Of all the things that can go wrong with furniture, wood is at the top of the list. It is a natural product that expands and contracts with temperature and humidity changes. But if it’s made well, it can last a long long time. Most wood furniture these days is made of veneer or laminate (plastic). It’s an inexpensive material, and takes little labor to fabricate and install. But we have chosen to use solid wood. All of our dining/conference table tops start with 2″ thick solid hardwood which is planed down to roughly 1 3/4″. Instead of using large machinery, we hand sand each piece, and add breadboard ends (for larger tops) which stabilize the tops, and resist warping. Internally, we use custom oversize hardwood dowels which help to stabilize it even more.
Worn Oak top with a regular wood edge, riveted edge, and bolted corner options. Historically, the metal edge and corner piece helped to protect the wood from impacts in factories.
For finishing, we use commercial grade stains and satin clear coats. Right now we’re moving to a better water based product. Once again, that’ll involve more time. But it’ll yield a superior finish, be environmentally friendly, and be much less toxic to our workers. Our tops always use a low sheen clear coat and we recommend using coasters for cups. A high gloss coat is not consistent with the look we are trying to achieve.
Hure with a Walnut top, breadboard ends, and metal trim with bolted corners
And because trees are an important limited resource, we are making donations, with each order, to replace the trees that are cut down. Our goal is to leave this earth in a better place than when we got here. And it helps us sleep at night.
Chairman Desk in Cherry Wood
All of this work, and attention to detail, creates a superior wood top. Just ask our master craftsmen who has 40+ years in the trade. He’ll tell you that it’s unheard of, in the woodworking business these days, to go to such great lengths. It’s more about volume, for most shops, than quality. But fortunately, we have a unique product with little competition. The vintage industrial furniture market is pretty flooded with product right now, but nobody comes close to our style and quality level. We’re really building heirloom furniture. Buy it now with the intention of handing it down to your kids, and their kids…
A Frame and Benches in Mahogany
