Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew Gossman.
Hi Andrew, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
It all started back in cub scouts as a young boy. I got into the woodworking, leatherworking, and carving skills. Loved it! That continued on into boy scouts and young adulthood. In high-school I enrolled in duel enrollment with the local trades school for construction trades. From there I really enjoyed finish carpentry, but thrived in the environment as a whole. Building was exciting and fast paced.
Then things really took off, I found a local trim carpenter at my church who was looking for a young man to learn the trade of finish work! Im in! I spent the next several years working with wood in any way I could. Finish work, framing, stairs, cabinets, built-ins, and anything else I could. Slowly learning joinery, proper sanding techniques, the different glues and finishing materials. That carried me into project management and more custom work. Finally after many years I took the leap and started my own company to be a totally custom woodworker. Its a slow but rewarding road to take.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not! It takes time to learn the skills…mostly finding someone who will teach them. Its a dying art for sure. From there you have to mess up a lot! Try things, fail, figure out why, try again. And let’s not forget tools and the crazy cost associated with them. Its a very pricey endeavor to buy or build a wood shop. I do believe slow and steady wins the race. Its a skill set that must be appreciated to be understood. You can’t just jump in and take off.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a custom woodworker. Basically I enjoy making all the things you can’t find in a store. That one spot in your house that just needs “something”. I love helping to design and create those pieces. The ones that really make a home special.
I also have my own saw mill set up at the shop. That really helps with the creativity. The ability to take a log and go through all the steps start to finish. Talking through all the possibilities with the customer is fun for me. One log holds so much potential.
How do you think about happiness?
Woodworking…. I really enjoy the process. Understanding the grain, the drying, the cuts, and the completion. Its a full experience for me. Like chapters of a book…. each pieces of wood from the mill reveals like a chapter of a book. Each piece ties into the piece before and the piece after, but skip and piece and the story gets lost. Reading the bark as the front cover. I get an idea of what that tree lived and endured. Its not until the entire log has been cut and the pieces all examined front to back from the first to the last that I get the whole story. And every tree is a new book!
Pricing:
- Materials
- Finishing
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goosenest_wood_works/
- Facebook: GooseNestWoodworks
