Category Archives: Testimonial

“IT’LL SNOW IN CUBA BEFORE I’LL DRESS A TABLETOP BY HAND!” — And with his Woodmaster Drum Sander and Molder/Planer, he’ll never have to!

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Long-time cabinetmaker, Ronald Frey, is 82 years young and loves his two Woodmasters. When he sent us some great photos of his outstanding work, we asked him to tell us his whole woodworking story. Here’s what Ronald told us…

Woodworker, Ronald Frey, says he'll never hand-scrape another tabletop by hand. That's why he got his Woodmaster Drum/Sander: wide tabletops come out perfectly flat, smooth, and ready to finish.

Woodworker, Ronald Frey, says he’ll never hand-scrape another tabletop by hand. That’s why he got his Woodmaster Drum/Sander: wide tabletops come out perfectly flat, smooth, and ready to finish.

“You’re obsessed!”

“I’m 82 years young and I don’t do as much as I used to but I’m in my shop every day and I use my Woodmaster Molder/Planer and my Woodmaster Drum Sander a few hours every day. My wife says, ‘You’re obsessed!’

Here's a handsome walnut jewelry cabinet Ronald Frey made with help from his Woodmasters.

Here’s a handsome walnut jewelry cabinet Ronald Frey made with help from his Woodmasters.

I do general cabinetry work. I design 90% of the furniture I make. I build anything people want. Let’s see: dry sinks, stereo cabinets, nightstands, footstools, chests of drawers, headboards, drawing desks, file cabinets, computer desks, cabinet doors, half-doors, drawers, printer stands, anything!

I used to do cabinetry as a business but it’s just a hobby now. I make a lot of things for my church, for friends, and for my kids. Right now, I’m doing a lot of experimental wood turning. I get cherry and walnut, put it on my lathe, and turn goblets. I give them to friends.

A lifelong cabinetmaker & carpenter

When I was in high school, I spent every study period in the shop. Then I went to a trade school and took three years of cabinetry and carpentry. That’s where I learned to do this work. I was an educator for 33 years and taught cabinetmaking at the high school and college levels. But even when I was teaching, I’d be swinging a hammer building houses in the summer.

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“My Woodmasters don’t owe me a dime.”

I built my own home in 1993 and my shop’s in the basement, about 1,800 sq. ft. I have a lot of equipment including both the Woodmaster Molder/Planer and the Woodmaster Drum Sander. Those Woodmasters don’t owe me a dime.

I got the Woodmaster Molder/Planer first. I make a lot of tabletops and I can plane wide boards on that thing. At 82 years old, I refuse to hand-pane and scrape! I buy 95% of my lumber rough. I dress one side, square the edge, and glue up tabletops.

I got the Woodmaster Drum Sander to make tabletops. I’ve made bathroom vanities with my Woodmaster Drum Sander. Kitchen counters, some plastic laminate work, too. It’ll snow in Cuba before I’ll dress a 34” or 36” tabletop by hand!

Frey, George Nakashima Bench, Cherry

Here’s a handsome bench Ronald made of cherry. He says his design was inspired by those of master craftsman, George Nakashima.

I make a lot of projects using both my Woodmaster machines. I made a prayer stand recently. It’s about 17” x 34”. I planed one side, glued it up, put it through my sander, and it’s good to go. Not long ago, I made a 35” wide Shaker table in two sections, each 17-1/2” wide. I ran each through the Woodmaster and glued them together. The joint was absolutely even.

Woodmaster’s simple design is unique

What’s nice about Woodmaster design is it’s simple. Both machines are engineered to be simple and I don’t mean that as a negative. To replace rollers or knives on the Molder/Planer is simple. I can do that in 40 minutes to an hour, max. I just wax the bed of the Woodmaster and it runs well. It’s a beautiful machine.

The Woodmaster Drum Sander’s the same way, that’s what makes it  unique. The drum doesn’t go 90 miles an hour. You can slow it down and it doesn’t burn paper. I can take 10 passes if I need to. I can take off thousandths of an inch at a time. Woodmaster has both single and double-drum sanders. I prefer the 50″ double drum. I can put 80-grit paper on one drum and 100, 120, or 150-grit on the second.

Ronald Frey has a Woodmaster Molder/Planer, too. He's owned and used it extensively — we switched from black paint to beige many years ago!

Ronald Frey has a Woodmaster Molder/Planer, too. He’s owned and used it extensively — we switched from black paint to beige many years ago!

American machines, American motors

I love my Woodmasters. If the company made other machines, I’d absolutely buy them in a minute. If they made a Woodmaster table saw of the same quality, I’d buy it. Woodmaster’s been around a long time and they’re made in the USA. They use American motors. If you take care of your Woodmaster, it’ll last forever. You can’t eliminate wear on wearing parts, but if you do your maintenance, it’ll last you a long time. A lot of equipment is made in China and Taiwan — it’s junk. Woodmaster is USA-made and the people there really help you. They take their time with you and they know their stuff. If you have the space for a workshop, consider getting a Woodmaster. Woodmaster, keep up the good work!

Thinking about a Woodmaster? Call Ronald

If anyone’s thinking of getting a Woodmaster, call me. I’d be happy to talk with you about it. I have two Woodmasters and they work beautifully. If something’s wrong, I’ll tell you about it.”

— Ronald Frey, Woodmaster Drum Sander & Molder/Planer Owner, Syracuse NY

(Editor’s Note: Like many Woodmaster owners, Ronald is happy to talk to others about his Woodmasters and promises he’ll “tell it like it is.” If you’d like to talk with Ronald or another of our 100,000+ owners, please call us 1-800-821-6651or email us!)

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HUGE SLABS of wood call for one MIGHTY BIG DRUM SANDER — 50″ BIG!

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30 years of professional logging taught Mark Abernathy unique skills when it comes to making his one-of-a-kind rustic furniture: he knows where to go and how to get the BIG ONES – the old growth trees he needs to do this kind of woodworking. He cuts his own, and he uses every inch of his 50” wide Woodmaster Drum Sander!

Logger-turned-woodworker, Mark Abernathy, turns a single slab of wood into a handsome, rustic tabletop with his 50″ Woodmaster Drum Sander.

Logger-turned-woodworker, Mark Abernathy, turns a single slab of wood into a handsome, rustic tabletop with his 50″ Woodmaster Drum Sander.

“I make rustic furniture from big slabs of wood. I do a lot with big maple burl wood slabs. Some of those are even up to 6’ diameter. I crosscut slabs several inches thick so I get big rounds of wood. I do this work on my 50” Woodmaster Drum Sander. It’s been a tremendous help; I just wish Woodmaster would make a 60” drum sander!

“I had no experience making rustic furniture.”

I logged for 30 years. I had my own operation out on the West Coast near Mt. St. Helens. At one time I had 70 employees. I cut furniture grade wood, mostly lodge pole pine. We’d turn it on a big doweling machine for woodworkers in California and Arizona. I’d take wood around and see what they were doing and I finally realized I could do it as well as they could. I hadn’t had any experience making rustic furniture but it wasn’t paying off to take wood around and sell some here and there. I started making lamps and coat racks, then I got into beds, dressers, and tables.

Sanding was such a huge ordeal that I asked a cabinetmaker friend of mine if he knew anything about the Woodmaster Drum Sander. He said, ‘I sure do, I loved it so well I bought one.’ That’s how I ended up getting one. Instead of the smaller 26” or 38” one, I’d get the biggest 50” one. This sander makes production ever so much easier. My chainsaw comes first, then this big sander.

This prize slab is so big we almost couldn't get Mark in the photo. Is it destined to be a bar top? A coffee table? Either one would be amazingly striking.

This prize slab is so big we almost couldn’t get Mark in the photo. Is it destined to be a bar top? A coffee table? Either one would be amazingly striking.

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“You can cut a lot of wood with a 48” chainsaw.”

My expertise from my logging experience is going out and getting wood. That gives me a little edge over a lot of people. I cut my own wood; occasionally I’ll buy something. I’ve been making rustic furniture for 17 years now. I’ve got a pretty good feel for what to look for.

I’ve got chainsaws with a 4’ bar, a 42” bar, and a 32” bar. With 48” you can cut a lot of wood. Crosscutting a log that’s wider than your bar takes a lot of experience and you have to have a good sharp chain. You cut down through one side and go around and follow the first kerf as best you can. The ripping I do is the same thing. I eyeball it. You get used to it.

I cut my own wood from private ranches. One ranch has 30,000 acres and a lot of juniper. Another ranch owner asked me, ‘Can’t you take it all?’ That would be 300 log trucks! Another ranch has 80,000 acres with juniper. Ranchers are glad to get rid of the wood. They want grassland.

Mark does mostly custom work. He finds it's best to let customers choose the wood he'll use to make their custom furniture. There's plenty to choose from in Mark's shop and every single piece is unique.

Mark does mostly custom work. He finds it’s best to let customers choose the wood he’ll use to make their custom furniture. There’s plenty to choose from in Mark’s shop and every single piece is unique.

Custom work – let customers choose their own wood.

We have a rustic furniture storefront and a sign out front on US Highway 93 in Kalispell. I’ve found through the years people like to come in and pick out their own wood. I let them come in and shop. I have nothing to hide. I want them to see what I’ve got. I’ve got some furniture made ahead but pretty near all my work is custom.

Most of the wood I work with goes through the sander. All the slabs go through. I’m making tables, bedroom sets, dressers, night stands, living room furniture, and tables. I also do some cabinetry – islands and bars and all that goes through the sander. I’ve put 30,000 board feet through the Woodmaster – maybe more.

“As fast as a wide belt sander and does just as good a job.”

Here’s another thing people should know: I’ve put wood through wide belt sanders – they’re big, expensive, vertical sanders. They don’t do any better job than this Woodmaster. I’ve used both and this Woodmaster is so simple and good I wouldn’t want to go any other route. The Woodmaster is simple. When you wear out a wrap of sandpaper, you just wrap another one on and go ahead. I can sand as fast as one of those wide belt sanders and I know this one does just as good a job.

If someone’s thinking about getting a Woodmaster, I’d definitely advise them to get one. Depending on what they’re doing, I’d recommend this big 50” one. It’s big enough I can run two grit sandpapers side by side at the same time. I do that a lot, have two grits on at the same time – half and half, up to 2 feet each. It works great. It saves time. Sometimes I even run 3 grits at the same time. Just tell Woodmaster they ought to come up with a bigger drum sander!

— Mark Abernathy, Rustic Log Creations Montana, Kalispell Montana

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WOODWORKER REINVENTS HIS BUSINESS – SURVIVES & THRIVES IN TODAY’S ECONOMY — A Pro Cabinetmaker & Vietnam Vet shares his hard-won experience

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Dante puts his 50" Woodmaster Drum Sander through it's paces. He's making a good living as a cabinetmaker in today's tough economy. Woodmaster helps by slashing his operating costs.

Dante puts his 50″ Woodmaster Drum Sander through it’s paces. He’s making a good living as a cabinetmaker in today’s tough economy. Woodmaster helps by slashing his operating costs.

LIKE THE OLD SAYING, “WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING,” HERE’S ONE WOODMASTER WOODWORKER WHO DID JUST THAT. FACED WITH THE CHALLENGES OF TODAY’S ECONOMY, HE RETOOLED AND RESTRUCTURED HIS BUSINESS. AND TODAY’S BUSINESS IS GOOD.

“Even in today’s economy, people are making a good living in woodworking and Woodmaster makes it possible with the right size and scale equipment.

Wide belt performance for a fraction of the oost

Woodmaster Drum Sanders may seem big to the average woodworker but I’ve used the biggest and best equipment there is so Woodmaster seems compact to me. But the end product is just as good as big, industrial equipment. It takes a bit longer on a Woodmaster than on a $100,000 machine but the savings in the cost of the equipment are well worth it.

At my business’s peak, we were the largest custom cabinetmaker in Rhode Island, manufacturing case goods (cabinetry) for Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks Coffee, and Honey Dew Donuts. My first sander was an industrial 37” Timesaver wide belt sander. Within a year, we needed to go to 3-head 53” wide belt sander.

He reduced costs while maintaining quality

With the onset of the current recession, we saw a decline in orders from those companies. We employed 40 people at our peak. Starting in 2007 we reduced employment to 6. We started getting back into custom kitchen cabinetry, still using the 3-head Timesaver. But just turning on the Timesaver for 20 minutes incurred a electric service and distribution charge of over $600!

That’s when I went to Woodmaster. It’s 500% cheaper to run. It runs on a 480V 3-phase motor and uses fewer amps. No air compressor, just a 3HP dust collector. My cost savings are 99%.

I’m 110% satisfied with the Woodmaster Drum Sander and its operating cost is 99% less. It doesn’t cost $100 a belt like the Timesaver does. I don’t have to fire up 100 HP worth of motors to run a single piece through. I don’t have to run a 20HP dust collection system. I don’t have to run an industrial compressor like I needed for the Timesaver. The Woodmaster is low monetary cost to begin with, low maintenance, and low operating cost.

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I’m very happy. With a 50” Woodmaster, I can have 4 grits on the machine at same time, 1-foot wide each. Most raised panel doors are 24” wide so you could run two grits side by side if you wanted. Or I can run a 48” wide table through it. I run 100 grit on first head, 150 grit on second head.

Dante's a Vietnam Vet who's newest enterprise is dedicated to building affordable, green housing for veterans and their families.

Dante’s a Vietnam Vet who’s newest enterprise is dedicated to building affordable, green housing for veterans and their families.

Skilled workforce available

Because of the economy there are highly skilled people out of work. I bring in part time people, especially disabled vets. With the onset of Heroes Village, I’m going to give disabled vets and disabled civilians an opportunity to learn and work for a living in spite of their disabilities. I am in the process of starting a 501c3 company, Hope for Heroes, to assist both disabled vets and non-vets learn the woodworking trade in a classroom atmosphere, to prepared them for employment. (See Danté’s biography, A Man on a Mission, below.)

I have no reason to fluff this story up. The Woodmaster company has far exceeded my expectations on service, sales, and everything else. I’ve bought over a million and a half dollars worth of equipment in my career and I’m amazed at what the Woodmaster will do if you keep it within its capabilities. I’ll put Woodmaster machine up against any industrial machine in the world. It’s easy to run, uncomplicated, safe, good equipment.

“I’d tell anybody…”

I’d tell anybody considering a sander, ‘Don’t look anywhere else but Woodmaster. Save yourself time and aggravation — I’ve done the research.’ Woodmaster is an accommodating, considerate company. I have nothing but good things to say about them. My phone calls are returned, there’s no ‘press 1 for service’ like with big companies.

If anybody deserves the Congressional Medal of Honor for helping small businesses it’s Woodmaster because they go above and beyond the call of duty dealing with customers. They really keep the little guy happy. They’re an American company that assists businesses. Thank God for Woodmaster!”

Dante’s survival philosophy

“In 42 years as a professional cabinetmaker, I’ve had the best of the best equipment, the biggest of the big. Today I have Woodmaster because it fits today’s woodworking economy. I have absolutely no regrets.”

— Danté Grassi, CT Cabinetmaker, Woodmaster Drum Sander Owner

Danté Grassi…a man on a mission

Danté Grassi is a master craftsman who began his cabinetmaking and manufacturing career in 1973 for national and international clients including Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts. Mr. Grassi is a graduate of both Northeastern and Johnson and Wales University. He served in Vietnam in 1968 through 1969 and is actively involved in veterans affairs, serving on the Advisory Board of ConnectVets and as Construction Manager of Heroes Village, a series of communities planned to offer affordable green housing for veterans and their families.

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“If I didn’t have a wife already, I’D MARRY MY WOODMASTER DRUM SANDER!”

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Bruce runs a blank through his Woodmaster Molder/Planer. He got it to make picture frame stock. He orders custom pattern knives from Woodmaster to reproduce antique patterns that haven't been produced in 150 years.

Bruce runs a blank through his Woodmaster Molder/Planer. He got it to make picture frame stock. He orders custom pattern knives from Woodmaster to reproduce antique patterns that haven’t been made in 150 years.

Woodmaster owners are often fiercely enthusiastic about their machines. Bruce Bell, owner of Double Dragon Woodworks in San Francisco, sums up the loyalty many feel when he jokes he’d marry his Woodmaster if he wasn’t already wed.

Bruce makes light of his love for his Woodmaster but he’s extremely serious about his work as you’ll see in the photos below. We at Woodmaster couldn’t ask for more than happy, highly talented customers like Bruce who LOVE their machines!

Bruce tells his Woodmaster story…

Bruce's Potting Bench is made of Western Red Cedar. On the bench top is one of his octagonal planters.

Bruce’s Potting Bench is made of Western Red Cedar. On the bench top is one of his octagonal planters.

“I have my own business manufacturing outdoor furniture, garden structures like pergolas and ground-level decks. I work with landscape architects. I build planters and boxes of teak, mahogany, and red cedar. I build them like fine furniture. I guarantee them to last a lifetime and I price them accordingly.

Here’s how my woodworking business got started: I made some planters for my wife and the neighbors saw them. They wanted one and pretty soon I said to myself, “I thought I retired, now I’m working for a living again!”

Here's Bruce's "Double Dragon Woodworks" business logo made of inlaid veneer.

Here’s Bruce’s “Double Dragon Woodworks” business logo made of inlaid veneer.

Increased production 20 times over — paid for itself in a week

I got a Woodmaster Drum Sander and it has improved my productivity. I can’t say enough good things about it. If I didn’t have a wife already, I’d marry my Woodmaster Drum Sander!

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I’ve never had a bit of trouble with it. If I had to sand my planter boxes by hand, even with a DeWalt® Orbital Sander, it would take me a day just to make one box. Now I can make a dozen boxes in a day. I can sand a month’s worth of panels in a day.

My Woodmaster paid for itself in maybe a week and that’s not an exaggeration. I went from making one box a week to maybe 20 or 30. They retail for $250 and up.

Bruce's Hall/Entry table is made of birdseye maple and walnut. It measures 34" H x 67" L x 16" W.

Bruce’s Hall/Entry table is made of birdseye maple and walnut. It measures 34″ H x 67″ L x 16″ W.

Comparable quality costs over $10,000

Why’d I choose a Woodmaster? Price, really. I did a lot of research. I couldn’t find any under $10.000. I had used a 60″-wide belt sander but that was $80,000. I read about the Performax® Drum Sander but I didn’t like those because they’re cantilevered: they have an open end.

Bruce Bell credits his Woodmaster Drum Sander with boosting his production speed from 1 planter box a day to 10 or 12. At $250 apiece and up, an increase like that puts some serious money in the bank.

Bruce Bell credits his Woodmaster Drum Sander with boosting his production speed from 1 planter box a day to 10 or 12. At $250 apiece and up, an increase like that puts some serious money in the bank.

I’m not buying any made-in-China imports. There’s a reason why they’re cheap: low labor costs and they don’t put that much into it. When you’re running production, you don’t want plastic parts.

He got a Woodmaster Molder/Planer to make picture frames

I bought a Woodmaster Molder/Planer to use as a molder. I’ve already bought half a dozen custom knives from Woodmaster. One of my good friends is an antique dealer who deals mainly in prints. He told me that if I could make molding for picture frames he’d give me a lot of work.

He gets some old prints where one side of the frame is split or cracked, but hte customer really likes the frame and they haven’t made that kind of molding in 150 years. I take a section of the frame, send it to Woodmaster, and then make me a custom knife. Then I repair the old frame.

Making a $40,000 entertainment center

Woodmaster has improved my productivity. I can’t say enough good things about it, especially the sander. Right now I’m working on this huge entertainment center — it’s a $40,000 project. It’s all made out of cherry and maple with veneers that I laid up myself. I put the veneers on and send them through the sander to get them all thicknessed. It has 50 or 60 square feet of veneer, all small pieces. I sliced them on my band saw, then I had to sand them so they were all uniform thickness. I could do it really easily and everything was the same thickness when I glued it all down. Everything was flat, no ripples. That Woodmaster machine is incredible.

Customer service? Stellar.

Woodmaster’s customer service is stellar — I’m not kidding. Those guys go above and beyond the call of duty. They’re so over the top, I wish I could buy cars from Woodmaster! My advice to anybody looking at Woodmaster: don’t think about it, just go buy one.”

— Bruce Bell, Double Dragon Woodworks, San Francisco CA

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CAREFUL SHOPPER EVALUATES SANDING MACHINES — Woodmaster Drum Sander, Craftsman®, Grizzly®, others

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Benton Rosenberry has tried many sanding machines and speaks from hands-on experience. “Keeping glue joints even with a hand sander is hard. It’s easy with my Woodmaster.”

Benton Rosenberry has tried many sanding machines and speaks from hands-on experience. “Keeping glue joints even with a hand sander is hard. It’s easy with my Woodmaster.”

Long-time woodworker, Benton Rosenberry, shopped carefully when he was buying a sanding machine. He compared several styles and brands then looked for the best deal. At the end of the day, he’s plenty pleased with his Woodmaster 2675 Drum Sander. Some days, though, he wishes he’d chosen a bigger, wider Woodmaster…

“I went through vocational school then worked at a furniture factory. They had a big belt sander and I thought I’d like to have one. But that was in ’71 and it was $8,000 back then. I knew I could never afford one.

Today, I’m semi-retired and do woodworking to supplement our income. I have a pretty good-sized shop, 30’ x 40’. I’m building kitchen cabinets for our home. It used to be such a chore trying to keep a board flat with a Craftsman® belt sander after I’d glued up a tabletop.

Benton's a man on a mission when it comes to cabinetry. It's amazing what a talented woodworker can do with a Woodmaster in his shop.

Benton’s a man on a mission when it comes to cabinetry. It’s amazing what a talented woodworker can do with a Woodmaster in his shop.

“I wish I’d had it years ago.”

The Woodmaster Drum Sander is wonderful — I wish I’d had it years ago. I made a solid walnut entertainment center and did the sanding with a regular hand sander. Keeping the wood the right thickness for glue joints was hard. With the Woodmaster it’s so easy to keep boards the same thickness.

I notice a difference in the quality of my work since I started working with the Woodmaster sander — I don’t get ripples or low spots in some of the large surface areas that I had problems with in the past. And the Woodmaster saves me a lot of time.

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He shopped for quality, features, and price

I looked at sanding machines advertised in different magazines and I saw some at a few woodworking shows. I saw some I liked but their price was quite a bit higher than Woodmaster’s. Other machines’ drums are smaller and made out of aluminum. I thought I’d go with Woodmaster’s larger drum. That gave me the advantage of no ripple effect on my work. The size of the drum and the price were the two key features that made me buy it. It’s real easy to change paper on the drum. I’ve gotten to where I can change sandpaper in 2 or 3 minutes.

Benton was kind enough to share his story with us. How about you? Do you have Woodmaster stories and photos to share? Please email them to us!

Benton was kind enough to share his story with us. How about you? Do you have Woodmaster stories and photos to share? Please email them to us!

Before I bought the Woodmaster, I called another company and asked them what their bottom price was, but they wouldn’t budge from the price. I also looked into Grizzly® sanders. I asked someone who owned one what he thought. ‘It’s a piece of junk,’ he said. That’s what he told me! I’m impressed with the Woodmaster’s quality and price; I think that you folks keep your price down. You have a good product, it’s made real well.

I’m real happy with my Woodmaster. A friend who has a cabinet shop and a wide belt sander said I’d be disappointed and have ripples in my boards. He didn’t think I’d be satisfied but I am. If anybody’s thinking about a drum sander, I suggest Woodmaster. I am very satisfied.

I don’t think there is anything that I don’t like about the machine. I am pretty well sold on it. Id buy another in a heartbeat and I’d go with Woodmaster. For anyone thinking about getting a Woodmaster, think about what you’re making. Sometimes the 26” wide 2675 Woodmaster is a little small for me. I’d like something a bit wider. If you’re making tabletops, you’d probably want the 38” 3875 Woodmaster Drum Sander.”

— Benton Rosenberry, Woodmaster Drum Sander Owner, Kansas

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THE FINE ART OF HISTORIC RESTORATION

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“I worked for several years as Restoration Coordinator with Historic Hudson Valley http://www.hudsonvalley.org/ out of Tarrytown, New York. They own a collection of historic homes including Sunnyside (above), Washington Irving’s home; Phillipsburg Manor; Van Cortlandt Manor; Montgomery Place (below) in Red Hook, New York. Everything was to Department of the Interior standards.”

“I worked for several years as Restoration Coordinator with Historic Hudson Valley out of Tarrytown, New York. They own a collection of historic homes including Sunnyside (above), Washington Irving’s home; Phillipsburg Manor; Van Cortlandt Manor; Montgomery Place (below) in Red Hook, New York. Everything was to Department of the Interior standards.”

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As early as 1610, Dutch settlers established a trading post just south of Albany, today’s capitol of New York State. In the 1700’s, what is now the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area was the site of battles during the French and Indian War and the American Revolution.

“History is thick in the Hudson River Valley,” says contemporary NYC playwright, Quincy Long. From fabled Saratoga Springs south nearly to New York City, the valley is home to many scenic drives, landmarks, battlefields, and historic buildings and estates including West Point; Franklin Roosevelt’s home; the Vanderbilt Mansion; Sunnyside — Washington Irving’s home; and many more.

It’s also home to Michael Pelletier and his company, The Housewright , a specialty building company focusing on museum quality historic home restoration. We spoke with Michael recently about his restoration business and his Woodmaster Molder/Planer and Drum Sander.

Woodmaster MolderPlaner and Drum Sander

Mr. Pelletier owns a Woodmaster Molder/Planer (left) and a Woodmaster Drum Sander like these pictured on our website.

“Our niche is restoring buildings that are 100 years old or more. Many of the homes we work on are on the National Historic Register. There are usually unique building elements missing and irreplaceable architectural details that need to be reproduced.

Pelletier MillworkMy father-in-law was a veteran builder — I started working with him 33 years ago. Those were not good economic times. There were double digit interest rates, gas lines, and people were very careful with their money. The construction market wasn’t great, to say the least.

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We found ourselves doing more renovation work than new construction. I was always passionate about older homes, so it suited me fine. Our renovation work became more refined and evolved into restoration work. Lumberyards could not provide the lumber dimensions or profiles we needed. So we started making everything ourselves. We found ourselves reproducing all the building elements on a restoration job. The more we did, the better we got at it. Now restoration and reproduction are pretty much all we do.

We’re in a high-end niche in New York State’s historic Hudson River Valley. Typically we are on a project for an extended period and can sometimes work on the property for a number of years. The scope of our work often includes several buildings on the same property. Our customers have a tremendous investment in their properties and they value their privacy. They want to work with people they can trust. We’ve been able to establish relationships with clients based on trust. Being able to do good work allows you to enter this market. Establishing a comfortable and symbiotic relationship with the client is what keeps you there.

We are builders, not just building contractors

We are builders, not just building contractors. We have a thorough understanding of buildings and how everything goes together. We’re involved in every facet of a project from the footings to the building finish and landscaping. We do all the carpentry and we do most of the millwork and casework ourselves.

We haven’t really been affected by the economy. We don’t advertise; it’s all word of mouth. Clients hire us because they want us to do their projects. We have been very fortunate. We are a small company, currently six employees, never bigger than eight or nine. Our size allows us to control quality and be very consistent.

Woodmaster’s faster, easier, safer

I bought a Woodmaster Molder/Planer and one of your Drum Sanders. I got the Molder/Planer because I wanted a powerful molder, rather than relying on our spindle shaper for making running and standing trim. The Woodmaster gave us a new capability because we could set it up as a dedicated molder. We have a lot of profile knives we’ve accumulated over the years for our shaper. It was important to buy a molder that was capable of using the tooling we had already accumulated. Woodmaster offers a corrugated head for their molder/planer, so it seemed like a perfect answer.

Two great things about the Woodmaster Molder/Planer are the ease of setup and the variable feed rate. I’d never do most trim on the shaper now – there’s no reason to. With the Woodmaster, the setup is faster and easier, the quality of the work is better, and it’s safer. That’s very important.

We set up shops close to our job sites. When we set up a shop, we need machines that are easy to transport. Sometimes we rent space, sometimes there is an area on the job site we can use as a shop. The Woodmaster Molder/Planer is heavy enough to be solid but light enough to move around if need be. Most of our machines are on heavy duty casters, allowing us flexibility in how we use available space.

Drum sander cuts sanding time in half

Our Woodmaster Drum Sander — we got that to save sanding time. We use it for face frames and cabinet doors. We used to spend way too much time hand sanding with handheld random orbital sanders. You have to be very careful with hand sanders. They’re very unforgiving if you don’t have good technique. The Woodmaster is more accurate and faster. It seems any time we have missed a deadline on a casework project, it has been because we underestimated the time requirement for sanding. The Woodmaster definitely cuts the sanding time in half.

photo1I went with Woodmaster because I try to buy things that are made in America. But not just because they’re made in America. They have to do the job we need done and be good quality. We have other equipment that is made in Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. Each was purchased because it was good quality and would do the job we needed done.

Really simple

What I love about the Woodmaster is it’s a really simple machine. Simple construction with readily available parts and components. If it goes down, it’s going to be easy to fix. It’s very simple. It couldn’t get any easier. I had another planer with pressure bars, chip breakers, and lots of adjustments. When set up properly, it worked wonderfully. But I was the only guy who knew how to set it up. It was tedious and time consuming. The Woodmaster is far easier and has a short learning curve for my guys. No fuss, no muss. Woodmaster’s a good value. I am happy with my Woodmasters. You get a lot of machine for the money. I’d buy another one.

More knowledge means more value

When I started in the building business over thirty years ago, things were pretty simple. I learned the trade from a veteran who was steeped in traditional building knowledge and practice. Having sharp tools and knowing how to use a square were the usual yardsticks a craftsman was measured against.

Today building has become a real science. There are sustainable practices, building performance standards, energy performance standards, engineered lumber, sophisticated heating and cooling systems, sound systems, and computers in everything! It has become very complicated.

My advice for others? To be competitive in this market, builders needs to be willing to continually educate themselves. You must have more than a skin-deep knowledge of the involved trades. As a builder, you will be responsible to make sure it all works. You have to coordinate all the talent and create a good work environment for everyone. You need to be sure things are sequenced properly, and proper allowances are made for all the equipment and systems. The more you know, the easier it is for you, and the better it is for the job and your client.

You need to position yourself so you’re valuable to your clients. Upscale clients are looking for value. They can be more demanding than the usual client. Typically, they are spending a considerable amount of money, and they want what they want. You have to be on top of your game, and listen well. These projects do pay well, but you have to be prepared to earn it.”

— Michael Pelletier, The Housewright , Woodmaster Owner

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He’s passing on a lifetime of woodworking skill and HELPING OTHERS BECOME PROFESSIONAL WOODWORKERS

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Ralph Jones is an accomplished woodworker, author, and teacher. His mission is to help others improve themselves by becoming skilled woodworkers.

Ralph Jones is an accomplished woodworker, author, and teacher. His mission is to help others improve themselves by becoming skilled woodworkers.

Here’s a Woodmaster woodworker who’s passing along a proud tradition. Ralph Jones is teaching others to become woodworkers, just as his grandfather taught him. He says, ” My grandfather taught me the family trade — woodworking. He was tough on me and I asked him why. He said it was because I’d be the one in our family to carry on the woodworking trade and become a teacher.”

“I recently celebrated 65 years of woodworking and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. What started out as a hobby is now a full time operation, building and restoring furniture. Now I am ‘RJW America, Inc.’, a non-profit corporation. It’s a workshop where I bring people in and train them in woodworking so they learn skills they can use to go out and get a job other than building houses.

I’m a lifelong teacher. I’ve taught woodworking in many institutions and now I run the equivalent of a school in my own shop. I received my bachelors degree in teaching adults at the age of 57. I graduated from night school at Ohio State University with a B+ average.

Ricky Hatfield, left, learns the art of woodworking from Ralph Jones. Hatfield, 42, lost his job as a truck driver, the only career he has had. He said he is enjoying learning the new trade.

Ricky Hatfield, left, is one of Ralph’s apprentices. He learns the art of woodworking from Ralph. Hatfield, 42, lost his job as a truck driver, the only career he has had. He said he is enjoying learning the new trade.

I have been writing Quizzes and Mind Benders for Wood Magazine for over 20 years. Today, they’re online on Wood Magazine’s online forums. Anything you see written by “Sawdustr” is by me. I write these articles 363 days a year. I take off for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I got tired of seeing people dedicating the better part of their lives working on assembly lines in factories that either went broke or left the country for more profit. While these people were working on the assembly line, they didn’t have a chance to learn a trade. So far, I have placed nine people in the field they chose, at no cost to them. They had the opportunity to earn as well as learn hands-on.

“You can make some good money making molding”

I have a Woodmaster Molder/Planer. Since I’ve started using it, I’ve made quite a bit of trim. The 718 is a wonderful tool, I enjoy using it. I set it up as a dedicated

Here's the 18" Woodmaster Molder/Planer like the one Ralph uses in his shop.

Here’s the 18″ Woodmaster Molder/Planer like the one Ralph uses in his shop.

molding machine for making trim and I make a lot of it. I just did 1,500 board feet of trim a month ago for a house and 3,000 board feet for another job.

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You can make some good money in molding. A lot of people do old home renovations and we make molding to match the trim you can’t buy anywhere. I charge $2.30 a lineal foot for surfacing three sides and cutting a profile. I also charge for the customer for the wood. For example, poplar is $1.60 a board foot. I charge for the wood and for my work: $3.90 a board foot. That’s less than the customer would pay at a lumberyard and I’m making money.

I often need to have custom knives made to match older trim. I send Woodmaster a piece of trim for which I need the profile knife made. They send me the knife. It works out very well. The customer and I each pay half the cost of the knife and I keep the knife for making trim in the future.

“I bought a Woodmaster Drum Sander on their monthly payment plan”

Ralph owns a Woodmaster Drum Sander, too. "Very useful because I make a lot of furniture."

Ralph owns a Woodmaster Drum Sander, too. “Very useful because I make a lot of furniture.”

I also have a Woodmaster 38” drum sander. I use the drum sander for face frames, for example. I can run them through and they’ll be a uniform and level throughout. Or when I glue up a panel for the end of a cabinet, I simply run it through the drum sander and it comes out nice and you can get a beautiful finish. I got the 38” because a lot of people make face frames and bring them to me to sand instead of trying to level them out with a hand-held sander.

I bought it on the monthly payment plan and set up payments. I was pleased with the Woodmaster Molder/Planer so I decided to go with the Woodmaster Drum Sander. It’s very helpful because I make a lot of furniture.

“Weekend warrior tools just don’t hold up.”

Here’s a handsome bookcase made in Ralph Jones’ workshop.

Woodmaster is one of the top woodworking tools as far as I’m concerned. Other tool brands I’ve seen are not as stable. Many are overpriced and overrated. Whenever I need a tool, it must be a commercial grade tool. If I’m going to be in business, and be able to train people, I have to have quality tools. The weekend warrior tools just don’t hold up. Woodmaster is most definitely commercial grade. I recommend Woodmaster highly.

Woodmaster is 4 tools in 1

If you want the best quality woodworking tool that will give you what you need and want, then you need to contact Woodmaster tools. Say you buy a Grizzly® tool and you want to do more than one function, you can’t. The tool does only one thing. Woodmaster – you can take the cutterhead out

Ralph makes handsome Adirondack-style chairs. His unique innovation: they fold up.

Ralph makes handsome Adirondack-style chairs. His unique innovation: they fold up.

and set it up as a gang ripsaw, or a drum sander, or as a molder.

Woodmaster is a multi-function machine of a far better grade tool than any on the market. Most of your other tools do just one thing. Woodmaster is four tools in one. Any time I have the opportunity to use my Woodmaster tools it’s sheer pleasure for the ease of setting them up and not having to worry about kickback.”

— Ralph Jones, Woodmaster Owner, Ralph Jones Workshop

Read more about Ralph.

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Woodmaster Owner: “WE TOOL & DIE MAKERS ARE FUSSY!”

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Here's Charles in his workshop, running a panel through his Woodmaster Molder/Planer while his Woodmaster Drum Sander stands ready (foreground). Behind Charles are two of the toy boxes he's made for his grandkids. He has his work cut out for him: when we spoke, he had 13 grandkids, "And one on the way!"

Here’s Charles in his workshop, running a panel through his Woodmaster Molder/Planer while his Woodmaster Drum Sander stands ready (foreground). Behind Charles are two of the toy boxes he’s made for his grandkids. He has his work cut out for him: when we spoke, he had 13 grandkids, “And one on the way!”

We had a chat not long ago with Charles Smith, of Venice, Florida. Charles’ background and experience give him a unique perspective on Woodmasters. He owns both a 50″ Woodmaster Drum Sander and a Woodmaster Molder/Planer. He uses both machines regularly. He uses them in both his business and for personal projects he builds. And he has past experience as a carpenter, woodworker, and tool & die maker. We thought you might find what he had to say interesting and instructive.

“I’ve done woodworking for many years. My father was a carpenter and skilled craftsman, and I was a hobby woodworker and a builder in Michigan in the 70’s and 80’s. When I came down here to Florida, I came as a builder/remodeler. I got into tool and die trade and worked at General Motors for 17 years. Believe it or not, that honed my woodworking skills. We tool and die makers are particular — we work in one hundred thousandths of an inch. It’s made me a little fussier with some of the woodworking I do and the finishes I end up with.

Everything from $1,000,000 contracts to grandkids’ toy boxes

"These are parts for the toy boxes I build for my grandkids. I've been asked to sell them but I've got a lot of hours and a lot of love in them so I don't think I'll be selling them."

“These are parts for the toy boxes I build for my grandkids. I’ve been asked to sell them but I’ve got a lot of hours and a lot of love in them so I don’t think I’ll be selling them.”

I’ve owned American Glaziers, a commercial glazing contractor, for the past 10 years. We do local and national contracts ranging from $1,000 to $1,000,000 per job. Our big jobs are government contracts, Veteran’s Administration hospitals, schools, and churches.

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I use my Woodmasters in both my hobby woodworking and my glazing business. American Glaziers just did some reproduction windows for Okeechobee Court House.

Charles's company did a big window project for the Okeechobee Courthouse. "When a window job calls for wood, we use the Woodmaster."

Charles’s company did a big window project for the Okeechobee Courthouse. “When a window job calls for wood, we use the Woodmaster.”

But most of what I do with my Woodmasters is for my hobby and personal interests. I make toy boxes for my grandkids and make projects for my wife. I make cupboards, shelving, that type of thing. I keep quite active in woodworking, about one to three days a week. I love it. I still work in the glazing business but I’ll definitely move into woodworking in retirement — I love woodworking.

My first Woodmaster was a 50” drum sander. I did my research. I saw Woodmaster was American made. I was impressed by the Woodmaster website and the way the machine is constructed. Being a tool and die maker, I appreciate bearings and precision — and the digital readout.

50” drum sander wasn’t my first choice but…

The 50” drum sander wasn’t my first choice. I was going to settle for the 26” but the 50” was available and I jumped on it. I love it. It’s great. I can put two grits on it at the same time: 25” of fine and 25” of medium sandpaper. I have the best of both worlds there. I can run rough wood through on one end of the drum and then run it through the other side to finish it. That’s the way I load the drum with sandpaper: two grits side by side. I can run 24” material through one grit then the other grit without changing anything.

Molder/Planer’s Spiral Cutterhead – super smooth surfacing

Then I got my Woodmaster Molder/Planer. It takes the widest panels I’ve needed so far. I upgraded it with the Carbide Tipped Spiral Cutterhead as an add-on. The Spiral Cutterhead has six rows of carbide inserts and they’re slightly staggered so that the next row takes up the slight gap that’s between it and the previous row. The beauty is – there are several beauties – they’re in a spiral pattern so rather than hit the wood in a straight line, they shave it on an angle and I believe you get a little advantage that way. Not just in the finish but in the low strain it puts on the wood. It ends up creating a very, very smooth finish.

As you can see, Charles isn't kiddin' about the smooth finish his 725 Woodmaster Molder/Planer creates with the Spiral Cutterhead leaves. Some say, "Smooth as silk in a single pass."

As you can see, Charles isn’t kiddin’ about the smooth finish his 725 Woodmaster Molder/Planer creates with the Spiral Cutterhead leaves. Some say, “Smooth as silk in a single pass.”

There are six rows of small, square cutters and they each have four carbide cutting faces. If you get a nick in one face, you simply turn it. You don’t have to take blades out and have them ground, you just take out the cutterhead and rotate the affected insert.

Sturdy

And the way the Woodmaster is built, it’s very sturdy, very precise. Use isn’t going to deteriorate the machine. It’s not going to affect it. I expect this machine to do what it’s doing now in another 10 years.

There are some wearable parts – the blades, the inserts. These are replaceable of course. But even the Spiral Cutterhead’s inserts: I don’t know if in 10 years I’ll go through all four rotations. They’re carbide and wood hardly wears carbide at all. Carbide is just such a hard material. I may get a nick in one, running a staple through the machine, or a nail accidentally. But that would only affect one side of the four-sided insert.

Woodmaster has it all. Sturdiness, the bed is all cast iron. The feed rollers are very precise. You get very little if any snipe, especially on shorter boards. I run typically 3 to 4-foot boards through the machine and you get very little snipe at the ends. This is my third planer and it’s the best one I’ve ever owned.

Personal pride

Here's a closer look at one of Charles' toy chests. This is the kind of workmanship that creates heirlooms that get passed down through the generations.

Here’s a closer look at one of Charles’ toy chests. This is the kind of workmanship that creates heirlooms that get passed down through the generations.

Charles Smith - business owner, woodworker, Woodmaster Owner!

Charles Smith – business owner, woodworker, Woodmaster Owner!

There’s a lot to be said for woodworking. It’s very relaxing, and you can take a lot of pride in what you make. You can do a lot with it, you can go as far as you want. You can build a 2 x 3” sanding block, or you can build a 21st century reproduction armoire and spend 6 months doing it. I find a lot of pleasure in it. Woodmaster, keep up the good work!

— Charles Smith, Woodmaster Drum Sander & Molder/Planer Owner, Venice FL

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“I WAS OUT OF A JOB AND HAD TO FIND WORK SOMEWHERE.” …so Charlie grew his woodworking hobby into a lucrative career.

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Suddenly out of a job and wondering how to make a living, Charlie Pearson developed his woodworking hobby into a full time, lifetime career. Today, at 77 years young, he’s making a great living and doing excellent work as “the oldest cabinetmaker in Warren County, Tennessee.”

Here's Charlie Pearson in his shop running crown molding on one of his four Woodmaster Molder/Planers. When his employer closed their doors, Charlie got serious about woodworking and the rest took care of itself.

Here’s Charlie Pearson in his shop running crown molding on one of his four Woodmaster Molder/Planers. When his employer closed their doors, Charlie got serious about woodworking and the rest took care of itself.
Editor notes: Charlie owns 4 Woodmasters. Those in this photo are his oldest ones — 28 years old and still going strong. These older models were painted grey and did not have dust collections hoods. See what NEW Woodmasters look like.

“I started woodworking as a hobby in about ’73. I started building furniture, reproductions of dry sinks, washstands, desks, poster beds, chest of drawers, tables, oak and cherry tables, and all those kind of things. I managed a grocery store full time and when it closed in ’84, I had to get a job somewhere and I’d never done a resume.

I started making custom doors and raised panels for cabinetmakers. Then I figured out that since I was doing what they did, I could do the whole cabinet. So in the late ‘80’s, I started building cabinets and the business started growing. I’ve expanded my shop five times to today’s 10,000 square feet. I have over 200 power tools including four Woodmaster Molder/Planers.

When you get into woodworking, you have to be versatile. I need the Woodmaster molding machines to make all kinds of trim. I’ve got many stock molding knives and probably 15 custom cutters besides.

4 Woodmasters – 4 full-time setups

Charlie does beautiful work. This dream kitchen is just one example of how Charlie has made a name for himself. He tells us he never had training; he learned by doing.

Charlie does beautiful work. This dream kitchen is just one example of how Charlie has made a name for himself. He tells us he never had training; he learned by doing.

If you’re going to make a living in woodworking, you have to figure out how to do custom work AND maximize production. Your work has to be quality, but you have to figure out how to be productive. You can do that by adding Woodmasters and mounting the cutters you’re going to use so you don’t have to spending time changing them over. It’s more accurate that way, too, when you leave them set up. You don’t have to worry about not being right when you use them.

Here’s how I use all four of my Woodmasters: I have them all set up and I don’t change cutters. I don’t have any down time changing cutters. I do so many different kinds of things, I use all of them within a month’s time because of the different trims they’re set up to do. I can do five different crown molds; three without changing cutters. Some of my machines have more than one cutter on them at a time. As long as it’s balanced it’s not hurting anything. One Woodmaster is mounted with a back cutter, a crown mold cutter, a shoe mold, and a 1-13/16” bead mold knife. Another machine has 5-3/4” mold I use on mantles, a cove mold, and a shoe mold. I’m set up to make 4-5/8” crown mold; 2-3/4” crown mold; shelf edging; a special mold I use around the bottom of cabinets; 1-13/16” bead mold. I use them all.

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His 28-year old Woodmaster’s still going strong

I’ve never had any trouble with any Woodmaster, even the one that’s 28 years old. Woodmaster refers people to me to talk about my machines. I tell people that the years I’ve had them, I’ve never had problems with them. They come with a 5-year warranty. I’ve never had any problems with any of them.

There's always demand for high quality woodworking. Charlie tells us his business is strong, even in today's economy. The quality of his work is the reason he's always busy.

There’s always demand for high quality woodworking. Charlie tells us his business is strong, even in today’s economy. The quality of his work is the reason he’s always busy.

The advantage of having Woodmaster is it’ll make high quality molding at low cost. My brother had an expensive, high-speed molding machine that cost $17,000. See, I can buy half a dozen Woodmasters for that.

I hadn’t had training in woodworking. My brother did woodworking – I worked with him a little and learned how to make raised panel doors. I just picked it up through studying. I just learned it thorough the years. I chose Woodmaster because my brother had one. He had gone from that expensive molding machine to a Woodmaster because it was more versatile. You buy one Woodmaster and you want more!

Charlie’s business plan? Quality, efficiency & treat people right

I’ve got three people working with me part time. When the economy was good, we had seven people. We’d have seven or eight cabinet jobs going at the same time. Things have slowed down but I’m still above water. I don’t have any trouble making good money because I manage my costs and my workflow.

Charlie's in the news! Click the photo to read a recent story in Charlie's local newspaper, The Southern Standard, of McMinnville, TN. Courtesy Southern Standard.

Charlie’s in the news! Here’s an article about him published recently in his local newspaper, The Southern Standard, of McMinnville, TN. Courtesy Southern Standard.

My rule of thumb is your cost of materials for a job shouldn’t be more than half what you charge. Materials you buy shouldn’t run over 50% of what you charge. Half of what you charge is for your material and the other half is labor, operations, and overhead. If you’re doing real detailed work, materials should be less than half what you charge.

My philosophy? Do quality work and get it right the first time. My advice for others: get quality tools and treat others like you’d like to be treated and business will take care of itself. The advice I give younger guys is, don’t work for the money; work because you want to do a good job and you won’t have to worry about the money part.

Don’t think too long.

Charlie says he's the oldest cabinetmaker around. We suspect he's also just about the happiest.

Charlie says he’s the oldest cabinetmaker around. We suspect he’s also just about the happiest.

If you’re thinking about getting a Woodmaster, don’t think too long, just go ahead and buy one. It’s the best value. You can buy ‘em cheaper but it will cost you more in the long run because it doesn’t have the quality Woodmaster does. And the Woodmaster company’s been real good. Any problems I’ve had, they’ve taken care of them.

When you build something, it’ll be there for hundreds of years. The cabinets I build will last that long. I built a mantle for a lady and she said, ‘Mr. Pearson, will you sign the back of it?’ I asked her why and she said, ‘Someone may tear this house down 100 years from now.’ I told her I’d put my phone number there on the back and when someone tears it down in a hundred years, they can call me!’”

— Charlie Pearson, Woodmaster owner, McMinnville TN

See more of Charlie’s work, and read more about him on his website, www.kpcabinets.com

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“I BELIEVE HARD WORK KEEPS US GOING” — 81 years young and his Woodmaster business is great

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Glen Tompkins displays his wares in the showroom of his workshop. Glen's best-selling product is a line of folding clothes drying racks he manufactures for a chain of Maine department stores. He also builds a number of other product lines including picnic tables, Adirondack chairs, and items shown here..

Glen Tompkins displays his wares in the showroom of his workshop. Glen’s best-selling product is a line of folding clothes drying racks he manufactures for a chain of Maine department stores. He also builds a number of other product lines including picnic tables, Adirondack chairs, and items shown here. (All photos courtesy Rumford Falls Times, taken by Cherri Crockett.)

We spoke with Woodmaster Owner, Glen Tompkins of Peru, Maine a few weeks ago and were charmed by this down-to-earth woodworker who’s working hard and enjoying every minute.

Glen’s up early every day to manufacture his successful line of old-time clothes drying racks he builds with his two Woodmasters from local materials — when he’s not cruising the coast of Maine in his Mustang convertible, that is.

“I’ve been at woodworking full time about 15 or 16 years now and even before that I did it part time. I always wanted to be a woodworker, but I ended up being a machinist, auto mechanic, and truck driver. I owned a couple of gas stations, a couple of dump trucks.

Here's a photo from our Woodmaster catalog of the 718 Molder/Planer. It handles stock up to 18-1/2" wide and is our best-selling Molder/Planer.

Here’s a photo from our Woodmaster catalog of a Molder/Planer like the one Glen owns. .

I manufacture the old fashioned folding clothes drying racks for Renys Department Stores — a chain of department stores here in Maine.

I make three different styles of drying racks, two sizes in each style. Besides Renys, I sell to a few to independent hardware stores in the area, and I retail a few out of my own location. I do a few craft fairs around Christmas time and in the spring. I got involved in this by picking up a couple old drying racks way back. I redesigned them and built my own. People saw them I got calls. I build enough to keep me busy and off the streets.

I have a couple part time fellows who come in and help me out when I need it. It keeps things going. I don’t hire any full time help. When I need these guys, I call and they come in and give me a hand. When they need help, I help them.

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He’s 81 and works every day

Of course, I’m an old goat. I just turned 81. I love life, I love what I’m doing. Up until two years ago, I rode motorcycles and now I got myself a Mustang convertible I cruise around in once in awhile. I believe hard work keeps us going.

Glen builds all kinds of wood products with his Woodmasters. Here he displays doll furniture he builds to accompany the popular American Girl Doll.

Glen builds all kinds of wood products with his Woodmasters. Here he displays doll furniture he builds to accompany the popular American Girl Doll.

My work schedule varies. If I get up early in the morning, I go in early. Some mornings I’m in the shop 4 o’clock in the morning because I can’t sleep. But I’m usually in the shop 7 to 4. It’s a regular business; people can call on me there. I just purchased a building and I have a retail area, a showroom, where people can see what I’ve got.

Top quality

I got hooked up with Woodmaster three or four years ago. I was cutting all the drying rack pieces on a table saw and drilling them on a drill press. I bought a Woodmaster Molder/Planer and set it up as a gang rip saw. It’s done a great job for me. Two years ago I bought a 38” Woodmaster Drum Sander. It does a great job, too.

Here's more of Glen's artistry — in the foreground, a planter in the form of an old watering can. In the background, a wooden toy chest.

Here’s more of Glen’s artistry — in the foreground, a planter in the form of an old watering can. In the background, a wooden toy chest with raised panels and a hinged lid.

I make the clothes racks out of pine; I buy all top-grade pine lumber from a sawmill from Bethel, Maine. The dowels are birch from another Maine company. I also make picnic tables and Adirondack chairs. I make my picnic tables out of top grade spruce from a local mill. My Adirondack chairs, I make out of pine and cedar. I make some that I put skis on. I build the frames and put old skis on the backs.

He visited other Woodmaster owners before buying

Woodmaster sent me a brochure and names of people near here who owned them and I went to look at them. Woodmaster’s a nice, rugged built machine. I’ve had a very good rapport with Woodmaster in Kansas City. I call Joe and he’s right on top of everything. I bought mine with a Pro Pack — a head for planing, one for sanding, one for molding. I use it for gang sawing. I can feed an 8” wide board — 7-1/4 actual width — and out come 6, 1” pieces. It’s a great machine, a great machine.

First a Woodmaster Molder/Planer, then the Drum Sander

My Drum Sander is the 3875 Woodmaster. I’d had smaller ones including a Taiwanese one. It was open ended and didn’t do a good job on panels. It would sand a panel 16” wide. If you want 32” wide, you’ve got to reverse it and run it through the other side. With the Woodmaster 38” sander, if you’ve got a panel 36” wide, you stuff it in and it comes out all good. You just run it through ‘til you get the finish you want. It does a great job. Every once in awhile, someone will come in with a panel they made and I’ll custom sand it for them. I do quite a bit of that custom work.

“I’d tell anybody…”

I’d tell anybody point blank what I use my Woodmaster tools for and how I like them. I’d recommend them any time to anybody. The service – I called Joe one day last week because I needed some Velcro and some sandpaper for my sander. It’ll probably arrive tomorrow or it may arrive today. Their service is good.

I have nothing bad to say about Woodmaster. Any time I need something they’re right there. I always ask for Joe and he’s right on top of it. If I need tech advice, they’re right on top of it. I’m not afraid to say Woodmaster’s a wonderful company to do business with. Some day I hope to get out there to see the factory and to talk to the people.

I’m getting old; I’ve got aches and pains but I just live with them. I have a medicine I take every night. It’s called Dewar’s White Label Scotch. About 3 fingers in a water glass and fill the rest up with ice cubes and you’re great. You don’t have to put that in your story.”

— Glen Tompkins, Woodmaster Owner, Peru, Maine

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