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Company Name: Elliott Woodworking
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Contact Name: Mark Elliott
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Location: Pontiac, MI 48342
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Year Founded: 1978
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Sq. Footage: 1,600
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Employees: 1
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Gross Sales:
N/A
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Website:
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Product Specialties:
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Cabinets - Components
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Shop Equipment:
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Other - SAC 12" Jointer
Other - SAC 20" Planer
Other - SAC Shaper
Other - SAC 39" 2 head sander
Weinig - 4 head moulder
Martin - T 74 sliding table saw
Dodds - SE 1 dovetailer
Bridgewood - 22" bandsaw
Bridgewood - BWM 605 single spindle moulder
Other - Blum hinge drilling machine
Felder - FD 250 Mortiser
Delta - Combination belt / disk sander
Omga - Mitre saw
Other - Graule radial arm saw
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Viewer Comments:
Posted By:
Mikel Sinclair [01/16/2008]
Beautiful shop Mark! Very impressed with your tools, layout and cleanliness. Often peoples attention to detail in their work can be identified with how they "keep their shop & tools". If that describes you, I'd really like to see some of your work. One question, is your finishing done in the other room as well?
Posted By:
Mark Elliott [01/16/2008]
Mikel,
Thank you for your comments. The little bit of finishing that I do is done in the back of the shop. What you can't see from the pictures is that I have an explosion proof fan mounted floor level that exhausts out of the rear of the shop. When I have to spray I just sweep up and go for it. Mainly just clear coats. I have a good finishing shop that I try to send most of my stuff out to so I can stay doing what I do best. As for posting pictures of some of my work, it's just plain jane run of the mill millwork and cabinets, nothing of great artisic beauty, just well made stuff.
Posted By:
Mark B [01/16/2008]
Mark,
(I tried to post this yesterday, but it's gone. I didn't think it was offensive! Anyway, I try again -)
Nice shop and nice equipment. Have you been going it alone as a one man shop since 1978?
Mark
Posted By:
Mark Elliott [01/16/2008]
Mark,
For a brief time in the 80's I had a guy working for me. When he left I've stayed as a one man shop since. I do have a helper that comes in and tails the moulder, planer, and sander when I need him. I'll also get my kids in there when I need them also. At this point, they don't feel like following me into the business.
Posted By:
Mark B [01/16/2008]
That's interesting Mark. Congrats on making it that long and apparently successful, based on the equipment you've been able to acquire. You've kind of deifed a lot of conventional wisdom about the potential success of one man shops. Maybe part of it is just sticking to the kniting - "just plain jane run of the mill millwork and cabinets, nothing of great artisic beauty, just well made stuff."
I've been a one man shop for 6 years and doing OK. That extra set of hands at times sure would be nice. My oldest is 12, so I still have a few years to wait.
Thanks for posting.
Mark
Posted By:
Karl W [01/16/2008]
Mark,
How is the new slider treating you? I can't imagine doing the jobs that have gone through my shop in the past six months with out the felder I bought from you. I recently did a frameless job with veneered doors(horizontal grain and sequenced) the accuracy was really appreciated. The new saw looks great.
Karl W
Posted By:
Joe Calhoon [01/16/2008]
Great shop Mark! I bet the long narrow layout is an advantage for millwork and door parts. Talking to you all these years it’s nice to finally see your shop. You say your work is “plain Jane” but knowing your attention to detail I bet its top notch and very well made.
Do you cut door stiles and rails to length with the Omga? Or are you cutting them with the Martin?
Joe Calhoon
Posted By:
Mark Elliott [01/16/2008]
Mark B. The key to making it as a one man shop is to buy the best equipment you can when ever you get a chance. The Martin saw is my 6th saw in my career, the planer and jointers are my 4th and so on. Karl, I am so happy to hear the Felder has worked out for you. I found some extra parts that didn't go with it that you could use. I don't have your card anymore otherwise I would have sent them to you. You can send me a private email with your address and I'll get them off to you.
Joe, the long narrow shop works out great. The Omga can only crosscut 5 1/2" @ 1 3/4" so for bottom and lock rails I have to use the Martin, and as long as I'm cutting those I go ahead and cut all my parts on it. I only have the Omga set up to cut a little over 6' anyway as I'm constrained by space.
Posted By:
Larry [01/21/2008]
Very nice shop, there have been many occasions that I have wished I had stayed a one-man operation! Must like SAC? I’ve got a TS80 bought new in ’82. After many miles we just put new bearings in it last year. Our Weinig P22N has been a great machine for the last 15 years. If I had it to do over I’d get a 2nd top head.
Posted By:
Keith Sherrard [02/13/2008]
The pictures of the wood shops make a poor man cry. I have to pull out my snowblower and move a few things around to work.
Thanks for making me jealous
Posted By:
Aaron [02/04/2009]
how is your mortiser like for making solid doors
pretty accurate?
Posted By:
Mark Elliott [02/04/2009]
Aaron,
The mortiser I have is a Felder FD 250 and I've been very happy with how it works for doors. I use it primarily for doweling but when needed it mortises nice. The key is to not plunge in full depth but to work your way in while traversing the head side to side.
If I could I would add more pictures of my machinery. I might see if the site administrator will let me do this.
Mark
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Member