Woodworking classes for Winter 2018
Attention woodworkers, non woodworkers and everyone in between!
We are excited to launch the opening of our custom furniture shop here in Western Massachusetts. To celebrate we will be offering our very own brand of furniture making classes at our Woodshop in Three Rivers, MA. For the first class we are going to open the shop for 6 people to make your very own slab coffee table. The best part is, the course is going to be free. You just have to pay for your materials (have to buy from us). If things go well we will add more throughout the year. See details below:
Course Offering
- Slab coffee table - We will give you a $50 credit to purchase the slab that you like best. I will work with you to create something that fits your space and design aesthetic. In the course we will flatten and sand the slabs smooth. We will fill and patch voids as needed and to your liking. Bases will be (4) round tapered legs (Don't have a photo because I sold the model:/....) . Limit is 6 people. Cost is just material. Course will be Saturdays from 9-2 for 4 weeks starting Jan 13th.
To sign up for this course contact us here! I look forward to seeing some new faces in the shop and traveling down this woodworking journey together.
Cheers!
Marc
John Quincy Adams Beech Tree
Salvaging a Beech Tree from Adams National Historic Park in Quincy MA. This tree is believed to be from the 1800's.
Salvaging a small piece of New England History
It's always a sad day when these beautiful giants have reached the end of their life. However, due to safety concerns this tree needed to be removed. Because of our work these trees go on to become much more than firewood. The team at Adams National Historical Park will repurpose the lumber for their own use. We cant wait to see what will become of this beautiful tree.
Book matched Slabs now for sale + Updates
Black Walnut bookmatched sets and updates
We are now offering Bookmatched Walnut slab table tops on the site. Purchase them as is or we can make a table for you. If you are a large woodworking shop and would like to purchase the lot as well as other sets, please contact us for more information.
Updates
We have some large trees coming through the yard soon. 42" x 10' longs slabs of Butternut are in the works, as well as some large Walnut slabs. There is still time to get in on these but hurry, as the list is filling up fast.
The Nyle Kiln is running now until mid-August. If you would like to throw in some lumber in our next run please let me know. We should have some 2"Walnut and Butternut in there.
We will be showcasing our new line and slabs at the Fine Furnishing show in Pawtucket RI on November 4-6 2016. If you're interested in going let me know, I have some VIP passes I can give you. We will also be having an after party, so stay tuned for more on that (might just end up at Doherty's).
We still have a good amount of Wormy Ambrosia Maple. Please let me know if your interested as it would make beautiful flooring, paneling, or cabinetry. $2-$3 board foot.
Thanks as always for the support and we cant wait to hear from you soon!
Cheers!
Marc
New additions to Lumber 06/20/16
We have some new arrivals at the sawmill. If you are interested in purchasing dimensional lumber or slabs please contact us. This is our cut list for June/July 2016:
- American Elm - 9'Long x 48" dia (We are going to do 2-3" Slabs for table tops)/
- American Elm - 10' Long x 36" dia (2-3" slabs for table tops)
- American Elm - 10' Long x 30" wide x 24" Dia (dimensional stock 4/4 and 8/4)
- Ambrosia Maple - 4000 board feet milled at 4/4
- Spalted Sugar Maple - 7' Long x 36"dia (milled into slabs for table tops).
- Cherry - 16' long x 22" dia (dimensional stock)
- Cherry - 8' long x 24" dia with crook (2" slabs)
- Silver Maple (8' Long x 30" Dia (2-3" Slabs)
We are always on the hunt for more beautiful locally harvested logs. As we find them we will continue to share them with you. If you have some trees and would like to save them from the chipper or fireplace, please contact us.
Cheers!
Marc
““And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”
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Specialty Lumber and Slabs
Specialty lumber available for sale in Massachusetts. Everything from dimensional lumber to live edge slabs now available. Black Walnut, Butternut, Cherry, Maple, Oak, and Ash.
Videos of The Mill
The Lumber
Sometimes the trees grow in a way that isn't suitable for larger mills. Instead of looking for strictly clear lumber, I am looking for things like (character, figure, bug holes, spalting, etc...). The trees that we currently cut are species that grow in New England. They include but are not limited to the following:
- Black Walnut
- Cherry
- Ash
- White Oak
- Red Oak
- Soft Maple
- Hard Maple
- Pine
- Hemlock
Building with lumber that I have sawn gives me great pleasure. I have known the tree throughout the entire process.
Selling Lumber
We sell to Woodworkers, Furniture Manufacturers big and small, Builders, Architects, Interior Designers, and DIY Homeowners. We can custom saw any species in any amount for you as well. To purchase lumber or for questions please fill out the form below:
Trees and tables made in Rhode Island
Buying furniture can be confusing and difficult. Often times this is because we dont know where to begin... Building furniture here in Rhode Island gives us a great advantage because we are able to locally source our lumber, meet with clients, and deliver our pieces without much travel.
Here at Hopes Woodshop we pride ourselves on making sure that we are sustainably harvesting local trees. This means we primarily use trees that may have come down in a storm or were yard trees that were dangerous for homeowners and their homes.
6 months ago I received a phone call at 7am from a friend that the Sugar Maple tree was coming down in front of her home in Providence, RI. I jumped out of bed and rushed to see if I could save this log from being firewood. As you can see from the photos below, I was successful!
We work with a local Sawmill in Coventry RI, that take these trees and mill them into usable lumber that we can build our furniture with. Once the lumber is milled, the drying process begins. This takes anywhere from 1-2 years until the lumber has reached its optimal moisture content of 7-10%. Below are photos of the stickering and stacking process.
In 2 years we will begin hand selecting boards from this pile to become furniture. What they will become? Only time will tell...
To learn more about wood movement and moisture content please check out "Understanding Moisture content and wood movement".
Check our these links for more information: