Hello Goodbye
A conversation about an accent table for a powder room led to the design shown here. These images were captured from my SketchUp design model. Below are a few additional images detailing the final design.
Also discussed was the possibility of sourcing the wood for this piece from the now defunct Timeless Timber in Ashland, Wisconsin. I was able to contact the owner and discovered he was preparing to sell off most of the remaining inventory of wood in preparation for moving out of the building. This provided one last chance to secure some of the amazing timber that was once lost in the depths of Lake Superior and other bodies of water across the North American continent. It's sad to gaze upon the now faded sign on the side of the building in Ashland.
I was able to gather some nice yellow birch for this piece as well as some elm that shows promise for a future project yet to be hatched. Photos of the trip to Timeless Timber are included in the gallery below.
With the material now moved into my studio, it's time to wait for it to acclimate to the ambient relative humidity there.
The top will be made from a single piece of flat-sawn yellow birch. Here I've begun studying the grain lines before making the first cut.
Parts for the legs have been cut from a second plank of yellow birch; parts for the rails and stretchers from a third.
I'll continue to mill the parts down to their final machine-milled sizes, letting them rest between each successive milling. This gives the wood time to relieve the natural internal stresses as the layers are removed and moisture continues to balance itself through the full thickness of the wood.
So, as we say hello to an exciting new project, it's time to say a sad goodbye to Timeless Timber.
Hej då!
Craig
