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Specialty is solid oak pedestal dining tables

Hand-crafted Amish furniture

By Susan Stewart

You don't have to travel far and wide to find quality, handcrafted Amish furniture.

E & N Woodworking, four miles west of Bloomfield on U.S. Highway 2 and 63 at the Drakesville turnoff, offers an extensive line of furniture designed to fill that special spot in your home.

Ernest and Naomi Yoder opened the business in 1992, offering their specialty-solid oak pedestal dining tables. The tables come in various sizes, but all feature a one-inch thick solid oak top, highlighted by a smooth, lustrous finish. Single pedestal models are available in 42- and 48-inch widths. The 48-inch table expands to 6 feet when two leaves are added. A double pedestal model is also offered, which expands to 9 feet when fully extended.

Several styles of chairs are available to round out the sets. The chairs are currently purchased unfinished from Amish craftsmen in Ohio, but plans are to manufacture those in-house, also. "We're just in the process of starting to make our own chairs now," said Ernest Yoder.

E & N uses a "conversion varnish" to give each piece it builds a beautiful but tough surface. The mixture of varnish, thinner and hardener is sprayed on in three coats to provide long-lasting protection. "It's a real hard, durable finish," Yoder added.

Dining tables aren't the only things customers will see at E & N Woodworking. The 36-by-48 showroom, added in 1995, is filled with a complete line of bedroom furniture as well as other pieces for the home. Items on display include glider rockers, gun cabinets, cedar chests, curio cabinets, pie safes and quilt racks.

Not everything is fashioned from oak, however. "We do some walnut, some cherry, if somebody wants that," Yoder said.

Yoder has two full-time employees as well as several Amish sub-shops in the area that bring in handcrafted items. Those pieces are finished at E & N. The business also carries a line of kitchen and bathroom cabinets that are custom-made by Amish craftsmen in Illinois. Those orders require three months for delivery.

E & N will build just about any piece for a customer, but custom orders usually take about six months.

E & N is open year-round, but business really picks up with summer traffic. Many motorists stop to look at the firm's extensive line of outdoor furniture on display. Made from wolmanized lumber, items available include three styles of picnic tables, gliders, swings, loveseats and Adirondack chairs.

E & N Woodworking is open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

*Specialty is solid oak pedestal dining tables*
Hand-crafted Amish furniture
By Susan Stewart You don't have to travel far and wide to find quality, handcrafted Amish furniture. E & N Woodworking, four miles west of Bloomfield on U.S. Highway 2 and 63 at the Drakesville turnoff, offers an extensive line of furniture designed to fill that special spot in your home. Ernest and Naomi Yoder opened the business in 1992, offering their specialty-solid oak pedestal dining tables. The tables come in various sizes, but all feature a one-inch thick solid oak top, highlighted by a smooth, lustrous finish. Single pedestal models are available in 42- and 48-inch widths. The 48-inch table expands to 6 feet when two leaves are added. A double pedestal model is also offered, which expands to 9 feet when fully extended. Several styles of chairs are available to round out the sets. The chairs are currently purchased unfinished from Amish craftsmen in Ohio, but plans are to manufacture those in-house, also. "We're just in the process of starting to make our own chairs now," said Ernest Yoder. E & N uses a "conversion varnish" to give each piece it builds a beautiful but tough surface. The mixture of varnish, thinner and hardener is sprayed on in three coats to provide long-lasting protection. "It's a real hard, durable finish," Yoder added.	Dining tables aren't the only things customers will see at E & N Woodworking. The 36-by-48 showroom, added in 1995, is filled with a complete line of bedroom furniture as well as other pieces for the home. Items on display include glider rockers, gun cabinets, cedar chests, curio cabinets, pie safes and quilt racks. Not everything is fashioned from oak, however. "We do some walnut, some cherry, if somebody wants that," Yoder said. Yoder has two full-time employees as well as several Amish sub-shops in the area that bring in handcrafted items. Those pieces are finished at E & N. The business also carries a line of kitchen and bathroom cabinets that are custom-made by Amish craftsmen in Illinois. Those orders require three months for delivery. E & N will build just about any piece for a customer, but custom orders usually take about six months. E & N is open year-round, but business really picks up with summer traffic. Many motorists stop to look at the firm's extensive line of outdoor furniture on display. Made from wolmanized lumber, items available include three styles of picnic tables, gliders, swings, loveseats and Adirondack chairs. E & N Woodworking is open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.