/2024

Bookshelf completed…well, mostly.

I still enjoy the simplicity of this piece. It’s a simple, functional bookshelf. I got to try a couple new things building this - a soap finish and hanging a piece with French cleat. Two things I will definitely use in the future. I say this piece is mostly complete because I need to cover up those exposed screws with some plugs, but I was just too excited not to share.

There’s something special about making something with your own hands. There are plenty of mistakes made here, and my eyes can’t help but to migrate to those areas when I look at this on the wall. However, I can’t stop walking into the room to take a look and feel a sense of great joy. This should come as no surprise though since we are created in the image of He who created all things.

Be creative and make something - sing a song, draw a picture, write a story, build a piece of furniture - and find some joy doing it.

21/03/2024

Soap is great for…a furniture finish?

Everything I know about woodworking, I’ve learned from someone else. I’m not pursuing originality or even artistry as being the first to do something unique. Any sort of technique, piece of furniture or design I try is built upon the work of someone before me.

However, my aim is to be a great craftsman. That is, not a designer or artist, but a man who can build with carefulness and precision to create a beautiful piece of furniture. To aid in that, it’s important to try different techniques - like a soap finish.

When building this bookshelf out of ash, I’ve only worked with oil based finished in the past, which yellow light colored woods. That wasn’t the desired outcome for this piece. I could have used an oil with some pigment, but through my many books from Lost Art Press, I knew soap finish was a viable option as well.

So I’m giving it a shot. It’s a pretty simple formula, I’m using a 1:1 ratio of pure soap flakes to boiling water. Mix and let set.