Q & A with The 1812 Shoppe – Custom Woodworks

716-237-0880
the1812shoppe.com
the1812shoppe@gmail.com

Craig Vollmer is a craftsman and the owner of The 1812 Shoppe located in Marathon, NY, who recently relocated his business to Cortland County. 

Q: What does 1812 stand for? 

A: The War of 1812.  My dad started The 1812 Shoppe in 1970 in Sackets Harbor NY, where a historic fort from the war is located.  He refinished, repaired, and reupholstered furniture, but always dreamed of building furniture.  That dream went unfilled before his untimely death. I kept the name to honor his legacy, while creating my own.  

Q: How long have you been a woodworker?

A: About 30 years, but if you count the early years tinkering as a kid it’s more like 45.

Q: Did you go to school for woodworking?

A: I am mostly self-taught, learning a lot from my dad and from wood shop class in high school. When my real passion started, I feverishly read every magazine or book I could find and watched every show on television, learning from other experts and a lot of practice. I have since learned to develop my own designs and plans and now study more about historic styles, architecture, form, and composition to help inspire my designs. 

Q: What kind of products do you make?

A: I make a wide range of products that includes bedroom furniture, dining tables, accent tables, shelving, cabinets, chests; home goods/decor like cutting boards, candle décor, clocks, wall art, lamps; and novelty items like Bluetooth speakers, memorial urns, keepsake boxes, and chess boards. I also take old salvaged, vintage, or odd items and repurpose or incorporate them into a unique wood product.

Q: What kind of wood do you use?

A: I mostly use domestic hardwood lumber—walnut, maple, cherry, oak, ash, butternut, elm, beech, birch, and hickory, including figured exotics in those species, but I can get softwoods like pine or imported species if a customer wants it for their project. Much of my lumber comes from sustainably harvested or salvaged logs and trees that I selected and had sawn to my specifications, that are dried for many years before use. 

Q: How do you manage quality in your work?

A: Wood is a tricky medium.  It has natural inherent flaws and is sensitive to moisture and temperature.  I go to great lengths to minimize the chances of product or part failure. I select the right lumber, stabilize it, and meticulously mill it. I employ the most appropriate joinery and techniques and make sure my client understands the options and their pros and cons. I use a range of finishes to bring out the color, grain and character of the wood. My goal is for most of my products to last forever.

Q: Do you sell retail or just do custom work?

A: Both.  I build custom pieces, but I also design and build my own products that I sell retail locally, at craft shows, over the internet from my website, and ship to customers. 

Q: Will you build custom projects from pictures people present to you?

A: Yes and no.  I get these requests frequently.  Sometimes it helps the customer communicate their style preferences and what they are looking for. Some products are common, and I am glad to build them as is. But, if it is something that is clearly unique, I will not steal someone else’s design and take credit for it – whether for my own products or for a custom piece.  Instead, I will use it, or an element of it, for inspiration and work together with my customer to design a different version of it. 

Q: How can people connect with you?

A:  Website: www.The1812Shoppe.com. Facebook: @The1812Shoppe. Instagram: the_1812_shoppe. Phone: 716-237-0880. Email: the1812shoppe@gmail.com.