Long Neck woodworker crafts treasure trove of creations

For Long Neck resident Bill Mohler, building things from scratch has always come easily. The woodshop located behind his home reveals a stash of just about anything that can be made from wood.

Among other things, cherry coffee tables and large desks fill the room - products of 35 years of furniture-making as a hobby. It may be hard to believe the woodshop’s contents make up only a small fraction of the furniture Mohler has made in the past, but for a man who likes to work with his hands, space constantly needs to be cleared for new projects.

While Mohler showcases some of his favorite wooden creations in the large workspace, he said one would have to travel all over Delaware to get a good idea of his woodworking capabilities. For the past three decades he has been asked to make furniture for dozens of people and businesses, and now his personal creations are scattered throughout the state.

After receiving praise for his ability to make a whole range of wooden products, Mohler decided to officially open a business - Bill Mohler’s Custom Woodworking - four years ago. Since that time, he has worked nonstop crafting entertainment centers, bookcases, cabinets and anything else requested for a steady stream of eager customers.

“The news of my business starting spreading quickly, mostly through word of mouth,” said Mohler, who said he went to work filling orders right away. “Everything I make is custom made, so soon people started coming to me with pictures of furniture from magazines and asking if I could make something similar.”

For Mohler, most of the time, the answer is “yes.” He has challenged himself to make incredibly intricate pieces before, and to this day, he has yet to have trouble with any projects.

Part of the reason for this, said Mohler, is he spends a long time with each piece, valuing quality over quantity.

“I would describe my work as slow and deliberate,” said Mohler, who noted he has worked on some pieces such as wall-filling bookcases for over two months. “It is all about making it right, so later it won’t break or be easily damaged.”

Damage to the furniture has not been a problem for Mohler either, who said the sturdy three-quarter-inch wood he uses during construction makes the pieces practically indestructible.

Nothing he makes can be described as flimsy, he said. “When they pick it up, they know they have something that is going to last.”

Besides constructing new pieces for customers, Mohler has also specialized in rebuilding and refinishing old furniture. Replacing warped and decaying wood with an eye for detail, Mohler said he can make just about anything look as good as new. All it takes is a little imagination, he said, and an old piece of furniture can be born again.