What began as a hobby for Caleb Chancey, building furniture including farmhouse tables and bookcases, grew into something much more meaningful.
“I come from a military family and have a deep respect for those who have served and do serve our country to include police officers, firemen, military police, and first responders who protect our families and communities.”
That deep admiration and respect led Caleb to apply his creative skills and attention to detail in a way that would honor all branches of service.
“I worked tirelessly to teach myself to craft signs and flags, at first for family and friends, but then their network of friends started asking me to make signs for them including some custom signs.”
His love for the craft led him to start a company, C-Squared Rustic. Now he crafts welcome signs, porch signs, signs for offices, flags, stove toppers, and other handcrafted home décor.
Shaped centuries ago
It’s hard to place a value on the role of wood in the history of civilization. The first wooden object was made 400 million years ago. Since that time, it has been used to meet the needs of humans in peace and war, in farming, and industry. We’ve used it for fuel, building materials, furniture, paper, tools, weapons, and more.
From the very earliest of times, centuries ago, the use of wood involved consideration of quality, cost, and availability, as well as the intended use. Boards were carefully matched and fitted. Blemishes were removed and filled.
In the early days, the quality of the products depended more on the quality of the wood and the skill of the woodman. The development of copper tools in 5000 BC opened new opportunities in craftsmanship. Some of those skills are still in use today.
What’s old is new again
Flash forward to today and it’s easy to see that we are more in love with wood than ever. Cable television shows that focus on building and renovation are wildly popular. The common element in many of those reno projects—wood. People want it in their homes in the form of hardwood floors, high-end kitchen cabinets, or furniture. 
What’s old is new again. Antique hunting or “junking” is more popular than ever and guess who is driving that surge of interest? Millennials, that’s who. Wood has character and bears beautifully the “marks” of time and this demographic is buying pre-owned furniture in record numbers.
Supply and demand
In the last couple of years, the cost of wood has risen astronomically, driven in part by Covid-19 and the number of homeowners staying home and having time to work on projects including remodeling.
Which brings us around to woodworking and small businesses like C-Squared Rustic. Everything that has impacted the lumber industry and pricing has trickled down to woodcrafters like Caleb Chancey who enjoys creating flags and other products for military families and first responders.
Customers want quality work at affordable prices and competition is fierce with stores on Amazon Handmade, Etsy, and others.
The tools used in those projects are specialized and Chancey uses premium pine to craft them. His popular wooden flags usually take three hours to make.
“I’m trying to make a go of this as a way to support my family. I believe in giving back when I can and we have supported charities as often as possible, especially those who support military and law enforcement.”
“God has blessed me and I love making something special for those who’ve given so much.”
The Woodworkers Guild of America features a quote that applies to Caleb and every other woodworker who has chosen to pursue this meticulous craft: “There is no such thing as scrap wood, just pieces not yet used.”
Caleb is already imagining those scraps in his shop to create the next way to honor those who serve all of us.
“The bottom line is, if you can dream it, we can make it.”
Editor’s note: We are continuing to highlight the stories of the people and businesses supporting our Community Member program with free stuff and discounts. Small businesses are the backbone of our country. We are grateful to Caleb Chancey for providing a discount to our members. For more information in supporting small business and local journalism, please visit our Membership Page.
