The Table Making Process
Since each piece of wood has its own natural beauty and particular character, we craft each piece individually by letting the uniqueness of each piece of wood dictate what it will become.
The Tree
Upon locating a desirable tree, limbs are removed and the tree is dropped and cut into sections . We commonly use ash, as ash is a native hardwood that has beautiful grain and makes for a sturdy, as well as an exceptionally heavy table. Other wood species native to the north central US including oak and walnut are also commonly used.
The Slab
Using an Alaskan saw mill, we 'slab' the log into useable pieces. This Alaskan mill can handle logs up to 38 inches in diameter. Slabs are generally 2 to 3 inches thick and run as long as the log itself. Think of it like peeling a carrot, except on a much larger scale. We then put slats between the slabs to allow the slabs to air dry before loading the slabs into the kiln to finish the drying process.
Kiln Drying
A lot of moisture is trapped in a log especially if the tree is still standing. A wood kiln is basically an insulated enclosure where moving air is heated to between 130 and 150 degrees Fahrenheit and a dehumidifier is used to remove the moisture from the air surrounding the wood. Unlike air drying wood slabs, which could take several years, drying hardwood slabs in a kiln takes between two and four weeks to make them ready for use.
The Table
By far the most laborious and skillful part of the job, the creation of the actual table, beckons most of the man-hours, with large tables consuming as many as 100 hours to properly cover all the stages of crafting a quality piece of furniture. During the kiln drying process, some cupping and warping always takes place so the first step to any project is to plane the wood perfectly flat on both sides before any joinery is done.
Once the slabs are flat it is decided what this slab will become. Will it be used alone, will it be combined with its book matched slab or will it be used in a less visible part of a piece such as for a table base or legs. Once this decision is made, the bark is carefully removed so as not to damage the "natural edge" of the wood. Any knots or apparent imperfections in the wood may be filled with clear epoxy to maintain the beauty while still making the table functional, and cracks or potential cracks are stabilized with bow ties or splines, providing extra beauty and a classic look of craftsmanship.
The top then goes through many stages of sanding with progressively finer and finer grit sand papers. Once the table has reached the smoothest possible finish, the piece is either stained or left natural and then depending on the desired look and level of durability, several applications of a varnish or polyurethane are applied. Fine wet sanding and buffing follows this process to ensure the best possible finish.
Click the above image to see more completed pieces, some of which can be found in the For Sale section.