Archive: Business & Technology

Shaun Whistler is all about precision.  Whistler specializes in custom woodworking including furniture, cabinets, built-ins, timber framing, and mill work.  He even crafts the knives for the mill work in his shop.

"Anything precise, anything custom.  I'm trying to be an all-around wood shop."

Whistler works with individuals, contractors and architects.  Some of the architects are based in New York City, where they service high-end clients who want high quality hand made furniture and built-in bookshelves.  Locally he works with builders who want bathroom vanities and kitchen cabinets.  And with individuals who want a special piece of furniture.

Cayuga Joinery is a one-man shop, although Whistler occasionally calls on furniture maker Jia Forrest or others to help out.  He sends out quite a few pieces for installation, but says he likes installing his pieces himself.

"Oftentimes I prefer it," he says.  "I feel good about installing kitchen cabinets myself, because I've had my head wrapped around the project the whole time.  Certainly with built-ins I almost always try to do the installation.  It is assembled here in a particular way, and I like to reassemble it the same way on the site."

He designs many of the custom pieces, and builds others from architects' designs.  He likes working with clients to determine exactly what they want.  He prefers walnut mixed with either oak or cherry, but works with any hard woods.

"Part of becoming a better woodworker is minimizing the amount of sanding you have to do," he says.  "Cut it right the first time and focus on managing your glue and things like that."

Whistler plays banjo and wants to make one in the near future.  That may lead to musical instrument making, another level of precision woodwork.


Whistler grew up in Buffalo, then studied at the College of Environmental Science at Syracuse University.  With a forestry degree he worked as an arborist in Vermont for three years, where he specialized in tree climbing to trim and treat trees.  Next he went to Seattle, Washington where he framed ten to twelve thousand square foot houses for a high-end builder for six years.   When he came to Ithaca he founded Momentum Builders with AJ Brown.  They ran that company for six years until they went their separate ways and Whistler started Cayuga Joinery about a year ago.

From framing to custom beam fitting and furniture, each move brought Whistler closer to his shop, doing more and more precise woodwork. 

"I've been interested in building and woodwork since before high school," he says.  "Even when I was doing tree work I would make kind of crude but interesting pieces with big pieces of wood.  A chain saw was my most-used tool then.  It was stick-type furniture, tables and chairs.  As soon as I started framing houses I knew that carpentry was going to be my path.  I think it was that desire for the level of detail and precision that made me want to get into timber framing, and then into furniture and cabinetry."


Whistler initially meets with the client to discuss needs and wants in a piece, and design elements.  If the client has drawings or pictures or actual pieces he formalizes their ideas with scaled structured drawings.  He shows clients wood samples.  Once the design has been agreed upon he goes back to the shop to craft the piece.

He is currently working on selling some of his work online, where he will show a portfolio of pieces he will build for clients.  He is also working on ideas for product lines of small items like guitar stands that he intends to offer.

"So far everyone has liked what they have seen," Whistler says.  "You can't imagine how much it means when you see someone's ideas come to fruition, and they are happy with the piece and it serves a good function for them.  I make everything with the highest quality so I know it's going to last.  All that really makes me happy in the end."

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