About

Welcome!  My name is Drew Cummings and I'm the owner operator of Cummings Fine Woodworking out of my wood shop in Manhattan, Montana.  I'm inspired by Sam Maloof, Hal Taylor, and many other woodworkers of a similar nature.  I strive to craft pieces which are unique, functional, and take the best advantage of the figure provided by mother nature.  I never tire of the process that slowly reveals that figure's beauty as each piece is shaped and refined into a finished piece of furniture that will hopefully be enjoyed for generations to come.  I love each opportunity I'm bestowed to provide my clients with the best craftsmanship I have to offer and I look forward to an opportunity to add you to that list!

So... why do I do what I do?  I can't imagine doing anything else!  Being paid for my work is incredibly rewarding but even if I never sold a piece, I'd still find time to work with wood.  The entire process is an evolution;  It begins with a solid slab or two from the same tree.  From the shape and surface of the slab I can usually get a rough idea of what the figure within will reveal when complete.  I then layout the various parts, sometime symmetrically, sometimes not, but always adopting a specific methodology for each piece.  To me, each finished piece must tell a story.  With the layout complete my left brain takes over, and it becomes a precision construction process.  Cutting out the parts, creating the joinery, and refining methods used to construct a piece are equally challenging and rewarding.  When assembly is complete and the piece resembles a chair, it's time to hand things back over to the right brain and get creative again: time to sculpt.  I shape the piece with a variety of tools to create organic curves that blend all of the components together.  Next is the best part: Sanding!  (You probably think I'm nuts right?) Sculpting with angle grinders and rough rasps creates the shape, but the figure that I painstakingly planned for during layout is hidden beneath the wood's rough surface.  I start with 60 grit and work my way all the way up to 1000 grit.  The fog is slowly lifted until the bare wood begins to shine (no joke- you can see a reflection).  Finally, mother natures figure has been fully revealed.  Finishing is the icing on the cake.  I finally get to see if my plan on day one has worked out as I hoped it would.  I'm a kid again, it's Christmas morning, and I'm unwrapping a much anticipated present.  I can't imagine anything else I'd rather be doing...