Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter Rodgers.
Hi Peter, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
My great grandfather on my paternal side was a carpenter, and I guess some of that passed down to me. I took shop class in school, and have always had a creative side, but I didn’t begin doing any woodworking until around 2013 when we bought a house. I did some remodeling, installing a mudroom, and changing out some flooring. Then I started making things that my wife saw that she wanted to purchase. I built a set of cornhole boards for us, then my in-laws and I shared some photos. Next thing I knew I had orders for several more sets. In the fall of 2017, I made some cutting boards for our family as Christmas gifts, and it kind of took off from there. I spent 20 years in the Army, retiring in 2021, and while I didn’t really know it when I started, woodworking has become a great outlet for me, directing my passions into creating things with my hands. There are dozens of veteran woodworkers that I know, and I think that there’s a connection there for some reason. I wouldn’t say that woodworking has become a therapy for me, but it’s a great place to get to be with my thoughts while I am making something beautiful at the same time.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Time management is always the biggest struggle, trying to balance my full-time job with my side hustle and my family. I love woodworking and making things with my hands, but I don’t think that it’ll ever be my full-time job. There are too many pressures that come along when it’s your sole source of income. I don’t mind taking on client builds or custom work from time to time, but I don’t want that to be all that I do either. I enjoy the creative freedom that comes from being able to decide what I want to build, and when I want to build it. The time struggle was definitely more profound when I was on active duty in the Army. I was limited to a few hours on the weekends, and nights after the kids went to bed. Once I retired, I started mostly working from home in my new job so I have a little more time available to get into the shop when I’m between emails or phone calls.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I make hand-crafted items from wood, and my specialty at this point is cutting boards. I’ve made hundreds at this point. I make various kinds of cutting boards using mostly north American hardwoods like cherry, maple, and walnut but I also like to mix in some accents of more exotic woods from Africa and South America like Purpleheart. I think one of the things that sets me apart from others is my finishing process, I always get numerous compliments on how smooth my boards are at shows, and that comes from the care that I take when sanding and finishing the boards. I’ve been selling boards for 5 years now and I’ve never had one fail or be returned. I include care instructions with all of my boards and I make sure that the client understands them.
While cutting boards are my specialty, I have also made several pieces of furniture including dressers, desks, dining tables, coffee tables, and hall trees. I love the challenge of trying something that I’ve never done before.
I think the thing that brings me pride is knowing that I have crafted things that will likely be around on this planet when I’m long gone.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
In the maker space, I love Instagram, though I must say that I’m not a fan of how it has essentially become TikTok these days. I have learned so much from so many people on that platform, and I can safely say that I wouldn’t be able to make half of the things that I have created without the support of the friends that I’ve made there. It’s definitely a collaborative space within the woodworking community there, and not so much of a competition which I really enjoy. Outside of that I also enjoy watching and learning from various folks on YouTube, there is almost a limitless amount of information to consume there among so many disciplines. I watch things on woodworking obviously, but I also enjoy gardening and I am learning how to can and preserve our harvest, so that’s an area of interest as well.
On the personal side, I enjoy suspense/action books like those from Lee Child (the Reacher series) and from Preston and Child (the Pendegast series). I am a fairly avid reader and I consume dozens of books a year, but mostly for entertainment. I do still enjoy an actual paper book, but I also have a Kindle that I read on from time to time.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cbrwoodcraft.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cbrwoodcraft/
