Amish Woodworking

Enos Gingerich’s Workshop: How the “Lowest-Tech Amish” Make Furniture

Enos Gingerich’s Workshop: How the “Lowest-Tech Amish” Make Furniture

If you caught part 1 on Enos Gingerich’s furniture shop last week, here is the promised part 2 video, where Enos shows us his tools, his power setup and how he makes furniture. This is about the plainest community you’ll find, and some of the solutions Enos uses wouldn’t be used by “higher” (more progressive) Amish, who would opt for more efficient ways to build…

Look Inside an Amish Furniture Shop (Video)

Look Inside an Amish Furniture Shop (Video)

So here’s a neat video from someone who calls his YouTube channel the “Crazy Russian Woodshop”. But do not fear, this Russian does not seem too crazy — just really into woodworking. So the Crazy Russian was visiting PA, and dropped in on an Amish furniture shop. I like this video because he shows you the operation from top-to-bottom–starting with how they get their power, down through…

What is Amish Wood Milk?

What is Amish Wood Milk?

A few months ago I started to notice search traffic coming to this site for a curious term. “Amish wood milk” is not something I’d ever heard of. But quite a few people were looking for it, with even dozens a day landing here for “Amish wood milk”-related searches. How where they arriving at Amish America, since–to my knowledge–I’d never written anything about this mystery liquid…

Watch an Amish barn go up in 200 seconds

Love this time-lapse video. You can see 10 hours of barn-raising condensed down to about 200 seconds. This took place in LaRue, Ohio, which is the Kenton Amish community. The photographer’s wife gives the back story: My husband, Scott Miller, shot this video with a Canon 60d Camera using a Pixel TW-282/E3 Wireless remote timer set at 20 second intervals. He shot 1600 pictures from 7:00am…

Amish-Made Log Cabin

The photos below are of a model log cabin home previously on display at Eash Sales in Shipshewana, IN.  This cabin has since been sold and replaced by a two-story model. The company that makes these is called Hoosier Rustic Cabins, and has recently changed owners.  Looks like a cozy little spot.           UPDATE: Here’s the price sheet and cabin layout….

Amish Canning Range

Following up today’s tech conference post, as an example of basic-but-creative Amish technology, we have an “improvised Amish canning range”.  The reader who snapped the photo below shares: Many Amish often do their canning in their building entry/wash room or shop building.  In Arthur they usually had an old gas stove/range which they kept in the shop or wash room to do their canning on.  In Indiana we don’t see that as…

Amish Recliner

This photo was taken in February in northern Indiana.  Can you tell what’s in the back there, under the plastic? The reader who shares this writes that it’s from “a company called Lambright Comfort Chairs.  They make the Amish version of the LazyBoy recliner.  They have small versions that they sell to the RV market.”  Another example of Amish seating. Closer-up: I know there have…

Ask an Amishman: Books & Furniture

Ask an Amishman: Books & Furniture

There have been quite a few interesting submissions on the question request post.  Today’s topic comes from an old batch but we hope to get to some of your newer questions soon. A reader asks: Do they have books or normal furniture? Given the generality of that question I simply asked John to comment on the types of books and furniture seen in Amish homes….

Amish Furniture in Pennsylvania Dutch

I must say Pennsylvania Dutch tickles my ears.  Listening to the language is like hearing two tongues spliced together–one I understand, one I most surely do not. You’ll catch a good bit of that even in the first five minutes of this video tour of Schrock’s of Walnut Creek. Numerous English words trickle out from amongst the Deitsch as Schrock’s Marvin Miller takes you through…

The subtle language of Amish business signs

The subtle language of Amish business signs

A writer for the Washington Post visits the New Wilmington, PA Amish community in this article.  It’s a pretty straightforward Travel section piece.  One paragraph did jump out at me: Craftsmen and seamstresses advertise their wares with simple hand-lettered signs painted on scraps of wood — Furniture. Quilts. Jams & Jellies. Harness Maker — leaving you to discover the true quality of what’s for sale…