Video: Day in the Life, Carpenter

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WEST POINT, Miss. – (WCBI) Tools from the 1800’s hang on the walls of a carpenter’s shop in West Point. You might think it was a family collection, passed from generation to generation. You would be wrong. The antiques were sought after, saved up for, and are now being used for wood work today, by 17-year old Samuel Harrell.

“It is almost like going back in time. No power tools, nothing. It is just a mallet and a chisel.” says Harrell.

It may not be a typical summer past time for a teenager, but this young carpenter has been working on this craft since he was only 14. Samuel showed me his collection of tools. The first we used was an egg beater drill.

“It is hard to steady it. Actually, drilling with a hand drill is a lot cleaner cuts than drilling with an electric drill.’

He has refurbished and sharpened all of this chisels because they are key in old fashioned carpentry.

“Rely solely on how sharp they are,” says Harrell. A mallet comes into play with larger projects.

A few of his techniques are traditional, but his finished products are trendy. For instance, he has a hand crafted I-POD deck. Samuel also took a new approach refurbishing Old Glory.

“I saturated the flag in the epoxy West System. Then I draped it over the styrofoam chair. When it started to harden up, or when it did harden up, I flipped it over. That is when I put in the fiberglass.”

From bowls to jewelry boxes, Samuel has a promising future in the arts. For him, this is just one more day in the life.