MCR Designs

MCR WOODWORK is a timber and woodworking studio focused on structure, design, and craft.

Our work is grounded in historic timber frame restoration, barn preservation, the design and installation of reclaimed timber structures, and tailored woodwork. Michael Rosenberger is a 3rd generation woodworker born and raised in Callicoon, NY from the Catskills mountains. His traditional and creative craftsmanship fosters a modern design that preserves the natural beauty and detail, delivering

a clean fine edge finish. As a master woodworker his range of experience stems from original and collaborative designs that have been distributed across the United States in personal homes, businesses and installations.

06/01/2026

TOOLS OF THE CRAFT: BLOCK PLANE

The block plane is a compact hand plane designed to be used with one hand. Its blade is set at a lower angle than a bench
plane, which makes it ideal for cutting across end grain without tearing the fibers. Every finish carpenter and timber framer
keeps one within reach.

What is it used for?
In timber framing and finish work, the block plane trims tenon shoulders flush, chamfers the edges of exposed beams, and
cleans up end grain cuts made by saws. It is also used to fit trim and built-ins precisely in place. When the fit needs to be
exact, this is the plane that gets it there.

How is it made?
Block plane bodies are cast from ductile iron or, in premium versions, gunmetal bronze for rigidity and mass. The blade is
ground from high-carbon or A2 steel and held at a precise angle by an adjustable cap iron. A well-tuned block plane takes
tissue-thin shavings off hardwood end grain without tearing.

When was it made?
The modern block plane was developed in the United States in the mid-1800s as the woodworking trade industrialized.
Stanley's No. 60-1/2 low-angle block plane, introduced in the 1870s, became the definitive standard and remains one of the
most copied plane designs in production today.

05/29/2026

WEAR THE CRAFT : MANHANDLERS T-SHIRT .
We Carry More Than Timber
Classic tee featuring our custom line-art of four timber framers hauling a beam up a mountain. Because why take the easy trail? CHECK BIO FOR LINK

05/28/2026

MEMORIAL WEEKEND WEATHER WAS A BUMMER, SO WE’RE MAKING IT UP THIS SATURDAY.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE WOOD
THINGS MADE FROM IT BY THE SHOP AND LOCAL ARTISTS, 

MUSIC PLAYED THROUGH IT BY RECORD MUSEUM, WOODEN INSTRUMENTS, 
AND FOOD SMOKED USING WOOD FROM ONE OF THE OLDEST APPLE TREES ON THE PROPERTY.

ITS A COMMUNAL GATHERING.
BYO FOOD + BYO DRINKS AND WE’LL ADD IT TO THE TABLE.
WE’LL PROVIDE THE SMOKER/GRILL, ICE, AND CHAIRS.

IN HORTONVILLE AT MCR WOODWORK.
CAN’T MISS IT.
MIND THE MESS — WE’RE STILL IN TRANSIT.

.museum.ny

05/25/2026

JOINTS OF THE CRAFT: KANAWA-TSUGI

The Kanawa-tsugi is a Japanese splice joint and it is in a category of its own. Where most scarf joints rely on pegs and lap geometry to stay together, the Kanawa-tsugi locks from the inside. Both halves are cut as interlocking mirror images with a complex stepped profile that can only be assembled in one direction. Once together, an interior wedge is driven into a pocket that spans both pieces, drawing the joint faces tight against each other. The tighter the load, the tighter the joint.
When would you use it?
Principal beams. Roof ridge timbers. Any member where the splice is carrying real load and a failure point is not acceptable. Japanese temple and shrine builders used this joint on their most critical structural members because it performs under stress rather than loosening from it.

How is it cut?
Both halves are laid out from the same centerline and cut as perfect mirror images. The interior wedge pocket is cut spanning both pieces so the wedge has nowhere to go except tighter. Assembly is a one-way operation. If the layout is off by any meaningful amount, the joint will not go together. There is no hiding a bad fit here.

How old is it?
The Kanawa-tsugi developed during Japan's Edo period and has been in continuous use in traditional Japanese carpentry for centuries. It is still cut by hand today in shrine and temple restoration in Japan, where traditional methods are required on historic structures meant to stand for centuries more. It crossed over into American timber framing through craftspeople who studied Japanese joinery seriously, and you find it now in custom residential timber frame homes across the Northeast and Pacific Northwest. When you see this joint in a frame, you know the builder did not take shortcuts anywhere else either.

MCR Woodwork — Timber Framing & Custom Woodwork

05/22/2026

Pergola.
bridal joint and half-lap joinery, copper flashing.

05/21/2026

Delivery Day
Butternut Entertainment Center thanks for the help Paul!

05/20/2026

The slick doesn't get struck. It gets pushed. Once the mortise is roughed out the 3 inch slick comes in to pare the walls clean and true. Chest behind the handle, steady pressure, let the edge do the reading. This is where the joint either fits or it doesn't.

05/18/2026

WOOD OF THE CRAFT: CATALPA

Catalpa is one of the more surprising woods you will come across in this region. It looks soft and lightweight when you pick up a board, and it is. But put it in the ground and it will outlast almost everything else in your shop. Catalpa heartwood has exceptional natural rot resistance, which is why farmers throughout the Northeast planted it deliberately along fence lines in the 1800s specifically to grow their own post wood. A catalpa fence post set in the ground can last fifty years without treatment. That reputation is well earned.
The wood has a coarse, open grain with strong figure and a grayish brown heartwood that takes oil finish cleanly. It is not a fine furniture wood in the traditional sense but it has real character and works easily with sharp hand tools. Locally salvaged catalpa is becoming more common as old planted trees come down, and the lumber from those trees often carries the kind of figure and patina you cannot buy at a yard.
The tree also hosts the catalpa sphinx moth caterpillar, one of the most legendary freshwater fishing baits in the eastern U.S. If you grew up in this region you probably already knew that.
Have you ever worked with catalpa or found one on a property you were building on?
MCR Woodwork — Timber Framing & Custom Woodwork

05/15/2026

The Windsor Bench
Black walnut and cherry Windsor bench by Jerome Dally. Live-edge seat, turned spindles, solid back rail. Available in multiple species. DM to discuss.

Address

Hortonville, NY

Website

http://mcrwoodwork.com/, https://www.instagram.com/mcr_woodwork/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when MCR Designs posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Want your business to be the top-listed Furniture Store in Hortonville?