weve been working on these boookmatched ash benches since, oh, 2010 sometime.  well, actually, weve been wondering what to do with these planks for that long ... benches was alchoices a possibility, but so too was a wall mounted or outdoor sculpture ... its settled ... benches they are now ... and pretty cool ones too, if i do say so myself ...click the photos to enlarge them.

 lots of different choices to use them, but they seem to like to be face to face like in the top photo, though the long version above is pretty cool too ...

 

 they are currently looking for a home, along with a few other items featured in ourinventory reduction sale in the next post.

 seriously, for more information and pricing, give me a call at 802 867 5541, or send me an email at 

dan@com ..

rolls royce and planks, from the open studio 2010 blog post .. open studio coming up again this year on memorial day weekend ... be there ..

 this is more what they look like when they are not in the bright spring sunshine .. 

it really was spring here today.

the choir or bleachers position ..

 the legs started out as 12/4 ash, and jim tapered them with a jig he made for the planer, planing one tapered  side off a little bit at a time, on all of them, and then changing his shim thickness to do the other side ... the he rounded them off with a handplaned and addded the little left arch at the base.

 for the finish, we burned them with the big torch, wipe on some ben moore carnival red oil paint, burned the ma gain and wiped them red again.  the tops were just treated with bitterroot Penofin.  good to go, inside or out ... fun project ...

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what a week

well, im gonna try your patience here. i havent been writing much lately, (too busy, the weathers too nice, pick an excuse ) so i thought i would catch up with a monster post summarizing the last week or two. here goes:
the photo above is not from the guggenheim, but rather from the house where we delivered the circular bench this past thursday. fit like a glove, as the saying goes.
the pictures were a challenge as the light was intense at the top of the steps late in the day ... you get the idea. the stairchoice is three full stories and is a 6 radius at the outside of the curved railing
the bench went to the same house as the swinging bench
and weve got two claro slab dining tables underchoice in the shop .. a ten footer and a twelve footer. both slabs are from the same log and are going to two different clients, one in chicago, and one in northern vermont. one of the table tops will be finished in a satin black color, which should be interesting as its the first one of these tables we have made to be stained. the sample was elegant, so im looking forward to seeing it finished ... this week?
the 10 footer will have our regular natural finish, and both slabs are now routed for the bases. on to the finishing room monday with this one.
while were talking about claro walnut, were also working on some pieces for an upcoming show at a new venue in the berkshires opening on the 21st of july. its a converted mill space in housatonic, mass., near great barrington, and while i haven;t seen it yet, the space looks fantastic in the photo above. we started out figuring on a minimal presence, but at the urging of the organizers, were now making a bigger effort. were working on a couple of pieces using the small claro slabs we purchased back in february.
weve got a funky mdf desk mockup going, which sam will fabricate in steel this week. im not sure yet about the vertical things and well have to see as we go along. i might try some more polished rebar instead.
weve also got this coffee table slab. the base is completed and will be like the one we finished recently. ive decided not to reinvent the wheel with every piece we build. enough is enough.
also early last week, we started a new pool table. this is a long story i will eventually tell in a dedicated blog post, but for now, heres what we have so far ...
a bunch of parts roughed out, the slate, the slate support pieces and below,
a mockup of the leg details and and full size drawing. the table will be walnut, with quilted maple panels, which will veneered earlier last week.
and weve got this very funky bench project in the works, proceeding from the sketch above,
to the cad drawing ...
to the actual thing nearly completed. the last thing will did friday was cut the back on the cnc and hell fit it up and fabricate the round cap on manday ... its made from reclaimed white oak. hopefully, it will be ready to roll out by the end of next week.
and, speaking of rolling out, the benches for the copper top table left tuesday and are now on the porch in connecticut. im waiting for a photo of the whole setup from the client ... these are, like the table 11 long and have reclaimed chestnut x bases with new, distressed and painted ash tops.
and, that copper top table and benches led sam to create this 8 table for one of his clients. hell be making matching benches with steel x bases soon .... take an object, do something to it, do something else to it. this is a perfect ...
and we cut this quickie elm slab desk top from a slab we purchased at berkshire products ... in the door; meet with the client and cut it to shape; apply some finish; out the door last wednesday ... love a quick turnaround. still with me? almost done now .... my A D D is kicking in and it is a BEAUTIFUL day here in vermont ...
this one was a rescue operation ... it had been previously altered (20 years ago?) with some bad cast iron rail hardware that never quite was iustalled correctly. if you touched a post, the whole bed wobbled and schoiceed and seemed ready to collapse. we reversed the repair by removing the improved rails, patching those moritises and made new wider rails that were attached through the original bed bolt holes. new bolt covers and a ply mattress support and this bed is ready for the next hundred years. nice turnings and design. solid as a rock ...
and it seems things are picking up a bit ... these are just a could of projects that popped into the design quay this week ... more on those as they (hopefully) progress.
im outta here ... time to go watch the orioles ... click this one .. its one of my best bird photos ...

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a burst of activity

hmmmm .. busy time here in the designing and pricing and proposing department.  plus its spring, which alchoices cuts into the free time i usually have available for blogging.  this post will be more or less a continuation of one from the end of last month, where again, i didnt take the time to write in depth about specific projects.  i think, maybe too, the writing is taking sort of a backseat to the enjoyment of living, for the moment at least.  getting out for five rounds of golf in april is pretty good for me. 

heres a quick april projects in the works lineup, and some hints of whats to come in may ... click the photos to enlarge them ..

a claro walnut coffee table from the offcut of a previous dining table ... we keep em, and sometimes we get lucky, and someone needs one exactly the right size ...

this ones heading to chicago this week.  industrial look welded steel base by sam.

speaking of sam, the metal shop is humming, and hes cranking it out.  these are parts for some large turnbuckles that will hold a building together, where the second floor floor was removed.  there are four of them total ..

 thats 1" solid round stock bent into those graceful hooks .. turnbuckles from peak supply ...

and he fabricated and installed some new custom railing projects ...

i think this one was installed a couple of weeks ago ...

and these unusual objects will support wooden poles which a local message artist will hold on to while she walks on your back ... sounds interesting, but i havent tried it yet ... a niche market for sure.

and next up we have the new design department.  thisll be a new kitchen, hopefully by this time next month ...

i finished the shop drawings using some uninterrupted time this weekend ... during the week, i often work from one interruption to the next, and drawings like these just dont flow for me unless i can concentrate.

and after a few sketches and cad iterations of this wall, we have a confirmed design for a long bedroom wall ... coming up in june sometime ...

another claro walnut coffee table ... waiting for its base that will hopefully happen this week.  the ant attack area is fascinating ..

and the pine sideboard is finished and gone, and now in its new home in stowe, vt ...

here we have another upcoming project that took some time to design and figure out.  it will be a credenza in a north carolina law office, along with the ant attack table above.

 using claro slab cutoffs, well cut the short cut offs into veneers, and lay up the door and drawer face panels like a puzzle.  it will have a welded and polished steel base by sam.  i am looking forward to seeing this one get umderchoice.  it should be a fun one.

and this one, will whipped up week before last.  its finished now, and i hope we can deliver and set it up in the clients home early this week.  shaker influenced design, simple detailing,

and will is currently, along with a couple of new banjos, working on this slightly smaller version of a lutyens style desk he built back in 2009.  luckily, in a couple of blog posts, we documented the process as we figured out the first time so hes got a little leg up on this one.  also, four additional years of practice doesnt hurt either ...

 

march, 2009 .. +/- 26 x 72

the new onw was starting to take shape by last friday ... still a long choice to go though .. lots of detail.

and trevor whipped up this little rustic coffee table last week.  it may not look so rustic in this photo, but now the base is distressed and pickled, the top has its breadboards, and the culry maple top will be distressed, stained and finished later this week.

and jim and sam made a couple of reclaimed oak tables in the bethlehem steel style .. burned, and lightly distressed reclaimed white oak from west virginia ...

and, actually one of the larger projects we wrapped up this month has been ongoing since last september.  it will start to take shape, hopefully, by early july ... we have one more approval to go, and sams new metal shop will start happening.  its been a long slog, with lots of challenging permit related details, but i think we have cleared almost the final hurdle. we have received the loan commitment, and the last detail, which i will not mention for fear of jinxing it, will be approved by the 15th of may ... and then, my free time will be gone.   life is uncertain, golf now.

ok, work on your pottery too

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