Oh, what the heck.  This is the other article I have had in the hopper for more than a year.  David Keller is a legend in woodworking, and even though I don’t have a photo of him, his story is just too good to sit on my hard drive anymore!

If you can go to your shop and cut through dovetails without having to reach for a hand saw and chisels, you may want to stop and offer some thanks to David Keller. After all, David was one of the brain trust who invented the router-driven through dovetail jig way back in the mid 1970’s. While the owner of Keller Dovetail Jigs is well known in woodworking circles, his path to the level of accomplishment he has achieved didn’t really start with woodworking at all.

David actually graduated with a degree in social psychology and worked at a state hospital in Michigan before he realized that it just wasn’t for him. “I knew I was in trouble when I discovered that there were just too many insane people that I had to work with.”

After looking for a big career switch, he moved west to try his hand at furniture making. He bounced around working odd jobs – such as taking an apprenticeship at a reupholstry shop (he didn’t like it one bit ) while looking for the dream furniture. His search, however, wasn’t very successful. “You have to remember that during that time period, custom furniture making wasn’t really done. People were buying machine-made pieces, and the whole idea of craft building hadn’t yet caught on.” But, David was soon to discover that he was in the right place at the right time.

In a move to the San Francisco Bay area, he met up with noted woodworker Art Carpenter. “It was a very interesting time. We met after lunch on a cold day back in ’71. He liked my enthusiasm and brought me on board. I started out sweeping the floor and sanding for Art for a whopping two dollars an hour. But I learned so much there.

Carpenter was well known for his California Roundover school of furniture design, which dictated a very smooth, tactile approach to building furniture. Another thing Art demanded was that all casework be dovetailed. But, all those dovetail joints took time to cut by hand. Surely, there had to be an easier way…

Carpenter first cut some plexiglass jigs to work as a template for through dovetail work. They worked OK, but David realized that if the work was going to be tight and consistent, it was going to require some precision machining. So, drawing upon his extensive knowledge of drafting – that he remembered from a high school drafting class – and prepared plans for a machine shop in San Jose to cut out. That modest jig he designed is still sold today as the model 3600.

David’s recommendation to improve the router bits even led to the invention of a very commonly used router bit. “By doing away with a guide collar and going to a ball-bearing guide, we effectively designed the first flush-trim bit.”

The rest, as they say, is history.

When you succeed, there are critics. After all, hand cut dovetails are a signature joint for woodworkers the world over. Some woodworkers who rely on the hand-cut methods have remarked that a jig that allows the average woodworkers to make this venerable joint ‘cheapens’ the craft. “For those who like to cut your dovetails by hand, more power to you. That’s a skill that is very enjoyable and very centering. But, if you want to get a project done with properly fitted dovetails in a reasonable amount of time, using a jig and router provides excellent results and allows you more time to design, assemble and finish.”

In fact, a common criticism of router-cut dovetails is a ‘generic’ feel they have, with pins and tails at precise intervals. Some jigs can overcome this during their setup, but that can be tedious. “We’ve found that users of the Keller jig have been very creative in their suggestions and recommendations. The simplicity of the jig gives the user a flexibility to variably space the tails and pins, or even dovetail around curves.”

While many other companies have released through dovetail jigs since Keller first released his in 1976, the product’s longevity is a strong indicator of its worthiness. “Yes, even after all these years, the jig’s design is still durable, useful, easy to set up and the damned thing still works well!” In fact, one of the original jigs Keller built back in 1976 is still in operation at a Salt Lake City high school wood shop.

Of course, I had to ask if Keller ever had the opportunity to do any woodworking on his own nowadays. “Heck no! You should see what passes for my shop. Every horizontal surface is covered with jigs to mail, manuals, magazines – the works,” Keller laughed. “In fact, we had to shoot the instructional video in someone else’s shop – mine was just too crowded.”

It sounds like Keller might be a victim of his own success.

You can find reviews, customer testimonials and even order a jig online at www.kellerdovetail.com, or by calling 1-800-995-2456.

With the New Year, it’s time to look into the article closet to check on some gems that haven’t seen the light of day.  This one has been almost two years in the making.  It turns out that David is slightly camera shy, but the work he and his crew does is unbelievable.

Woodworking can be a very personal endeavor. We get into it for our own reasons. Maybe it’s because a parent or relative did it. Others of us find the path on our own.

That’s what happened with David Sochar, owner of Acorn Woodworks of Westfield, Indiana. You see, David has always had the ambition to get into woodworking, but didn’t have the right encouragement. “When I was a kid, everything was geared toward higher education. I went to prep school, then to college. During all this education, all I just wanted to do was make things using my hands. My counselors were highly entertained by this novelty.”

When the peace movement hit full stride in 1971, David was caught up in the effort. He wandered around the country for a few years, earning a living doing manual crafts and labor to provide a decent living. “After a few years, I settled on working with wood as what I wanted to do. It’s forgiving, plentiful and a perfect natural material.”

David found his way back to his home state of Indiana. Odd jobs such as framing pictures and restoring antiques helped develop his skills. Eventually, David landed a job with a true architectural shop, building curved staircases, mantles, shutters and other high-end pieces. “It was heaven for me. I had finally found myself.”

As David’s abilities progressed, he eventually helped establish a shop that employed 25 woodworkers and cranked out high-end residential work. Ultimately, in 1991, he had to walk away from the operation. “The owners were less than human. One of them is now doing time in jail. It was a very bad situation.”

He went home that afternoon and announced to his family that he had quit the job. Rather than be alarmed by his move, David’s wife suggested they withdraw some cash to purchase some essential new tools for his hobby shop. “When I got back from the shopping trip, I already had two orders waiting for me on my home answering machine. That was the birth of Acorn Woodworks, and we’ve been running like hell since.”

Today, Acorn Woodworks has a brand new 9,000 square foot facility just outside of Indianapolis. “We have room to dance, if needed. We even splurged and now have a forklift to unload and move lumber – talk about a back saver!” The shop is very well equipped with some of the latest equipment. A 20” Laguna band saw, Delta Unisaws… “We even bought a laser guided rip saw from the last Ethan Allen plant to close in the US. A wonderful 2-1/2 tons of solid American cast iron that can work all day without breaking a sweat.”

While the shop may have some of the latest and greatest equipment, David’s philosophy with his employees hearkens back to a different day and age. Currently, Acorn Woodworks employs five full time woodworkers, and each of them is considered one of the company’s greatest assets. “Today, I have the pleasure of working with some of the best woodworkers I have known, and doing the best work. We have no employee problems and each of these people is like family. I easily trust them with my livelihood.”

In fact, David encourages each of his employees to use the shop equipment to do his own ‘homework.’ “I encourage everyone to make things for themselves, since the problem solving takes on a new dimension when they have to live with their results.”

That trust in each employee easily shows in the quality of the work Acorn turns out. “Problem solving is what we do. Daily. On the fly. Anticipating. Always problem solving. All we do is custom work, so every project requires the sum of an individual’s experience, and the collective shop experience. We call this shop equity since it is an asset that is important to what we do. We all enjoy a bit – or more – of a challenge.”

Sometimes that custom work can take some very strange twists. “I was commissioned to make a cedar chest for a bridal dress. The customer told me that the bride – his wife to be – was killed in a car accident the day before the wedding. He wanted bluebirds painted on the lid and fittings inside for memorabilia of the wedding that never was. It was an extremely sad story, but it was gratifying to build and he was very appreciative. He explained how this helped with the grieving process.”

With all of the success David is enjoying at Acorn Woodworks, how does this one-time free spirit relax? For someone who has woodworking in his soul, there’s really only one thing he can do. “Well, my wife insists I need a hobby – other that wood – but I can’t imagine what she is talking about.”