About Us

Did you ever want to make a radical change but were too afraid to take the first step?  Me too.  Then the pandemic hit... and for the next 2 years I sat in front of a computer screen in my TV room on 9 hours of Zoom meetings every day. 

 

After a while, I started talking to myself (I'm the only one who'll listen). Have my priorities changed?  Have I gained some perspective? (I know I gained some weight)  Do I just have Zoom fatigue?  Well, whatever it was ... I needed a change.

 

A change to what you may ask?  What could someone with 30 years of financial services experience do as an "encore career?"  If you're reading this (thanks by the way) you probably figured out that I made the "obvious" choice to become a self-employed woodworker. I wanted to see if I could make a living doing something that I've always loved to do as a hobby.

 

What is the allure of woodworking?  Well, I think it started in 1978 when I made my first Pinewood Derby car.  The smell of the cut wood.  The way the grain popped when applying finish.  The way the car took shape with each pass of the sandpaper.  Looking back though, I realize it was the SMILES that the activity produced. Whether it was my dad and I smiling together working on the car or my mom smiling when she saw the final product.  Eureka!! I want to produce smiles for a living!!  I take great care in my work because nothing brings me more joy than seeing (or hearing or reading about) the smile when someone lays their hands on a piece that I crafted with my own hands.  

 

Am I nervous?  Absolutely.  While working with wood is not new, being a professional woodworker and the business aspects are.  I have the utmost respect for the craftsman and artists who dedicate their lives to this profession. And while I'll focus initially on cutting boards, bread boards and charcuterie boards, I look forward to growing my skill-set and product catalogue over time.  This website and our social media presence will also continue to mature. 

 

Below are some assorted pics from projects I've done in the past for friends and family.  If you're interested in ordering "off the menu," drop me a line and we can discuss.

 

I'm so excited to learn and grow as a professional maker and I'd be so grateful for you to join me in this new endeavor.  I'd love to produce a smile for you!

 

Thank you and Welcome to Chipdog Woodworking!

-Rob

p.s. someday I'll reveal the origin of the name... so you'll have to come back to find out ;)