Return the favor

When he first stepped into wood shop at North Junior High in Great Falls, Mont., Tim O'Reilly never imagined he would learn a skill that he would carry on into adulthood and later transform into a business.

But the Henderson resident developed such a love and appreciation for wood that he found it relaxing to retreat to his workshop. And when the economy changed, the former manager of construction projects decided it was time to utilize the skills he honed for more than 40 years in a more practical way.

Today, O'Reilly specializes in making custom hardwood air-return grates for your home.

"I've always loved woodworking," he said.

Since winning a first-place award for his mahogany coffee table at the Montana state woodworking competition at the Northern Montana Vocational College when he was in ninth grade, O'Reilly has made an assortment of wooden objects for his home.

"Over the years I have always continued to exercise the talent that I had developed in school by designing and building various furnishing projects from a couch with end tables attached, book cases, solid-oak staircases, chest of drawers, workbenches, sliding kitchen shelves, entertainment centers, TV consoles to a cradle for my first-born son."

Through his TD Custom WoodWorks, O'Reilly carefully handcrafts air-return grates to replace the traditional metal ones installed by homebuilders.

He said the idea to create the wooden grates came when he was trying to fix a broken metal grate in his own home. After trying to wedge in small bits of wood to keep the grate from falling down, he decided a better option would be to replace it.

"It gives such a warm feeling to the house," he said of adding the wood.

Each air-return grate is custom made to fit. He also calculated the volume of air into the home that passes through the metal grates and adjusts his wooden louvers to provide the same volume.

"That way you don't starve the unit or put undue strain on the system," he said.

O'Reilly added that the wooden grates are easier to use when it comes time to change filters and easier to clean -- just use a feather duster.

He works in American and exotic hardwoods and can mix and match woods to each person's desire.

O'Reilly said he prides himself in showcasing the beauty of each piece of wood, lovingly staining and varnishing it to showcase its natural grains and patterns.

It's this attention to detail and love of wood that also precludes him from using nails and screws to hold his pieces together. Instead, he uses dovetail and mortise and tenon joinery.

The major exception to this are the metal secondary frames he uses on his air-return grates to structurally reinforce the opening, and solid brass piano hinges and knobs.

Even O'Reilly's workbench in his garage shop showcases his woodworking skills. Working with scraps of 2-by-4s like a jigsaw puzzle, he fashioned a workbench that rivals many pieces of fine furniture. It is finished in a high-gloss varnish with perfectly drilled holes for his clamps and bumpers. And just so it won't get dirty or marred, he created a wood cover to place over the top when working on particularly messy projects.

In addition to his solid hardwood air-return grates, O'Reilly has made custom cabinetry, tables, bookcases and more. He also restores and repairs wooden objects and antiques, sometimes making them better than their original condition.

Visit his website at TDCustomwoodworks.com or contact O'Reilly at Tim@TDcustomwoodworks.com.