Owen Caldwell, Master Woodworker

For a specific room, a specific use

How a commission works.

I take on a small number of pieces each year — usually six or eight. The process below is the one I use whether the piece is a small stool or a full dining set. There's no minimum, and no maximum I haven't tried.

Side Chair No. 4 — workshop plan
The process

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  1. We start with a phone call or studio visit. I want to understand the room, the use, and the people. I'll send a written proposal with sketches, materials, and a price range within a week.

  2. Once the direction is settled, I prepare measured drawings and a wood selection plan. A 40% deposit secures a place in the queue. Lead times typically run 12–20 weeks.

  3. I work on one or two pieces at a time. I'll send a few photos as the build progresses, but I keep updates light — the work goes faster with fewer interruptions.

  4. I deliver and install most pieces myself within driving distance of the Hudson Valley. Pieces shipped further travel crated, by a furniture carrier I trust. Final balance is due on delivery.

Materials & method

Three woods, sourced from small mills in the Northeast.

  • White oak

    Catskills, NY

    Janka1,360 lbf

  • Walnut

    Central Pennsylvania

    Janka1,010 lbf

  • Cherry

    Central Pennsylvania

    Janka950 lbf

I trained in joinery and timber framing in Vermont before opening my own shop in 2017. The work I take on now is mostly residential — dining tables, benches, chairs, the occasional cabinet — and almost always commissioned for a specific room and a specific use.

I source lumber from small mills in the Northeast: white oak from the Catskills, walnut and cherry from family-owned operations in central Pennsylvania. Pieces are finished with hand-rubbed oils and waxes, never sprayed.

Each piece is signed and dated, and built to outlive the person who ordered it. If you're considering a commission, I'd be glad to talk through the work.

The shop

What hangs above the bench.

  • No. 4 smoothing plane

    Lie-Nielsen, A2 iron

  • Bench chisels

    Set of six, 1/8 — 1 in.

  • Joiner's mallet

    Shop-made, hard maple

  • Dovetail saw

    Bad Axe, 15 ppi rip

  • Marking gauge

    Brass-faced wheel

  • Furniture carrier

    Modern Movers, NY

The studio
The workshop

Build sheet

Side Chair · Cherry · ref.

Materials
$420 — $640
Joinery (32 — 48 hrs)
$1,600 — $2,400
Hand-finishing
$280 — $420
Crating & delivery
$120 — $260
Typical, all in
$2,400 — $3,720
Lead time
12 — 20 weeks
Deposit
40%
Range
Northeast US
Begin

Get in touch.

Tell me a little about the room, the use, and any rough timeline. I'll respond within a few business days.

owen@caldwellwoodworks.com →

112 N. Front St · Hudson, NY 12534 · By appointment