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:
Giving back
Hopes Woodshop giving back to the local community in Pawtucket RI. We worked with BVCAP Youthbuild to teach their students about woodworking and sustainability.
BVCAP Youthbuild
Starting in March 2013 Hopes Woodshop was asked to participate as a volunteer organization to help educate the participants of the Blackstone Valley Community Action Programs (BVCAP) Youthbuild program. I didn't hesitate, and accepted the responsibility of meeting with these students every Wednesday for the next 9 months.
Hopes Woodshop was just getting off the ground. We had our first real shop, a collection of used machines, and just enough to make it work.
A view from the first woodshop located on Manton Ave in Providence RI
Sometimes in life you need to take a leap of faith and trust that your doing the right thing. Even though it was hard, money was tight, and we struggled I had faith everything was going to be alright.
And once I was able to start really teaching and educating the students something in me clicked. I realized that the time I was spending with the students was the most important piece for me and them. We were forging a relationship based on our interactions with one another.
Flattening boards on the Planer for a tabletop
There was a profound message that I received after working with this group from Youthbuild. That message was "go out and do your best to educate the local youth with whatever you can and however you can. It can be something as simple as making an ornament that they can give to friends and family.
Hopes Woodshop ornaments
During our time together they:
- Learned the techniques and process of building tables
- Built cutting boards and ornaments
- Learned how to flatten and square up boards
- Built tops for desk donations
- Learned how to install vinyl replacement windows
- Visited the sawmill to see where our lumber comes from
It was a great time and we look forward to seeing each and everyone of them finding success now that they have finished the program!
Sliding barn door made from Black Walnut
Sliding barn door made from Black Walnut. Custom installation for home remodel in Rhode Island.
The search always starts at the Sawmill for me. Here you can see a fairly large amount of Black Walnut, all of which is from Coventry RI. The barn door was made from two large boards on the far left. We resawed one of the boards down to 3/4", which became the panel. The other board was ripped down the middle and cut into 4 separate sections to make the frame of the door.
By using the Festool track and router we are able to safely and accurately cut tight fitting panels.
Once everything is resawed, milled down to size, and square we are ready to glue everything together.
Here is a photo of the door installed. We used a black walnut header which we mounted the rail to. This gave us the structure and the style that we were looking for.
This hardware was purchased by the customer from http://www.realslidinghardware.com and their are many options to choose from. I found that these wheels were very quiet and would work well in many homes. If you are in the market for a sliding barn door and would like to learn more about pricing please feel free to contact us via out website. A special thanks to Nico over at www.thenicoworkshop.com for his help on this project as well! I may be big and strong but I cant do everything alone:)
The first post...
For those of you that have worked with us in the past, you have noticed we have a new website. For those of you who haven't worked with us, this is exciting!
We will be showcasing our work on this site that is complete and those pieces that are for sale. So please be sure to bookmark our site so you can keep an eye on our design.
Stay tuned for more in 2014...
Cheers,
Marc