A Veteran's Woodworking Journey

October 27, 2023 Steve McCarroll

Ever since I was a kid I had an interest in woodworking. But my family never really had woodworking tools so I couldn't possibly learn at home. When I got to high school I jumped at the opportunity to take Woodshop where I did learn about some of the basics of woodworking, but I was more concerned with the social constructs of school than I was of truly committing myself to the craft of woodworking.

For a majority of my adult life I once again admired the craft from far away. I was in the Army and honing my combat skills always took a priority over any hobbies I might have had in my life. Fast forward to 2018 when I retired from the Army, this is when I found myself in unfamiliar territory. I had too much idle time, most of the people that I had a bond with were elsewhere, and I had a desire to find like minded people.

In late 2019 is the first time I heard of the Woodworking for Warriors Program (WWP). A neighbor of ours told me of her step-fathers participation in the program and urged me to check it out. It sounded pretty interesting to me, but I really didn't know what the WWP was really about. Was it a carpentry program? Was it a free for all? Was it a fine woodworking program? What is it? So after pondering it over for a couple months, I finally decided to go check it out.

In January of 2020, I walked through the doors of the Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute (SBWI) for the first time. I was greeted by knowledgeable and friendly staff, and was quickly registered for the program and put through the safety class. That was when I realized that I had no idea of what I might build there. I knew that I didn't really have the skills to build anything complex or intricate, but I remembered that I built a cutting board in high school for my grandmother. So I decided, "why not, let's make a cutting board". It's not overly complicated, it's useful, and it is safe.

Over the next several months I built probably 10-12 cutting boards while learning about the science of wood. I learned about grain orientation, wood expansion and contraction, I learned about different species of wood, about softwoods versus hardwoods, and so much more. I also learned that I could get very creative with my designs. I had never really considered myself creative before. I liked the idea of people liking my creations. It even fueled me! I started selling my boards and eventually started McCarroll Custom Cutting Boards (MCCB).

MCCB kept me quite busy and it was nice to make a little extra money, but I quickly came to the realization that I did not want to be seen as "just the cutting board guy". I wanted to learn more about joinery and how to build more complicated projects like chairs, cabinets, tables, or other fine furniture.

I knew that the Founder of SBWI, Luke Barnett, was a Windsor Chair maker and a master woodworker, so I approached him with questions regarding the SBWI woodworking college. I knew there was a woodworking school at SBWI, but I had no idea as to what their curriculum was. After some discussions, he explained to me that SBWI was in the process of getting the school approved for VA funding. Once approved, veteran students would be able to use GI Bill and VR&E benefits to take the Wood Design: Furniture Making program.

In the spring of 2022, the VA approved the program and SBWI immediately contacted me to inform me of such. I didn't waste any time and I quickly applied for VR&E Chapter 31 benefits. Once approved, I enrolled for the Wood Design course that started in August of 2022.

I spent an entire school year furthering my fine woodworking education. I received an in depth education about wood joinery. We built cutting boards (go figure), cabinets, tool chests, shaker style side tables, credenzas, and windsor chairs as part of the curriculum, but we also learned other valuable skills such as wood turning, veneering and marquetry, grain matching, and even took professional development classes. It was an all encompassing education of furniture making that prepared us for potential careers in woodworking.

One of the beautiful benefits of the program was the camaraderie that we built not only with our classmates and staff, but also with alumni who we interacted with throughout the school year. Some of them even came back to the SBWI as guest instructors. It provided us with a real sense that the bonds created at the SBWI were that of a family.

Now that I have graduated from the program, I now have a new role at SBWI as their Director of Recruiting. I am responsible for telling my story to fellow veterans who might be contemplating a similar path. And if and when they do join the SBWI fam I help them navigate the VA education system. Some use traditional methods such as Montgomery GI Bill (Chapter 30) or Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33), but then there are others who utilize other programs that the VA offers such as Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E, Chapter 31) or The Survivors' and Dependants' Educational Assistance Program (DEA, Chapter 35).

The SBWI even employs me to occasionally teach classes. I primarily help out with cutting board classes, but I have also helped out with CNC and Mid Century Modern Chair classes.

I love being a part of the SBWI family and I do my best to promote all of its programs. Everything I do at the SBWI is extremely gratifying and rewarding. I love crafting many different projects, but more than anything I love that my job allows me to make connections with people through woodworking and fellowship and that I get to help out my fellow veterans.