By Ashley Morken, Owner, Unglued

Ray Perhus of Timber to Table creates absolutely gorgeous handcrafted wood charcuterie boards and beyond. It’s been so fun to see him and his business grow at various markets around the area—with a guitar-shaped charcuterie board being one of the most unique pieces that’ll catch your eye when you stop by his booth! Learn more about this local maker and how this business began just about three years ago!

Meet The MAKER By Ashley Morken, Owner, Unglued Photos provided by Ashley Morken

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I was raised in Kindred, ND, and have worked in a variety of fields in my life from farming to real estate lending. I spend a lot of my time doing things with my family in Fargo, or at the lake in Minnesota. Besides woodworking, I like outdoor activities and staying physically active by running, biking, or exercising.

Describe what type of products you make under Timber to Table.

Mostly end grain cutting boards, charcuterie boards, and decorative items for the home.

Tell us how you got started with your businesses.

About three years ago I started making charcuterie boards to give to people as gifts, and as time went on, I started attending some local craft markets and incorporated different techniques and wood species to widen the variety of items I now have.

What are your personal favorite items you’ve created so far?

I really like making the end grain cutting boards. My goal is to create boards where the grain of the wood is arranged in a pattern throughout the board that is visually appealing when not in use.

What is your favorite wood to work with? And what is the most difficult?

I like working with walnut since it is so beautiful and can be used by itself, or as an accent with other types of wood. The most difficult wood I have found is hickory. It is very hard but I don’t find much use for it since it is not very food safe.

What is the most popular item you specifically sell?

Probably the medium size charcuterie boards because they are more versatile and lower in cost. I have also had good success with the smaller end-grain cutting boards.

You note you started making charcuterie boards as gifts a few years ago—before that, were you doing much woodworking?

I have always enjoyed working with wood, and I was a carpenter for a few years when attending college, but for the most part, I started creative woodworking about three years ago.

What is something people would find surprising about woodworking?

Probably the different characteristics of different woods regarding the hardness, color, grain pattern, etc. Each wood has its own characteristics and can look so different in different applications. One wood may work well for charcuterie for example, but may not work as well for an end grain board.

How did you end up designing a guitar-shaped board?

I saw a guitar hanging as a decorative piece in a friend’s house and it intrigued me so I started playing around with different designs. It also has been one of my more popular items.

What is something you’ve enjoyed the most about doing this handcrafted business?

I really enjoy meeting so many people and other artists in the craft world.

What is the most challenging thing?

Since it takes time to build inventory, getting prepared for upcoming events can be a little challenging if I have too many shows in a short period of time.

Making your woodworking as gifts into a handcrafted small business probably took a lot of lessons! Are there any you can share for an aspiring handmade small business owner?

Be patient and don’t be afraid to try new things. New designs sometimes take a few tries before they become reality, but with perseverance, you can make amazing things.

What advice would you have given yourself five years ago?

Save your money for better equipment, it makes the job much easier.

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