HOLDEN — “I really just started woodworking last fall,” David Lovell admitted recently.

“It started out by my wife, Michele, telling me I would need a hobby when I retired,” he said.

Now it is taking him to craft fairs and sharing his work.

“I always did projects around the house and at work that involved building things, but never really just straight woodworking. I built some cabinets for our family room once; that turned out OK, but that is about the extent of it.”

Lovell, with free time now that he is retired, works from his Holden home.

“I really enjoy making the cutting boards. I also have made charcuterie boards, coasters, a pizza peel, a wine bottle balancing thing and bottle openers.”

He has expanded his woodworking offerings in response to requests.

“I’m in the process of completing several cribbage boards that are coming out pretty well. Every time I do a craft show, I get at least one request for these,” he said.

After a couple more requests for cribbage boards, “I said ‘that's it’ and started Monday morning and am now in the process of making seven; (there are) three different kinds.”

Using local materials, he processes the raw material.

“I have been using hardwoods such as black walnut" his favorite, "several different maples, cherry, mahogany, ash and sassafras. All sourced from local mills,” he said. “I buy it in slabs and mill it to suit whatever project I am doing. 

“Start to finish, the process is milling the rough lumber by cutting it with a table saw or circular saw from the slab. Then flattening on the planer, cutting into strips for gluing up together then it sits for 24 hours. 

Then he planes again. If he wants end grain or some other patterns, he has to glue up the boards again, or just do final finishing with a router for edges.

Then comes sanding — 60 grit, 120 grit, 180 grit, 220 grit — and “water pop,” spraying with water to raise the grain, and final sanding at 320 grit before oil and butter.

“Typically it takes two to three days, beginning to end,” he said.

“In terms of finish, on anything food-related I use a two-part process of a food safe mineral oil soak then apply a board butter to finish, which I also make and sell. The board butter is a combination of bees wax, also locally sourced, and mineral oil.”

Lovell has expanded his woodworking skills using internet resources and practice.

“I have learned a lot through watching videos and being a member of Facebook groups on woodworking and cutting boards. I try it out, learn from my mistakes — which are every day — and continually challenge myself to new and harder projects. 

“My end-grain cutting boards I find the most rewarding. You really never know what they are going to look like until the very end. Some amazing grain patterns emerge after the final oil and butter,” Lovell said.

“I do consider it a hobby and really don’t want it to become a business where I am so busy it requires too much time  I usually spend a couple hours in the morning, have lunch with Michele, then go back until 3 to 4 in the afternoon.”

Lovell said he has had several requests to build larger things that he turned down because of the time it would involve. 

“For example, a dining room table, bar tops, pool furniture, side and end tables, all of which I’m pretty sure I could accomplish but have no desire to do. 

“I pretty much just want to build what I can sell and give as gifts as the need arises to maintain my inventory. 

“My wife, Michele, is the credit behind creating the monster that my woodworking has become,” Lovell said. “Before I retired, she told me I needed a hobby so it’s all her fault, and I love her for it.”

Lovell said he does the craft fair circuit, too, “and this is the second fun part. I have probably done a dozen since May and have met a lot of wonderful vendors and customers along the way.

“Michele and I both worked full-time jobs for the past 35 to 40 years. It really limits what you can do and see, especially when you commute one to two hours to and from work, five days a week, work/sleep, one day for household stuff, one day rest or whatever, then back to work. 

“Now we have flexibility every day, and just meeting people at craft shows and otherwise is much more relaxed and enjoyable. I look forward to the craft shows on the weekend and especially the Sterling Street Market every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There are lots of wonderful vendors there,” he said.

“The end product is most rewarding, as well as the wonderful feedback and compliments I receive,” Lovell said.

“I try to have fun, too. I have a sign at my craft shows that the customers love: ‘Sawdust is Man Glitter.’ I even sell small bottles of ‘man glitter’ for $1. Customers love it and many relate.”

Lovell also started a Facebook page, @Woodworksbytheway, and a website,  https://woodworks-by-the-way.square.site.