November 1995

      At WoodShop 102, mostly what we do is cut woods to order. Hardwoods and specialty plywoods are featured with a great selection available. People bring in measurements and go home with wood cut to size. This is very convenient to people with some skills but limited tools and shop size.

      In between the wood cut to order, we make picture frames, routed signs, and some custom furniture or woodworking projects as the schedule allows. We are in the shop most weekdays most of the time, but sometimes the job calls for us to be out getting materials or making a delivery.

     Just as a hobby, we can be found sawing logs on some weekends with our Lumbermate sawmill. This all began after tornadoes spawned by tropical storm Mitch in 1998 which knocked down so many trees we could not pass up the opportunity for the logs.

      These days everybody has their specialties. Our specialties are described above. That is what we do. We have a long list of what we don't do, which includes: repairs, plastics, louvers, refinishing, contracting, tree trimming, mass productions, and work outside the shop on your boat or house. If you need one of these things we do our best to refer you to other local businesses.

2005

Our tenth Year!

     In the beginning, Monroe County permitted the building, and it was built. WoodShop 102 was chosen as the name for two reasons. For one, the shop is located exactly at the 102 mile marker on U.S. Hwy. 1, in Key Largo. The address is 102001 OverSeas Hwy. and the phone number ends in 102! The second reason for the name is a mock of a school class, since this is the owner's second woodshop operation and "learning experience".

    The owner and builder, Rex Rothing, operated a successful shop, called ShipRex WoodCrafts, from 1989 thru 1995 in the heart of Key Largo, on Laguna Avenue. This was a rented location and only half the size of WoodShop 102.

     Prior to ShipRex WoodCrafts, Rex had graduated from the University of Miami at Coral Gables and went on to teach SCUBA diving and manage a dive shop and sporting goods store. He was originally from Wilmette, Illinois but moved to Florida in 1971, and to Key Largo in 1976. 

Woods we sell include:

Imports - Teak, Mahogany, Adiroba, Sapele, Khaya, Purpleheart, Makore, Iroko, Spanish Cedar, Zebra, and more.

Domestics - Ash, Beech, Cedars(2), Cherry, Cypress, Hickory, Maple, Oaks(4), Pines(4), Poplar, Walnut, and more.

Natives - West Indies (Cuban) Mahogany, Jamaican Dogwood, Wild Tamarind, Willow Bustic, Black Ironwood, Buttonwood, Seagrape, and more.

Exotics - Coconut, Woman's Tongue, Sapodilla, Tropical Almond, Asian Tamarind, Chinese Tallow,

Red Mahoe, Black Olive, and more.