Rockers and Chairs are our specialty
Go to Rocker and Chair Building Process Page to see our techniques
Creating Custom made Furniture for our clients, takes a creative mind. Most of our pieces are considered "Heirloom" quality pieces. We want to create a piece of furniture that will not only be an artistic focal point in a customers home or office, but most of all, be functional. You should be able to not only admire a rocker or chair, but sit in it comfortably as well. You should also have the piece of mind, knowing that your special piece was built to last. That generations from now, it is being used and admired just as much as the day it was made.
The beginning building process starts with listening to what the customers' wants and needs are. By taking what our clients tell us, looking at the pictures they send of their existing furniture and getting a feel for what they want, we can create a piece that will make them happy to show off. Be it a rocker, chair, dinning set, hutch, desk or bedroom furniture, we use the same creativity and building process throughout. We start with pencil and paper and sketch out designs till the customer gives final approval. We select the best wood for the project and lay it out for the best grain pattern. Placing the grain pattern is a very important part of the process. Taking grain pattern into consideration for a rocker or chair is just as important as a table or hutch. If the wood grain doesn't flow or line up, then a piece just doesn't look right. We spend a lot of time making sure that the wood grain is laid out and flows right in a piece. The same goes for selecting and using wood free of defects. Making sure that knot holes are either not used or not placed in an area that will affect the structural integrity of a piece, is very important. However, woods like Mesquite, where the cracks and defects can add to the beauty of a piece, we use Epoxy glue to fill the areas and accent it with colored dyes, turquoise or other gems and stones. After placing the grain pattern, we then draw out the cuts on paper and then transfer that to the wood to then be cut to size on either a bandsaw or table saw. Once the pattern is cut, then the cuts are made for the joinery sections. We use proven time tested joinery, such as dovetails in hutches and drawers, and a "Maloof Style Locking Joint" in rockers and chairs and finger joints in chairs as well. A favorite part of the process is incorporating artistic touches, such as carving, sculpting and shaping. We also like to incorporate accents and Inlays, be it as simple as adding rare Ebony plugs, butterfly inlays, turquoise or other gems. These added touches can be unique ways to make a piece really "Pop".
Final Steps
Sanding, although very time consuming and tedious work, is one of the most important elements of the furniture process. A piece that is sanded properly and taken down to very fine sanding, can produce a flawless finish. Each piece is sanded just as good on the underside as it is on the surface. You should be able to flip it over and it's just as beautiful on the bottom as the top. We take our sanding down in gradual steps from rough to very fine and then burnish it with "0000" and a cotton cloth. These steps ensure that the finish, when applied, will make the grain pop out, give it a satiny feel and the piece therefore comes to life. We use two different types of finish, depending on the wood and the piece. We prefer to use our own blend of hand rubbed oils and waxes for the finish. This process takes several days, but makes sure that the finish penetrates the wood, sealing it and giving it a more natural luxurious sheen and feel. However, we do sometimes use a lacquer spray finish, which is strong and durable. Most table tops get this type of finish to ensure it can stand up to the day to day use.
When complete, we want to know that our customers are completely satisfied and that when they sit, rock, eat at or just stand and admire their special piece, they know it will be with them and their family for generations.
Black Walnut Burl being cut up into slabs for future creations. That was one huge and loud chainsaw.
We were able to use some of it for a walnut burl rocker, the headrest for a desk chair and a carved wall piece. Also see Bowlzilla on our carved sculpture page to see just how beautiful the walnut was.
