Bench Notes from the shop. Thoughts, observations, and work in progress.

Charcuterie board’s

A Board Meant to Be Used Long before charcuterie became a word we used casually, boards like these already existed. They weren’t made for display. They were made because people needed a solid surface to cut bread, slice meat, serve food, and gather around a table. char·cu·te·rie: (French: from chair, meaning “flesh,” and cuit, meaning…

by LarryWood January 20, 2026

If trees could talk

It’s reasonable to wonder whether towns like the ones we grew up imagining still exist. Places with wide porches, mature trees, and neighborhoods that feel settled and known. The kind of towns you might remember from an old television show. La Grande is one of them. Nestled in the Grande Ronde Valley of eastern Oregon,…

by LarryWood January 17, 2026

Giving New life to old tools

A few years ago, I was given a large box of old tools by my son-in-law’s family. It was the kind of box you take your time with, digging through piece by piece, not quite knowing what you’ll find. Among them was a D. R. Barton beveled framing chisel. The blade was still solid, but…

by LarryWood January 7, 2026