Carl Muhlhausen's Woodworking Page

Harvest Woodworks is the name of my woodworking business, but I'm Carl Muhlhausen in real life, and a part time professional woodworker. On this page I'll show off some of the pieces I make and explain a little about my approach to woodworking. Many of the pieces seen here have been sold, but I usually have a supply of recent projects available. I also do custom orders. I invite inquiries about prices and availability of individual pieces. Comments and questions about the work I do are welcome; please email me carl@harvestwoodworks.com and I'll get back to you soon.

New! Find out what my customers think of me - Testimonials

Here are links to some of my works:

Tables and Furniture

Jewelry Boxes and Chests

Miscellaneous Pieces



About my Approach to Woodworking


I've been a serious woodworker for about 10 years and began selling my work about 6 years ago. I began woodworking with the common assumption that in order to work with wood one needed a huge shop filled with expensive power tools, but was surprised to find that I could produce furniture that I'm still proud of with a modest set of power tools and some handtools.

Then I gradually discovered that I got more enjoyment out of working with handtools. I use power tools largely the way an old time woodworker would use an apprentice - to surface and cut the wood into smooth, flat boards. I prefer to cut the joints and final finish the wood by hand. I'm not a purist though and for certain operations I'll use a power tool if it does a better and perhaps quicker job. I do think that a piece done by hand often has a certain warmth and character that a machine made object won't. Mike Dunbar, a well known chairmaker and handtool advocate, has called this characteristic the "humanity" of a piece. Now I actually thought using of this same word to describe what I'm talking about, but I thought it a bit too pretentious and it stuck in my craw. So I'm glad Mike used it - I'll use it too and attribute it to him. Anyway, go to a good museum with some antique furniture and I think you'll see what I mean.

A side benefit of working with handtools is that I get to amass a collection of fine old tools and a few modern tools made to the high standards of the old tools.

My first love about woodworking, though, is the wood itself. I have a weak spot for highly figured woods. These are often difficult to work with and are expensive. For this reason, most of the pieces I make are fairly small. I love jewelry boxes and small cabinets.

So much for philosophy.

Like many woodworkers, I have a thing for tools, especially fine handtools. Here are a few of my Favorite Tools

I'm not a handtool purist and my shop has a number of often used and appreciated power tools. For a shop tour, click here.

Click here for information about the Central Jersey Woodworkers Association if you're interested in woodworking and are located close to central New Jersey.

New! - Thomas Lie-Nielsen at the CJWA

Interested in locating other woodworkers in your area? CustomMade.com is an online resource listing woodworkers in different states and the type of work they do.

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