CRAFTED IN NEW MEXICO • FREE SHIPPING $50+

From a Bookshelf to a Growing Business: Meet New Mexico Woodworker Dauntay Williams

Discover how New Mexico woodworker Dauntay Williams turned a simple bookshelf into a growing handcrafted woodworking business in this edition of High Desert Makers.

HIGH DESERT MAKERS

Martin Molina

7/24/20264 min read

Every business has a beginning. Sometimes it's years of planning. Sometimes it's a lifelong dream. And sometimes, all it takes is a bookshelf.

That's exactly how Dauntay Williams' woodworking journey began.

When I started High Desert Makers, I wanted to tell the stories behind the people building things right here in New Mexico. We often see the finished product, but we rarely hear how it came to be. After coming across Dauntay's woodworking videos on TikTok, I knew he was someone I wanted to feature.

Dauntay is a New Mexico native, a husband, a father of two, a skater, a golfer, and now, a woodworker. What surprised me most wasn't the quality of his work—it was how recently he started.

In May 2026, his wife asked him to build a bookshelf for her cookbooks using reclaimed pallet wood. After that came a kitchen bench. He listed it on Facebook Marketplace, and it sold.

As he joked, his wife wasn't thrilled that her bench disappeared, but he needed the confidence boost. He promised to build another one... and then sold the replacement patio furniture, too, before eventually making her a set that stayed home.

Those first sales gave him the confidence to keep building. He started sharing his projects on TikTok, where his videos quickly found an audience. Before long, his schedule was booked through June and July with orders.

Scroll through his work, and you'll find handcrafted patio furniture, planter boxes, and even wooden tortilla presses. Every project is built by hand, one board at a time.

When I asked what project he's most proud of, he immediately answered the tortilla press. It challenged him with unique cuts and shaping the handle, making it one of his favorite builds.

Like many small business owners, Dauntay is balancing customer projects, family life, and limited shop space while working out of his garage. Even so, he's already planning improvements as his business grows.

One answer really stuck with me.

“I want people to feel like a piece of their community is in their home.”

That's the heart of buying from a local maker. You're not buying something that rolled off an assembly line. You're supporting someone in your own community who measured, cut, sanded, and finished every piece by hand.

His advice for anyone thinking about starting a business was simple:

“Just try it.”

His first listing sat on Facebook Marketplace for nearly a month. When it finally sold, he reinvested the money into more materials, kept building, and the momentum slowly grew.

Sometimes one customer is all it takes.

Final Thoughts

What I enjoyed most about talking with Dauntay was his honesty. He's not pretending to have decades of experience. He's simply someone who took a chance on himself, kept learning, and kept building.

That's exactly why I started High Desert Makers.

Every business has a day one.

For Dauntay, it started with a reclaimed bookshelf.

I have a feeling this is only the beginning.

Thank you for taking a few minutes out of your day to spend with me.

You could have been doing just about anything else, but you chose to read this journal entry, and that means more than you probably realize.

I'd also like to thank Dauntay for taking the time to share his story and for being the very first maker featured in High Desert Makers.

— Martin Molina

Founder, High Desert Grooming Co.

Publisher, The High Desert Journal

A vertical wooden cookbook shelf mounted to the side of an oak kitchen cabinet holding various recipe books.

Wood Planters

Wood Outdoor Seating

Handcrafted Bookshelf

Dauntay Williams

Where to Find Dauntay

@the_Daunt

@dauntay_shalik

439woodworks@gmail.com

Quick Questions

Favorite project

Handcrafted tortilla press

Favorite drink

Coffee in the morning, a “sodie” the rest of the day.

Favorite local spots

The skatepark, the Sandia Foothills, and the Sandia Crest.

Business in one sentence

“Artisanal handcrafted wooden goods.”

Interested in a Custom Piece?

If you're looking for handcrafted outdoor furniture, planter boxes, a wooden tortilla press, or another custom woodworking project, be sure to check out Dauntay's work on TikTok and Instagram.

If you have an idea you'd like brought to life, send him an email and start the conversation. Supporting local makers helps strengthen our communities here in New Mexico.