A Relaxing Oasis in Boston, MA
Imagine waking up and feeling refreshed. Working and feeling inspired. When I look at these images I am reminded, nature is the true designer. Something so peaceful about the mix of materials, light and nature.
When I began working on this walnut slab, I envisioned it as a communal table in a restaurant. Piecing it back together with its other half when a large party wanted to sit together. How wrong I was... This piece wasn't meant for that. It was meant to bring a sense of purpose to this room. To say "I once was broken, but now I am whole. This is where I belong".
My Pith series has been my most unexpected success story in the shop. By taking these often discarded boards, and putting them back together we have found a new purpose. The "Pith", refers to the center of the tree and represent the 1st year of growth. It is a soft, spongy material and generally this board will split right down the middle because of this. But there is another meaning to this word, "The essence of something".
Crafting these pieces takes time, thought, and planning. It all starts at the mill. We take careful measurements when beginning our cuts because your 1st cut dictates how your last cut ends. These cuts are often planned to remove the pith from all other boards. Making them more stable and less likely to crack during the drying and building process. As I mentioned earlier, once these boards have dried they are likely to crack along the pith. We reinforce the cracked boards together again using a variety of techniques (Mortise and Tenon, Bowties, Epoxy, etc...). Here you can see our process and inlaying bowties (other names include butterflies, Dutchmans keys, etc...):
It is our hope that we can continue to salvage these boards to create truly one of a kind heirloom pieces for years to come. Thank you for reading and please feel free to comment or share below!
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