You're a craftsperson
For you, woodworking is first and foremost a trade of the hands. Restoring an antique piece, reproducing a marquetry pattern exactly, reviving period techniques... You didn't choose this trade to go fast, you chose it because it means something.
In your workshop, every tool has a story
Old machines you maintain with care, precise tools tracked down here and there, wood waiting for the right project. Every piece you restore tells a story, and your job is to carry it forward, not diminish it. You master techniques that few people still know. And that rare expertise is your value.
But there are the thankless tasks
Even in restoration work. Remaking 20 identical balusters for a banister, reproducing a series of rosettes... it can take a considerable amount of time. The result: less time for finishing, where your expertise truly makes the difference.
What if a CNC router were simply another string to your bow? It's not about replacing the hand, quite the opposite, it's about freeing it. The machine takes care of the repetitive elements, the ones that demand time but little of your actual skill. Meanwhile, you focus on what truly matters: fine adjustment, patination, delicate joinery... all the noble work that distinguishes a copy from an authentic restoration.
With a Mekanika CNC milling machine
You programme your repetitive elements once (balusters, rosettes, mouldings), the machine reproduces them identically while you work on the restoration itself. Your know-how stays intact and you delegate what's slowing you down. David from Haddock Menuiserie has made it his signature, blending hands-on craftsmanship and digital milling: discover his practice in video.