From Barrels to Books

WAITSBURG - Frank Reser taught in Prescott for "many years" before retir­ing in Waitsburg where he spends his days driving bus, playing local handyman and, most recently, creating unique wine barrel furniture. Reser is donating a barrel stool and table set to the silent auction that will take place during the upcom­ing Waitsburg Elementary Home and School carnival fundraiser.

A commitment to chil­dren and community runs in the family. Sons Clint and Kurtis are both teachers, as is his daughter-in-law Sarah, and brother- and sister-in- law, John and Dinah Lind­sey. Frank's wife, Judy, has cared for many local chil­dren in the in-home daycare she operated for many years. With two grandchildren in elementary school, Reser is glad to use his talents to continue supporting local teachers and students.

Using his skills for the good of the community is nothing new for Reser. When he was teaching in Prescott he would craft wooden cradles and his fellow teachers would add dolls and homemade quilts. The sets were sold at their school carnivals and did "quite well." Last year was his first time to donate wine barrel items to the Waitsburg school auction.

Reser says he got into the furniture-making business "by accident" about four or five years ago when he and Judy visited their son Greg in Jackson, Wyoming. As they checked out the local tourist spots he kept noticing furniture made from wine barrels.

"I thought it was pretty cool, but the price tags were outrageous," said Reser. His son's home was a bit "minimalist" at the time so he decided to try his hand at making some wine barrel tables as a Christmas gift.

Reser won a barrel for $20 at an auction at the viticulture center at Walla Walla Community College and crafted his first pair of tables. "I'm actually kind of ashamed of them now," he said, smiling. "With curved barrels, nothing is straight or square, so it's kind of a challenge."

Since Reser had built a set of jigs to make those first tables, he thought he may as well put them to use and see if someone else might like a set. He was soon busy mak­ing furniture for friends and family.

Reser says he's "not all that creative," but gathers ideas from the internet and other furniture-makers, tweaking them to add his own touch. He makes two versions of his stool and table sets - what he calls "innies" or "outies" -- based on which way the legs curve.

The set he's donating for the silent auction is an "in­nie" with a special touch. It's the first set in which he was able to use the inside, wine- stained part of the barrel as the tabletop. "Usually that wood is so rough that you would have to sand off all the color to get it smooth, but this particular barrel wasn't very damaged," he said. The burgundy-stained top sits atop curved legs - stained side out - held together with the metal rings from the original barrel. A set typically sells for $250 - sig­nificantly less than similar furniture sold elsewhere.

The Home and School Association is grateful for businesses and commu­nity members like Reser who are willing to donate goods and services to sup­port the school. Residents are encouraged to attend the school carnival and check out the silent auction items on Friday, March 21 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the elementary school multipur­pose room.