While admittedly lightyears away from a true Star Wars fanatic, one aspect of that particular universe caught my interest — Harrison Ford’s lesser-known life as a carpenter and woodworker — which actually led him directly into everything that came after.

Even if you’ve seen and appreciated this bit of history before, there’s one small detail you may have missed that made these a must-share: he’s wearing a not-so-common (these days) DeWalt shop apron in one set of shots. While I’m not entirely sure if DeWalt Lumber Co. had any connection to the DeWalt we all know and love, it reminds me of another shop apron I’d come across on eBay somewhere along the way…

– David

Prints from the Mr. Sawdust Print Shop —

“Prior to being cast as space-pilot Han Solo in 1977’s seminal Star Wars blockbuster, Harrison Ford was a carpenter to support his family. Self-taught, he learned his craft from books borrowed from Encino library. Ford was hired for Star Wars early on by George Lucas - as a carpenter. Lucas had met Ford while Ford was installing a wooden door at Francis Ford Coppola’s house.”

— via Retronaut, 1984: Harrison Ford, carpenter

After the photos below, you’ll find a few excerpts from an article that accompanied some of these classic shots…

“When I was a carpenter, I once worked with this Russian lady architect. I would tell her, ‘Look, I’m terribly sorry, but I want to change that half an inch’. And she would say ‘No limit for better.’ I think that is a worthy credo,” Ford is quoted.

Considerable‘s piece on the icon puts the spotlight on his carpentry workshop at his then-Mandeville Canyon, Beverley Hills- home in August of 1984. This is important for several reasons. Firstly, no “simple carpenter” affords a home in Beverley Hills. Which brings us to the principle fact: Ford was still elbows-deep in carpentry after starring in not just the first ‘Indiana Jones’ film – but the entire original ‘Star Wars’ trilogy, as well.

[…]

Harrison Ford was a Professional Carpenter All Through ‘Star Wars’ and into ‘Indiana Jones’ Series

While Ford considers himself a “lifelong carpenter,” which is now absolutely true, he didn’t learn the trade as a child. Instead, the actor was self-taught in his twenties, while he was already chasing work in film. As is the case for many actors, however, it would be a long while before Ford made it big. And there to fill all those frustrating gaps was carpentry.

[…]

“How did you feel about Star Wars when you first started? How were you approached?” the top [r/AskMeAnything] question reads.

“I was approached with the offer of a job, which at that point, was all I wanted to hear,” Ford began in the AMA. “I had helped George Lucas audition other actors for the principle parts, and with no expectation or indication that I might be considered for the part of Han, I was quite surprised when I was offered the part.”

“My principle job at the time was carpentry,” he continued. “I had been under contract as an actor at Columbia and Universal. I had a house at the time I wanted to remodel, a bit of the wreck of a house. I’d invest money in tools but wouldn’t have money for materials, so I realized this was another way of putting food on the table. And allowing me to pick and choose from the acting jobs that were being offered at the time.”

Ford and Jones are Quite Different

In fact, George Lucas met Ford while he was installing a wooden door at Francis Ford Coppola’s house. This led to his casting in Lucas’ first hit, ‘American Graffiti,’ which hit cinemas in 1973. From there, he would make it big (understatement of the galaxy) in ‘Star Wars,’ followed by ‘Indiana Jones’ and dozens of box office hits for decades to come.

— via Outsider