We may receive a commission when you use our affiliate links. However, this does not impact our recommendations.
We’re interviewing makers from across the country. Today we’re featuring Nathan Estrela, a woodworker from Rhode Island.
How did you get started woodworking? Who were your mentors?
I come from a family of woodworkers, and my father and uncles are all talented tradesmen. My father decided to build a home for our family when I was 14, and that was when I started learning carpentry, woodworking, and other trades. By 18, I was working as a carpenter in the Boston area, which I did for 10 years.
I learned the majority of my woodworking skills from my father. Did I hate getting dragged out of bed to work at 8 a.m. on Saturday? 100%. But I now appreciate the weekends spent learning skills that would eventually become the foundation for my career.
What do you think is your best or favorite work? What kind of work do you do the most?
I’m particularly proud of my Kumiko Whisky Cabinet, which was my first time incorporating kumiko into a custom-designed piece. It also has hand cut dovetails and custom brass hardware that really tested my skills.
As a whole, my work tends to be contemporary, and many of my recent projects have been dedicated to learning new skills, including Danish cord weaving, bent laminations, and recently marquetry. I find myself drawn to projects that take time and patience. I really enjoy quiet hours spent in the shop focusing on detail work, whether it’s hand-cutting kumiko parts with a chisel or weaving a cord bench.
What advice would you give to someone that wants to start woodworking or pursue it as a profession?
Don’t surround yourself with “yes-men.” If you ask for feedback and people just say your work is brilliant and perfect, it’s easy to become complacent. The best thing you can do for yourself is find people who will give honest, critical feedback, even if it’s not what you want to hear.
For me, that person is my partner. I can always rely on her honest opinion. She tells me what’s good, what’s bad, and what needs improvement. Without someone like this in your life, it’s easy to become blind to your mistakes or stop pushing to improve your skills.
What’s your best hands-on tip or woodworking technique?
My biggest tip is to embrace hand tools. When I was working as a carpenter, I didn’t understand why anyone would choose hand tools. They seemed so old fashioned and slow… then I started building furniture. Now, my handplane is one of the most useful tools in my shop. I reach for my Stanley #5 on virtually every project. It’s far more precise than any type of power tool, allowing you to hone in on details, and it creates shavings, not dust (your lungs will thank you).
Is there anyone you’d like to shout-out or recommend we follow? Who inspires you? (Doesn’t have to be woodworking related, either.)
Rhode Island may be the smallest state, but we’re packed with talented woodworkers and artists. A fellow woodworker and sculptor Steve Totin from Boyd Studios (@boydtotin) in Providence, RI, definitely deserves recognition. He’s incredibly creative and makes functional artwork that keeps me asking myself, “How did he do that?”
See more of Nathan’s work on Instagram @burlandfeather and his website.
This interview was lightly edited for clarity.
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
