Here is something unique from the Woodworking in America show in Cincinnati. This tool museum trailer is a new idea, shown for the first time byJohn Sindelar Sr. of Sindelar’s Traveling Roadshow Tool Museum, which contains tools from 100,000 BC to present day. The depth of detail in which these tools were built is simply amazing…
Sindelar learned the woodworking trade as a boy, from his father who was a building contractor in Berrien Springs, MI. John’s dream to build fine cabinetry led into his own business. Sindelar Fine Woodworking was established in 1977 in Eau Claire, MI, and eventually moved to Edwardsburg. Sindelar began by building architectural woodworking for custom homes and auto dealerships in southwestern Michigan. In the early 1980s, his company’s fine workmanship grew rapidly and by the beginning of the next decade, the shop evolved into higher-end woodworking in Chicago’s Gold Coast area. The picture (left below) is a mission style table made of padauk, placed on a floor of ipe wood, surrounded by walls of muiracacatiara. Pictured (right below) is of fieldstone columns and maple cabinets surrounding an 800 gallon aquarium built into a 15,000 sq.ft. home in Crystal Lake, IL. Maple inlays in the ceiling are a mirror image of the inlaid floor.
John Sr., with his son John Jr. currently have a 30,000 sq. ft. woodshop in which they create custom architectural millwork and high-end furniture, in addition to being woodworkers with carving, engraving and painting talents. The trailer pictured below was designed by John Sr. Together, they have taken 10,000 square feet of the Edwardsburg, Michigan woodshop and created a tool museum. Sindelar’s museum is open to the public, Monday through Friday and for charity benefits. John personally hosts tours to all age groups that are amazed at his tool collections regardless of being woodworkers, collectors, or visiting families. Here are some examples of his handywork, paintings and museum pieces including the museum trailer. (Compilation pictures below are courtesy of graphic designer Kari Hultman who also attended the WIA show in Cincinnati). Her blog on John Sindelar can be found at http://villagecarpenter.blogspot.com/.
Sindelar believes his shop goes beyond just being a tool collection and will grow to be a successful larger museum because it offers one-of-a-kind items that appeal to the historic and artistic ideals of the tools. John is more interested in showing something that will captivate you, rather than viewing a collection of all the patented manufactured tools from the 19th-century. His dream is to create a 30,000 sq. ft. tool museum to house all of his current and future collections in the next two years.
The video is with John Sr. at the WIA show, pretty cool stuff…
Click on this plane picture for the Sindelar website and all the historical tool collection…
John Sindelar is interested in your ideas and item donations for the museum and may be contacted at:
Sindelar Fine Woodworking
69953 Section St.
Edwardsburg, MI 49112
phone: 269-663-8841
email: sindelarfine@aol.com
We look forward to your future museum John, best wishes.
Auf wiedersehen…Frank
