Home Improvement : Woodworking Store Has Extensive Stock

I have to confess that I like to shop. We have a “Born to Shop!!” bumper sticker on one of our cars and I go out of my way to find an interesting specialty shop.

At the opening of the new Constantine store in Lawndale, I discovered a surprisingly well-stocked addition to the growing list of stores that cater to woodworkers.

The store was crowded with men, women and children having a great time among the exotic woods and veneers, planes, clamps, finishes, books by The Taunton Press and other publishers and a wide variety of cabinet hardware and other supplies stocked in the 3,000-square-foot store just off the San Diego (405) Freeway at the Rosecrans Avenue exit.

Store Manager Glenn Cultreri, has worked in the main Constantine store at 2050 Eastchester Road, Bronx, N.Y. 10461. Someday I hope to visit this store, but the Lawndale store is a good runner-up. (Visitors to Florida can find a Constantine’s in Fort Lauderdale).

Cultreri has wisely stayed away from power tools, both portable and stationary ones. The firm’s catalogue lists portable power tools, but most woodworkers like to buy tools in person. There are many local outlets for power tools, but there aren’t that many places in the Southland where you can buy Primus bench planes from West Germany, Sorby woodturning tools from Sheffield, England, inlays and marquetry supplies, not to mention woods such as purpleheart from South America, Brazilian rosewood and zebrawood from Africa.

Albert Constantine & Son Inc. has been around since 1812; desks made by the firm before the Civil War are still in use in the Capitol in Washington. I’ve ordered supplies by mail from the New York City store, but I’m glad to have a retail outlet fairly close by. The Lawndale store is at 5318 West 144th St. If you’re serious about woodworking, you’ll visit it sooner or later.

Stanley Hardware has introduced a new two-piece shelf and closet rod support that replaces traditional one-piece designs that can be awkward to install. Screw holes can be easily reached by removing the interlocking brace before installation. The bracket is made of corrugated steel for maximum strength and is sized for standard 1 3/8-inch-diameter closet poles. It’s finished in a neutral desert white finish.