Men at work
Goshen. In these times of COVID-19, two craftsmen use their passion for woodworking to create unique, practical and useful wares from their homes in Goshen.
| 28 Apr 2021 | 04:28
Micheal Kaleita uses repurposed wood to build birdhouses. “It’s happy stuff in a miserable time,” he saidd. “You’ve gotta be an Ebenezer Scrooge not to like birds.” Photo by Jacob L. Mott.
This is an assortment of the bird houses created by Micheal Kaleita. Take note of his use of old license plates for roofs. Photo By Jacob L. Mott.
John Smykla stands next to his corner Christmas Village stand. Provided photo.
Hand-made wishing wells are among John Smykla’s top sellers. Provided photo.
The Chronicle recently sat down to speak with two craftsmen from Goshen, who just so happen to live on the same street.
Here’s what Micheal Kaleita and John Smykla had to say about various topics in relation to their wares.
Micheal Kaleita
What he creates and sells
“Repurposed wood in the birdhouses. I’ll take things and create yard work like with the pumps, something that somebody might want to put in their garden or their deck. Something that makes people happy. That’s as important as monetary compensation.
I had a kid come here the other day, he was obviously ill, and he was looking for a birdhouse for his mother. I let him pick out whatever he wanted and let him have it for five bucks. That way he didn’t feel like he was getting charity and he was able to get something nice for Mother’s Day.
“I like the personal give-and-take over conversation with people.”
How long have you been doing this?
“I’ve been building birdhouses off and on for years. I was gonna do it last year in some of the craft fairs, but then COVID hit. So I just started to sell them out of the backyard.”
Creating
“Some of them take several days in that they have to be cut, sanded and painted. You’re not working on the same birdhouse all the time, but if you’re gonna paint it and sand it, then it takes 2-3 days.”
He noted that “cookie cutter” bird houses could be done 20 in a day, while more complicated ones can take up to a day or more.
Coronavirus
“I think it’s actually to my benefit, believe it or not. It’s happy stuff in a miserable time. You’ve gotta be an Ebenezer Scrooge not to like birds.
It’s been good for me, but more importantly than that, it’s been good for people getting the products. Money’s tight and I try not to gouge.”
The birdhouses Kaleita builds are meant to be “utilitarian” in order to attract specific species of birds. “There’s a lot to it, you can’t just go nailing stuff up and hoping for the best.”
Final thoughts
“Birds are a nice thing to have in your yard and in your garden. If you have something that both embellishes your garden and provides a habitat for birds, it’s a win-win.”
You can find Micheal Kaleita’s business at 180 Montgomery St. in the Village of Goshen.
John Smykla
What he creates and sells
“I pretty much do anything in woodworking that you’d ever need. If you have an idea of what you would like, I can pretty much do whatever you would like me to do.
“My grandfather, who lived diagonal from us, was a carpenter by trade, so it runs in the family.
“Right now I’m doing hanging plant stands, wishing wells, stove top covers, storage cabinets. If you have an idea of what you might want and show me, I can make it my own to make it yours. I don’t like copying other people’s work, that’s my biggest thing.”
Symkla said he’s built “farmhouse tables for people” and “dog gates” and is currently looking into building more furniture.
How long have you been doing this?
“This is the second year. We started last year because of COVID.”
Creating
“I tell my customers that the wishing wells take a two-week turnaround, most of the time it’s less than a week, depending on the weather, how everything dries and the availability of wood (citing rising wood costs) and I’m trying to keep prices reasonable. Right now my wishing wells, stove top covers and plant stands are the top sellers.
“I’ve always had the passion of building things with lumber. I was a painter for at least eight year with my father, and he does carpentry along with it. I’ve always just had the drive to build things of my own. I don’t know if that is from my grandfather, but it’s always been a passion of mine.”
Coronavirus
“With COVID and everyone being home, there’s a lot of people doing the same thing I’ve been doing ... but I’ve been surviving. There’s not too many other people doing the wishing wells and as far as the plant stands go, there’re a lot of people out there making them, but they don’t look the same.
“I don’t let anything leave the yard or garage unless it’s something I’d want in my yard or house. That’s what’s been keeping me going; I don’t just throw things together for people. If I’m not happy with it, I wouldn’t expect my customer to be happy with it.”
Final thoughts
Smykla said that if anybody had any requests, then message his business site “JNS Woodworking” on Facebook.com.
The craftsman added: “There’s not a task that’s too hard.”