Rustic Reclaimed Barnwood Dining/Nook Table

This table looks amazing!  The red cedar colors of red and white really pop with the clear polyurathane on it!  I stained the legs and frame ebony to make the table top really stand out.  I used a basic frame and leg design, so there is plenty of room for your legs on all sides and is sturdy.  It is 48" x 36" x 30" tall.

Reclaimed Barnwood Entry Way Table/Shelf

I just love making these table/shelves!  Everyone has space enough in their entry way for an awesome rustic table/shelf like this one.  They pop in any room and in any house!!!!  This table is 39" long x 10" deep x 32" tall.

Reclaimed Fence Board Shelf and Reclaimed Barnwood Table

I love making shelves and bookcases out of reclaimed fence!  I scored a white painted fence and just got it all tore apart and all the nails out of it to start making furniture with it.  This shelf is going in a country style kitchen to put a microwave on and store other small appliances.  I also made a reclaimed barnwood table with an adjustable shelf to put a big tv on and components on the shelf.  It is crazy how I never get tired of pulling out nails, cutting rotton ends of boards, sanding mold and dirt off old boards and turning them into a useful piece of furniture.  It would be so much easier to go buy wood and make furniture with square and clean lumber, but it's not the same.  Something about showing a person the wood I'm gonna make their furniture out of and the look of "omg" in their eyes and then the "omg, I love it!" when I'm all finished. 

Once again...Thank you all for your support!  Especially to Jennifer and Chris and John!  You guys Rock!!!

Big "Fatty" Bench

Well I still have a bunch of half logs still from cutting the oak tree down a month or so ago.  There are a bunch of "big" people in the Mid West (probably due to all the steak, potatoes, and corn around.  lol), so I made a bench big and strong enough for "Bubba" and his kids to sit on his lap.  lol.  This bench is Beast!  It is 48" long and 22" across and 19" tall. 

Barnwood Picture Frames, 2 Pine Bar Stools, Oak Log Porch Table, & 4 Rustic Oak Log Benches

I made a round table with a leaf and 6 chairs for a very nice couple earier this month and they requested 6 barnwood picture frames to put their pictures from their trip to Mexico and 2 bar stools to go match their chairs.  I also have a neighbor that has a dad with diabetes, both legs amputated from the knee down, and is legally blind, but loves rustic log furniture.  He requested me to make him a little oak table and 4 matching benches for his porch.  It is amazing the awesome people you meet when you have a trade.  I quess I have been lucky so far not to meet to many assholes.  People I make furniture for, really apreciate it and that is more of a reward than you can imagine!  It is always rewarding to get compliments on my work!  Thank you all for your support! 

Something Fun...A Giraffe Bench

I wanted to make something fun and make me smile!  My girlfriend Jenn really likes giraffes and I had a stack of wood in front of me, just calling me to make a giraffe bench.  lol.  I can make just about any animal and will be making more for sure!  It is 19" tall (the seat) and you can hang your coat or hat on his head and put your shoes under him.  Awesome for the entry way or in your kids room! 

Reclaimed Barnwood Rustic Table and Stool Set

This was a fun table to make!  I used over 100 year old barnwood boards for the 4 legs, reclaimed 2 x 4's from a fence for the cross beams on the lower legs and table top supports.  I used reclaimed deck boards for the table top.  I got tired of making similar table tops and got a but creative.  Nothing over the top, but I made a design by cutting 45 degree angles in all the table top boards and some triangles.  It turned out good.  It is level and all the boards are flush.  I stained the table top and stool legs with a dark mohogany stain and coated the seat tops and table top with polyurathane.  I did not put polyurathane on the legs, because the old barnwood looks amazing natural. 

6' Long x 32" Tall x 14" Deep Maple Log Wall/Entry Way Table

This table rocks!  It is so solid, smooth, and just plane sexy!!!  It is 6' long x 32" tall x 14" deep.  It is made from maple.  The top is stained olde maple and the legs are stained red mohogany.  The bottom is planed and has just as good of look as the top!  A little tricky getting the legs level, but I figured it out.

4' long x 32" tall x 10" deep Log Entry/Wall/Sofa Table

This is an oak log entry/wall/sofa table that is 4' long x 32" tall x 10" deep.  The top is stained olde maple and the legs are stained mohogany.  The cross beam is old rustic barnwood and is stained with polyurathane along with the rest of the table to protect it and make it shine.  The temp outside is still reaching a 100 degrees or more and this table made me drenched for a week straight!  It is hard to cut and sand when sweat it dripping on your glasses and mixes with the saw dust to make mud.  lol.  Gross, I know.  lol

Questions about Craigslist, Ebay, Etsy, Etc...

I get quite a few questions from other artisins trying to make their mark in the world with their trade about how I do on Craigslist, Ebay, Etsy, etc... 

Lets start with Etsy and Ebay.  Its all about "SHIPPING COST"! After 9-11 the cost of shipping went out the roof!  You have to do a lot of research of different shipping companies, moving companies, and UPS, Fedex, and US Postal.  Eta can really vary if you want to save a few bucks and so can cost!  To tell you the truth...I just gave up on shipping and work on local sales.  I just don't have the time to spend researching the best way to ship a queen size log bed from Kansas City to Oregon, spend the time braking down my furniture and packing it so my customers will buy it and then have to make directions for assembly and mark all the pieces.  People usually can't figure it out and end up braking pieces and then you just end up with a bunch of ugly emails and comments, because they can't tell the difference between a philips bit and straight bit.  lol 

Now lets move on to Craigslist.  It is hard to find cutstomer who appreciate and are willing to pay for hand made crafts on a consistant basis!  I find that most CL shoppers are just one step above garage salers who come to sales with $20 in their pocket, not $200 and often have champaign taste on a beer budget.  If you are patient and get a few sales from people who pay you for what your time, materials, and skills are worth...they will be your best word of mouth advertisers if you stay in contact with them and throw them a bone or two once in a while on making something they want at cost.   Check out the market on similar things that you make and check your prices compared to others.  Once you figured out your time, and cost of materials and margin you want or need to make compared to others...set your price and stick to your guns! 

I guess to sum it all up...research, research, research!  If you love what you do and are totally passionate about it...You will find a way to make it work.  Just stay at it!

Cedar Entry Way Table/Shelf and Cedar Boxes

I scored some beautiful cedar boards last week and made an entry table and a few cedar boxes.  The red and white in this wood is amazing!  Wood Gasm!  lol  Cedar smells so good when it's being cut!  Nose Gasm! lol and an eye gasm to look at it all finished!!!

48" x 36" Tall Pub Table With Leaf and 6 Chair Set

I had a custom order for a round pub table with a leaf and 6 chairs to go with it.  Table slides are expensive as I found and hard to find stores with the right sizes in stock.  I didn't have time to order one on line, so I had to get creative and make it work.  I went to Depot and found some heavy duty drawer slides and took them to my shop to see if I could get them to work.  I built the table top, legs and under frame and cut it in half.  I origionally made the under frame so the drawer slides I bought would fit on the inside of the frame, but it didn't work.  After thinking and thinking and thinking on how to get these slides to work and be smooth and solid...I mounted them on the outside of the under frame and attatched them to 2 29" 1 x 1's that I screwed to one half of the table top and it worked awesome!  It slides smooth and is very solid!  The leaf is 14" wide and fits snug into the table top when it's opened. 

The table and chairs are made from reclaimed fence and barnwood.  The table top has 3 staines and some boards are natural.  I used ebony, golden oak, and olde maple and coated the entire table and chairs with polyurathane to make them smooth and shiny and protect them from spills, etc... Last week was over 100 degrees every day and I finally got a brake in the weather cooling off to 90, and was able to put in my regular 12 hour day.  lol

100" x 46" x 30" Reclaimed Barnwood Dining Table

This dining table was a lot of hard work to make!  It was over 100 degrees out the last week and today.  I had to work on it for an hour or so, then go inside to cool off for a while.  It throws off my focuc and momentum to take so many brakes, but I got through it.  The legs and feet are 6 x 6, the cross brace is 4 x 4, the table top has a 2 x 4 frame and reclaimed barnwood for the table top.  It is 100" long x 46" wide x 30" tall.  The table top fits snug on top of the base frame conected to the top of the legs, which can not be seen in these pictures.  I made this table in two pieces, so it can be taken apart and moved easier.  It is stained dark walnut and has polyurathane on it to make it shine and protect it.  It is smooth to the touch and very solid!  I won't forget making this table!!!  I'm ready for the temp to go down in the 80's again!!! lol

Reclaimed Fenceboard Chest/Trunk

I made a small dining table for a really nice younger couple a while back.  I told them that if they referred anyone to me, that I would discount another piece of furniture for them.  Well, they took me up on it and sent me another really cool couple who also needed a dining table.  I called them back to thank them for the referral and offered them 50% off on the chest that they were talking about having me make to put at the end of their bed.  They are on a tight budget, so this really helped them out!  Win Win!!! 

This chest is 44" long x 21" deep x 19" tall.  It is made from reclaimed fence boards, hinges, and latch.  I braded some jute rope and added handles on each side as well.  It is stained olde maple and coated with polyurathane to make it shine, protect it, and make it smooth to the touch.  Thanks Matt and Megan!  You guys rock!