NewsShopblog
We have begun to post a record of our shop projects on WordPress — a blog, a shopblog.
Before the internet, before our business was anchored by this website, most of our patrons came to see us. No longer. Now most of the people who know of us and who order from us live too far away to visit. But people like to see the shop and the work in progress — and we like to show it. Seeing the craftsmen, the place, and the process adds value to the furniture. We hope this "weekly" log of what we are making, with some detail of how we are making it, will provide some of the benefits of a visit. garyweeks.wordpress.com
A VOC Scrubber for the Air of the Finishing Rooms
Our finish releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Most hand-rubbed, oil finishes require mineral spirits as a "vehicle" to take the resins into the wood, not much, but not zero. Mineral spirits have relatively low toxicity compared to many common industrial chemicals, but not zero. The finish is stable and non-toxic after the mineral spirits evaporate, but there is potential exposure when oiling the chairs. In addition, here, as in most places where mineral spirits are used, the evaporating solvents have been discharged to the atmosphere. No longer. We built a scrubber. We circulate the air of the finishing area through a bed of activated carbon. Changing the air of the finishing area every 90 seconds and directing the flow over the oiling benches has transformed the work. We maintain constant temperature and humidity. The finishes are better. We breathe clean air. There is no discharge to the atmosphere.   Building the enclosure
  Assembling the screen to hold the carbon
  Charging the scrubber with carbon
Videos on site
We are adding short videos to show many of the individual pieces of furniture and some of our techniques in the shop. The first six videos are: More to come.
Bob Currie, vcYES Productions, is our tape master.
Catalog second printing
We have reprinted our latest catalog, No. V, making minor changes. You may view it as a PDF (click here) or request that we mail one (call 800-986-3187 or send an email). There is no charge.
Our new dining chair and barstool, designed in 2009, continue to please
These items have filled gaps in the line — for a long while people have asked for dining chairs with a lower back (at left) and barstools with backs (at right). We now have them. You might be interested in what is entailed in a new chair design: Designing the Heflin.
We built a barn
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