Sweep the Floor Fretboard Journal

Musician Matt Codina took up leatherworking as a simple way to pass the time with a bandmate. Then, it took over his life.
On today's Sweep the Floor, we talk to Matt (Codina Leather) about his love for vintage belts and guitar straps, the unlikely acting debut  - playing Scotty Moore in Heartbreak Hotel - that he landed thanks to his Instagram feed, and learn how that job ended up giving him the stability he needed to become a full-time leatherworker. Codina is currently based in Las Vegas, where he handcrafts vintage-inspired leather goods including belts, guitar wraps, and guitar straps. He tells us about his process, how he sources old (and new) parts for his belts, and about how one of his creations ended up being worn by Clint Eastwood throughout Eastwood's 2021 movie, Cry Macho. It's a wild ride.

https://www.codinaleather.com
https://www.instagram.com/matt_codinaleather/
Host: Jason Verlinde
Music: Paul Rigby
Sweep the Floor is a new podcast where we celebrate the stories behind the best makers in the world, including woodworkers, chefs, brewers, bootmakers, mechanics, designers and all points in-between.
Listener suggestions or sponsorship inquiries welcomed at podcast@fretboardjournal.com.
A Fretboard Journal podcast.

"It's breakneck-ish enough."

When David Harto inherited his grandfather's 1952 Cushman Eagle scooter, his first inclination was to learn how to restore it. Then, he decided to make it into a chopper... then he decided to take it to Bonneville.

On this week's Sweep the Floor, we meet the Washington State-based artist/fabricator/car enthusiast who broke the land speed record (for the Cushman's motor class) with a family heirloom. He walks us through the minutiae of salt flat racing; describes the neverending evolution of his very artistic creation; and explains how a guy who doesn't even consider himself a motorcyclist ended up racing on two wheels, trying to break the ton (a.k.a. go 100 mph).

It's a story about embracing limitations, using what you have, building something from the ground up, and finding a passion in the unlikeliest of places.

https://www.davidharto.com
https://www.instagram.com/davidharto/

Host: Jason Verlinde
Music: Paul Rigby
Sweep the Floor is a new podcast where we celebrate the stories behind the best makers in the world, including woodworkers, chefs, brewers, bootmakers, mechanics, designers and all points in-between.
Listener suggestions or sponsorship inquiries welcomed at podcast@fretboardjournal.com.
A Fretboard Journal podcast.

When violin bow maker Matt Wehling offered to be a guest on Sweep the Floor, I couldn't resist. Violin bows look so simple - a long strip of wood, some horsehair, and something called a "frog" - yet they can command five or even six figures. How much work actually goes into them? How many parts do they actually have? Do they get better with age or retired? I had so many questions.

Wehling - who practices his craft in Northfield, Minnesota - didn't disappoint. This five-time Gold Medal winner from the Violin Society of America walks us through the history of the modern bow, the actual woodworking he does, the importance of Francois Tourte, the varying styles players expect and outlines how a scarcity of bow-grade pernambuco challenges all newcomers to the craft. Wehling fielded all my questions and, after listening to this episode, I don't think I'll ever see a violin bow the same way again.
http://mattwehling.com
Sweep the Floor is a new podcast where we celebrate the stories behind the best makers in the world, including woodworkers, brewers, bootmakers, mechanics, designers and all points in-between.
Listener suggestions or sponsorship inquiries welcomed at podcast@fretboardjournal.com.

Host: Jason Verlinde

Music: Paul Rigby

A Fretboard Journal Podcast production.

After a long hiatus, Sweep the Floor is back with a guest who is particularly close to my heart, Jonathan Ward. Jonathan is an automotive fanatic, Land Cruiser guru, designer, maker, and a tireless learner.
 
Over the years, he's built vehicles for celebrities like Joe Rogan and, as he discloses in this interview for the first time, he recently served as a consultant on the relaunch of the Ford Bronco. Truth be told, when I thought of doing a maker podcast, Jonathan was the first person I dreamed of having as a guest.  I'm honored to have him on the show. 
 
His story is pretty unique: A former child actor, Jonathan took his love for the Toyota Land Cruiser to extremes, launching TLC4x4, one of the nation's premier repair and restoration shops for these cult classics, and eventually creating ICON, a thriving business where state-of-the-art vehicles are housed inside the shells of vintage Toyotas, Ford Broncos or whatever else he and his clients can dream up. ICONs aren't cheap, but they aren't meant to sit in garages, either. These are works of art that you can daily drive or take to the furthest reaches of the globe. 
 
https://www.icon4x4.com
 
At his request, I was able to do this interview in-person at ICON's expansive Chatsworth, California facility and, to be honest, I was unexpectedly moved by seeing these cars up-close. Though I love old Land Cruisers, I'm far from an exotic car enthusiast. But these were different. Every curve, every bolt, every dial, wiring harness, and swatch of upholstery that Jonathan uses is chosen not for profit, but functionality. There were no corners cut, anywhere. I will never be an automotive designer, but it made me contemplate the attention to details I put (or don't put) into my own business and how I could be even better at what I do. 
 
During our chat, we covered a lot of ground: His background, his love for craft, Land Cruisers, the cars that he thinks will be the next coveted next and why he's not jumping on the electric drivetrain bandwagon just yet. Plus a lot more.  
 
Sweep the Floor's next episode will be out on September 1. Until then, please share this episode - and our former ones - on social media with friends. Share the podcast with your favorite brands who may love it, too. And don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes. 
Sweep the Floor is a new podcast where we celebrate the stories behind the best makers in the world, including woodworkers, brewers, bootmakers, mechanics, designers and all points in-between.
Listener suggestions or sponsorship inquiries welcomed at podcast@fretboardjournal.com.

Host: Jason Verlinde

Music: Paul Rigby

A Fretboard Journal Podcast production.

 

The next time you see a guy working on his Jeep in a Walmart parking lot, you may want to do a double-take. It could be David Tracy.


David is a Senior Technical Editor for Jalopnik, but that title barely scratches the surface of his job. For the last five years, this former automotive engineer-turned-journalist has made a career out of buying used cars (especially his cherished Jeeps) that no sane person would touch, including a rusted out $500 USPS mail Jeep and a mouse-infested $1500 1958 FC170. He writes about the ownership experience and documents how - using ingenuity, skill and junkyard visits - he makes them road-worthy again. His hilarious writing has made him one of the site's most popular writers and a folk hero to shadetree mechanics around the world. At the time of this podcast, he has 12 cars in his stable... all in various states of repair.


But David's story goes way beyond wrenching rusty bolts. Here's someone who was obsessed about cars as a kid and earned a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Virginia with a singular goal: A job at Chrysler. Thanks to hard work and hustle, he achieved that only to discover that the reality didn't match the dream. He then discovered his true calling, honestly writing about and demystifying the intimidating world of cars.


David is one of my favorite people in the car world and getting to talk to him for this interview didn't disappoint. His passion for cars is infectious and we even talked about my vehicle of choice (Toyota Land Cruisers) for a minute. He's insightful, hilarious and more than a little MacGyver. I think you'll love him.


https://jalopnik.com/author/David_Tracy
 
This episode is sponsored by MyPerfectColor.  


Sweep the Floor is a new podcast where we celebrate the stories behind the best makers in the world, including woodworkers, brewers, bootmakers, mechanics, designers and all points in-between.


Listener suggestions or sponsorship inquiries welcomed at podcast@fretboardjournal.com.

Host: Jason Verlinde

Music: Paul Rigby

A Fretboard Journal Podcast production.

When his estranged father passed away, Trent Preszler's inheritance was his dad's lone, well-used tool chest.

With those tools and no prior woodworking experience, Preszler decided he would build himself a wooden canoe, a process he outlines in his powerful new memoir, Little and Often. Giving himself a self-imposed, one-year deadline to finish the craft, Preszler stumbles his way through the creation of his first boat, turning his entire house into a woodworking facility. It's a beautifully written tale about someone processing the death of a loved one, finding himself, and the healing power of craft.

Today, Preszler continues his newfound love for woodworking at Preszler Woodshop, where he painstakingly builds canoes one-at-a-time. His canoes command a staggering $100,000. He's also the CEO of Cutchogue, New York's Bedell Cellars.

http://www.preszlerwoodshop.com
Sponsored by Caddis Eyewear and MyPerfectColor.
https://caddislife.com
https://www.myperfectcolor.com

Sweep the Floor is a new podcast where we celebrate the stories behind the best makers in the world, including woodworkers, brewers, bootmakers, mechanics, designers and all points in-between.

Listener suggestions or sponsorship inquiries welcomed at podcast@fretboardjournal.com.

Host: Jason Verlinde

Music: Paul Rigby

A Fretboard Journal Podcast production.