by Cori Hilsgen
news@thenewsleaders.com
When The Newsleaders assignment editor Carolyn Bertsch and her family removed a six-foot cedar privacy fence from their yard and listed it on a Facebook garage sale site, they received many responses.
Jake Rothstein, St. Stephen, was the lucky person to receive the wood fence.
Rothstein told Bertsch it was like receiving “gold” because when he creates new projects out of old wood, it’s a form of relaxation for him.
For payment, he insisted Bertsch choose an item out of a catalogue of digital images on his phone and he would build it for her. Bertsch chose a small ladder planter box which she soon found by her front door.
The ladder planter box sat in the family’s front yard until it was removed after weather conditions and the Bertsch’s sprinkling system deteriorated the wood. The fence was also remade into many other projects.
Rothstein is able to relax when he is creating beautiful projects out of unwanted and/or aged wood, something he has been doing for six years.
According to his wife, Stef, he has always been a person with a clear vision which partners well with his artistic skills. Those are traits he possibly inherited from his grandfather, Mark Rothstein, who was known for making and giving his creations to his many grandchildren.
“Jake is a natural at building and problem-solving with the materials,” she said.
Many people contact Rothstein with pictures of items asking if he can create the pieces. He’s happy to do it. He has also received requests to showcase items at consignment and specialty shops, but he is reluctant about compromising his love for the hobby of woodworking by putting limitations and expectations on his ability to create – and the freedom to choose when he creates.
Rothstein has built and donated items to charities and organizations and has helped people slowly transform their living spaces.
Some of the items he has created include furniture, cabinets, wall art, centerpieces, plant stands, planters, wine racks, trash holders, towel racks, seasonal holiday designs, picture frames, clocks, outdoor yard games and more. He also has yard games available to rent.
The Rothsteins have two children, Caden, 10, and Evalie, 7.
“Both of our children have the gift of vision and can imagine something out of the leftover scraps he lets them play with,” Stef said. “We’ve worked to revamp our home with Jake’s works of art and continue to be inspired by handmade pieces of local artists in our area.”
Rothstein’s favorite projects are furniture-based, with his favorite being an entertainment center that has mock barn-wood sliding doors which open to a digital video-disc storage space. He also enjoys making yard games, especially Connect 4.
Rothstein, an electrician, is also an avid triathlete and will be competing in the 2018 Ironman competition.
He feels people should do what they love now because there may not be a chance to start tomorrow.
For more information and to view Rothstein’s projects, visit the firstglancewoodworking.weebly.com website.
Jake Rothstein, St. Stephen, created this planter ladder from a six-foot cedar fence. Rothstein finds relaxation when creating new items from unwanted and/or aged wood.
Jake Rothstein creates new projects from unwanted and/or aged wood. One of his favorite projects he has worked on includes this entertainment center with mock barn-wood sliding doors which open to a digital video disc storage space.
Jake Rothstein, St. Stephen, created this wine rack from refurbished wood.
This is one of the planters Jake Rothstein, St. Stephen, has created from refurbished wood.
