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.

06/17/2026

A nice timber framing moment at the shop a couple weekends ago.

Jerome Dally, aka "Jerry," Mike Rosenberger, aka "El Guapito," Zeke Boyle, aka "The Barn Whisperer," and Wild Thor... aka "Wild Thor."

Decades of experience and a shared love for the craft.

A reminder that timber framing is built as much on tradition, friendship, and mentorship as it is on timber and tools.

06/15/2026

TOOLS OF THE CRAFT: FROE

The froe is a splitting tool, not a cutting tool. Its heavy blade is set at a right angle to the handle and driven into the end grain
of a log by a wooden mallet. The handle is then levered to split the wood along the grain. Splitting produces stronger pieces than sawing because the fibers run continuously through the split face.

What is it used for?
The froe produces wood that is structurally stronger than sawn lumber because the split follows the grain rather than cutting
across it. In historic timber building, froes were used to make roof shingles, barn siding, chair parts, and the treenails used to pin timber frame joints. It is still the best way to make parts that need to bend without breaking.

How is it made?
The froe blade does not need to be razor sharp because it splits rather than cuts. It needs to be thick enough to wedge the
wood apart as the handle is levered. The eye is forged into the blade and the handle passes through it. A good froe handle is straight-grained and stout enough to absorb the levering force without flexing.

When was it made?
The froe was an essential production tool across medieval Europe and colonial America. Before powered sawmills, nearly
all shingles, boards, and wooden pegs were produced by splitting, not sawing. Iron froes appear in tool inventories and agricultural records from the 12th century onward. In timber framing and heritage craft work, the froe remains an active tool.

06/08/2026

WOOD OF THE CRAFT: CHERRY

Cherry is one of those woods that sells itself the moment someone sees a piece that has been sitting in light for a few years. Fresh cut it runs from pale pinkish brown to light reddish tan. Leave it in a room with sunlight and it transforms. Within a year or two it deepens into a rich reddish brown that no stain can replicate. That color shift is why you never stain cherry. You are fighting the wood instead of working with it.
Cherry machines cleanly and responds well to hand tools. The grain is typically straight and fine, which makes it forgiving for beginners and fast for experienced hands. The one thing to watch is blotching. Cherry absorbs finish unevenly on raw wood so a wash coat of shellac first seals the grain and keeps the color even across the board.
The tree grows throughout the Catskills along old pasture edges and disturbed ground. Wide clear slabs are rare and worth holding onto when you find them. The fruit has been used for pies, preserves, and whiskey flavoring in this region for generations.
Have you ever watched a cherry piece change color over time?
MCR Woodwork — Timber Framing & Custom Woodwork

06/05/2026

Built-in closet installed in a Catskill farmhouse. Painted pine and furniture grade plywood, integrated drawers and pull-out shelves.
Clean on the outside. Hardworking on the inside.

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.

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?