The first video below was how Blacktail Studio came to my attention. I was doing some research on alternative uses for denim, and when I saw the table Cam made, I knew I had to explore further. Cam came to woodworking in a roundabout way. He was working as a helicopter pilot on oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, and his schedule was 14 days on, then 14 days off. He needed to fill his two-week-at-a-time breaks, and learned woodworking so he could fix up the inexpensive fixer-upper house he’d purchased for himself. Cal then got a job as a LifeFlight pilot (ambulance helicopters), which was really his dream helicopter job, but it still had plenty of downtime. By then, he had married and was living in Oregon. In his spare time, he began taking on furniture woodworking jobs. Eventually, he formed Blacktail Studio to do small, personal furniture projects for himself and friends. The clients started pouring in, and he eventually quit his piloting job in favor of the more family-friendly woodworking business. I’m sure his clients are VERY glad he made that pivot.
One of the things that really struck me about his work was how often he runs into problems and/or makes mistakes. Cam tells on himself constantly in his making-of videos, and his anxiety attacks when things go sideways add to his relatability. Also, when the project he’s working on isn’t a commission, he often gives the finished piece away to his viewers. No wonder he’s got nearly 2.5 million subscribers!
You can follow the innovative Blacktail Studio on their website and on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
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My OBT 
September 15, 2023 at 1:52 pm
I’ll be back for this too
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