Scenes from the shop

Using a vacuum press for veneer work.

With today's modern glues and clamping systems, veneering is no longer a bad word. When the big trend was mass-produced furniture, veneering was done using inferior glues (glues that were available at the time) and core materials (particle board). Particle board is not allowed in our shop.

We approach the veneering process using very modern adhesives that affectively "weld" the veneer to the core material (Baltic birch plywood)thus making it one piece. Baltic birch plywood is a 100% void free plywood that makes a very superior core for veneering projects. We then use the vacuum press technology to apply over 1500 pounds per square foot of pressure to ensure a good bond. Our goal is to build furniture that will last and become family heirlooms.

Bent form lamination of a form of woodworking that enables woodworkers to make curves in furniture. It is a process of building forms in the shape that is needed then cutting solid wood into thin strips and then gluing them back together in the bent form. The use of modern glues makes this a very viable process now. The forms above were used to make curved drawer faces in a bathroom vanity for customer.

In a woodshop there are never enough clamps. This particular glue up was for a church pulpit that used a combination of torsion box form construction and veneering. The wood used in the project is East Indian Rosewood. A 4'x8' sheet of the veneer was over $500! A board foot of the solid wood (if you can locate it) is much more expensive then the veneer. That is why veneering is a much better use of resources then solid wood construction. It makes our natural resources go a lot further!

This is the unfinished case of a large entertainment center made from maple. The center section was designed to hold a 47" flat screen TV! The pocket doors are actually bi-fold pocket doors because non folding doors would have been way to big to be able to hide in the unit when open. This whole center was comprised of 8 different pieces that were assembled once delivered to the customer.

More Pictures 

Woods of the World

Purpleheart. This is the only naturally purple colored wood in the world. It is sustainable and is grown in South America. It is used in furniture and cabinetry, and I'll bet somewhere in the world someone used it for hardwood flooring. It finishes beautifully with a hand rubbed oil finish.