04/27/2023
About Us...
The best information I have says my Grandfather (The Olde Swede) opened the original "Sawdust Shoppe" on St Mary's Street in Pontiac, Michigan around 1966. The exact date seems to vary from family member to family member with no two in total agreement. The fine tuning of the year centers around the death of my mother's pet cat, who was burred under what would become the corner of my grandfather's shop. But I digress...
My grandfather, a General Motors employee and life long driver of Ford vehicles, made hundreds of storm windows out of his shop. It was, to my understanding, quite a side business for him. He also did the occasional odd job, and built a number of pieces of furniture over the years.
In the mid 1980s, after retirement, he moved to a small town in northwestern Michigan. While he continued to call his one stall garage "The Sawdust Shoppe" he no longer did paid work. He instead turned his hands to works of art for friends and family alike, dabbling in scroll work, bowl turning, and still the occasional piece of furniture when a need arose.
Many of my memories of my grandfather involve his workshop. As a real youngster, I lived to suck up the sawdust with the shopvac. Later, he taught me how to turn a spindle, cut a pattern on the scroll saw, and may other basic skills of the craft.
The Olde Swede's Sawdust Shoppe is a living tribute to that man; the original Old Swede. I make custom furniture for the kitchen, living room and patio using a combination of new and old tools and techniques. I use real wood; no IKEA particle board here. I will not deceive, my current skill level journeymen at best, but I aspire to reach for mastery in the craft, and with each project I learn and improve.
Thank you for your interest in my Shop. I do custom work, so please use the contact form to get the conversation started. Otherwise, have a look at my products as they are my portfolio and join my mailing list or check back often as new items appear regularly.
~Luke
The Young Swede.
