A new appreciation.

Jeff · March 31, 2002, 04:20:08 PM

Stacy and I started a project this weekend. I have talked before on how this old jaded sawyer looks at wood a little differently now.

Just an ordinary chunk of sawmill slab from a wormy red maple, and parts of a dieing birch tree. Not much to think about there. Chip material. See it hundreds of time a day, thousands of times a week. Just a hatchet and a mallot and a belt sander and sanding block and a few hours from Stacy and I.
Today we saw things differently when we stood back and looked.

RavioliKid · March 31, 2002, 04:22:56 PM

Jeff,
That looks gorgeous! Almost as purty as an Easter egg! Hey! Does this make me a winner? ;)

Tom · March 31, 2002, 04:23:45 PM

y'all did good, Jeff. Way to go Stacy. That's some pretty wood. What are you going to do next?

Corley5 · March 31, 2002, 05:13:20 PM

That's quite a piece of furniture 8) I like wood with character much better. It's always amazed me that the clear lumber brings so much more money. It just doesn't have any character. Hard maple select especially. It's just white wood. Now you get some hard maple heart wood with red color and that's pretty.

Tom · March 31, 2002, 05:25:36 PM

I agree. pure, faultless wood may have its place but plastic would do a good job too. Give me the "real" stuff anyday.

The world is run by neatniks who must have their desk cleared, trash can emptied, pencils in a row and a perfect piece of wood with no knots or grain amiss. :D

It's a study in Paranoia. Kinda like the toothpaste people and under-arm deodorant people try to make everybody think they may be annoying. The "must be perfect" types are so concerned with being right that they try to make everyone think that something must be wrong with a piece of wood unless it meets all their criteria for flawlessness.

Personally, I think Squirrelly grain and knots add character to a piece of furniture.

See that glistening, irridescent grain patter next to the Knot on the bench corner side? Now that's pretty.

Frank_Pender · March 31, 2002, 05:39:54 PM

Fine wood character brought out by one character :D and a lovely hard working wife. ;) Fine job folks. Thank you for sharing with everyone. It is those types of slabs I sell her for upwards of $150 and they are still in the rough.

Ron Scott · March 31, 2002, 05:48:59 PM

Underwater woods cut from sunken logs or shipwreck woods are some of my favorites.

CHARLIE · March 31, 2002, 05:52:17 PM

Stacey, you and your dad did a fine job with that bench. It looks like the belt sander worked pretty DanG good too. 8) 8)
After reading Tom's post I immediately ran down to my desk, threw stuff all over it, messed up the neatly lined up pencils and filled up my trashcan.

OK.....I'm fibbin'.....I really didn't. ;)

Jeff · March 31, 2002, 05:53:12 PM

Stacy is the daughter Frank. We are trying our hand at these so she can earn some money to help with a car. Stacy is 16. She also helped me make a log picnic table a couple years ago for her Mother. She is also my yard worker. I finally bought myself a garden trctor last spring, and she has only let me drive it 2 times! She considers it hers, and she has informed me that I will be teaching her how to change the oil in it next weekend so its ready to go.

woodman · March 31, 2002, 08:13:39 PM

All i know is it's late and i could not find the egg good night

Ron Wenrich · April 01, 2002, 03:08:22 PM

From my understanding, a lot of the clear lumber goes for molding. But, they do cut out some of those character defects that would be really nice in some furniture.

Hickory cabinets have a lot of character. A lot of the sound defect is left in. I've even seen knotty oak cabinets, but I didn't really like the way it was done. The knots were too big, as compared to the subtle defects that are found in the tighter grained woods.

And what would be wrong with a little sap in cherry or walnut?

Jeff, sounds like your daughter is a pretty good hand to have around. Teach her to change oil in the tractor, maybe your truck will be next. :D

Jeff · April 11, 2002, 06:10:53 PM

Stacy inspects another future project. Man aint it cool, Daughter with a belt sander.

Any guesses on species on this 21x3 inch slab?

RavioliKid · April 11, 2002, 06:18:41 PM

Jeff,

You tell Stacy a great big "way to go!" from another female with a belt sander!

Hey, I think I'll take a picture of the desks I made for my classroom at school and post them. They are not neat and groovy like the stuff you've posted, but I'm proud of them.

Tom · April 11, 2002, 07:46:28 PM

Yeah! Doit Rav. We want to see'em

Gordon · April 13, 2002, 09:26:26 AM

Looks like a big ole chunk of maple. But then again with the luck that I've had in the past on getting the id correct on stuff, I'll be way off. So it's cedar. :

Gordon

Jeff · April 13, 2002, 02:00:31 PM

:D :D :D\
Gordon Gordon Gordon. :D :D

Soft Wormy Maple. If you sent me my *DanG hat your luck would change I am sure. ;)

Gordon · April 13, 2002, 07:32:38 PM

rut rohe exit stage right. :D :D :D

You will be wearing it (the hat that is by the Tuesday after next) and also a big smile. That is right after you say---ITS ABOUT TIME!!

Gordon

Jeff · April 18, 2002, 01:56:37 PM

Well, I am still putting the birch tree to use that made the legs for the bench.

Here is a stand I am making using the forked top of the birch tree for the legs and using one of the worst scrap pieces of cedar that I brought home from Florida for the top. I used a Roto Zip to cut the hole close, then sanded it out to get a pretty tight fit, then used sawdust and glue to fill any gaps. then sanded it back down. so, we have eastern red cedar with a birch knot!

Just one coat of urathane so far.

Kevin · April 18, 2002, 03:36:33 PM

That`s amazing grace!
Nice job.

DanG · April 18, 2002, 10:06:38 PM

Jeff, Jeff, Jeff! You're holding out on yourself. Here you are holding a full-time job, running this forum, as well as attending all those conferences, and auctioning the Nation's ornaments, then you go knocking out pieces like that in your "SPARE TIME!?!?!?" :

You're sitting on a gold mine, there. Get that stuff to an art show and start reaping the rewards of your skills and talent!! 8) 8)

CHARLIE · April 18, 2002, 10:39:17 PM

Now....that's a fine looking stool Jeff!

I was looking at it and thought.....I'd sure hate to be sitting on it if that glue joint broke loose.

timberbeast · April 19, 2002, 02:28:35 AM

Lookin' great, Jeff. A suggestion for "cool stuff", since you're doing these things. Most of mine burned up... >:(., but one of the things I used to do was drill the leg holes all the way through, fit the leg "a tad" loose, the cut a kerf in the top of the leg. Then use a small wedge of wood that contrasts, put in the leg and drive the wedge (with glue). Make sure that the wedge orients so it doesn't split the top along the grain. Pretty soon you'll be running "Jeff B.'s Rustic Furniture"!! There's a guy in northern Wis making a fortune from this stuff, must have a 1000 sq. ft. showroom, started out about 15 years ago in a small storefront!