New Wood Species We use quality woods in our furniture. Each board is selected by hand for quality, color and character. Our hardwoods come from all over the world.
You choose what type of wood you would like and what size table
African Mahogany
Mahogany is a type of hardwood that is prized for its's durability, attractive grain and warm glow. The African Mahoghany is native to west and central Africa. Natives boil the seeds to make a common side dish that is very high in fats. Oils are extracted and used as cooking oil. Bark infusions are used to treat colds and is used in many pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
This tree often does not produce any branches until a height of 100'. They commonly grow for 165-200' in height. During dry season the natives prune the tree to create a fodder which helps feed their cattle.
Eastern (Shagbark) Hickory
The earliest remnants and use of hickory were recovered at Modoc Rock Shelter in Illinois. Leaves and seed were recovered with human artifacts from strata dated about 8900-8700 yr BP. (Pre-Boreal period, approximately 11,700 years ago). Strachey (1612) reported about a ritual of the Native Americans which involved hickory, hominy corn and what the tribe called "pokahichary", ( a drink which the Powhatan Indians of Virginia made by pounding hickory nuts with water). This was served by a goddess to spirits of the afterlife that were traveling to the rising sun. When early colonists arrived in America, they found an abundant nut tree that was unknown in the old world. They found that Native Indians had a curious practice of pounding the nuts and tossing them into boiling water. A cream-colored oily substance separated from the nuts which was skimmed off and stored as a pasty material the Indians called "pawcohiccora". Indians used pawcohiccora in ways similar to butter. It was used as a spread and an ingredient in corn cakes and other dishes. English speaking settlers soon shortened the Indian word to "Hickory" and refereed to the creamy nut paste as "Hickory Milk". This oily substance became economically valuable in the colonial trade; one quart of hickory milk, for example, could be exchanged for 19 lbs of pork. Early Indians also used the hickory tree to make bows and baskets. They also used hickory medicinally as analgesics, diuretics and was used to control bleeding. Colonists used the bark from the hickory tree to make syrup. The bark was cut into strips and boiled to make a "tea". Cane sugar was added and boiled again to make the mixture thick. Today Shagbark syrup sells for 30.00 a quart. They also used the ashes from burning hickory to produce high quality lye soap. Hickory trees produced durable, resistant wood that was also used for wagon wheels, tools and fence posts. The term "Tough as Hickory" came for the durability and strength of the wood. Andrew Jackson's tough, warrior reputation earned him the nickname "Old Hickory".
Black Walnut
Black Walnut also known as American walnut and is part of the Hickory family. The tree is the most sought after of native hardwoods.Native Americans valued the black walnut and used it for a variety of everyday tasks. They chewed the bark for toothaches. The huskwas also chewed for colic and was used as a poultice for infections. The Apache Indians in particular found the black walnut very useful. They ate the nuts in a variety of ways either alone or stirred into different dishes. They also mashed the nuts and stirred them with juice to create a drink. The dark brown to dye contained in the husks was used by older males attempting to cover gray hair.
Native Americans also knew of the black walnut's medicinal usefulness and squeezed the juice from the outer green husks after hulling the ripened walnuts. The juice served as an antiseptic ointment and a parasite preventative for both humans and animals. In addition, a tonic extracted from the bark of the tree provided relief from inflammations of the body.
Rustic Black Walnut
.Normally we would reject the boards that this table was constructed with. We are going to offer them in a new way and call them our rustic line of walnut as premium black walnut has gotten very expensive. The value is still there but these tables will have knots and imperfections and is available in a thin top only. This is not reclaimed wood. We use Black Walnut from the east coast only due to its density and color. Black walnut has a dye and the Indian's used to dye their hair with it in the past. In today’s world they will steam the wood to get the dyes to penetrate the sap of the wood. We do not do that here. Our walnut tables are natural in color and the table has a waterproof finish that seals in the beauty of the wood. Black Walnut also known as American walnut is part of the Hickory family. The tree is the most sought after of native hardwoods. Native Americans valued the black walnut and used it for a variety of everyday tasks. They chewed the bark for toothaches. The husk was also chewed for colic and was used as a poultice for infections. Confusion arises as to where the black walnut first originated. Historians believe the origin of the black walnut to be Persia somewhere between 8,000-2,000 BCE. However, the oldest archaeological site where walnuts were discovered is in the Shanidar caves in Iraq. The black walnut has been a staple for many cultures throughout history. American Indians utilized the tree for its nuts and the dye produced by the tree was used as hair dye. They would eat the nuts raw or pound them to form a type of butter. Indians also tapped the trunk of the black walnut for sap to make syrup. In France in 1663, during the famine, walnuts became a principle item. The poor used the walnuts as food and even resorted to grinding them up to make course bread. In the 1800's, black walnut trees made their first appearance in the United States when they were brought over from Spain.
Black Cherry
Cherry lumber is a type of hardwood that's prized for its durability,attractive grain and warm glow. Some of the best cherry lumber comes from the American black cherry tree. The lumber from these trees have the reddishquality the wood is known for and will take a very high polish. The bark of a black cherry tree has been used in folk medicine recipes in the southern Appalachian mountains of the eastern United States. The bark is stripped from young trees and then used to suppress coughs.The fruit also has been used to make wine or can be mixed in with stronger liquors to give rum or brandy a sweeter cherry flavor. The same cherry trees that bear early fruit and which are used in decorative landscaping are not the cherry trees from which cherry wood lumber is milled. The black cherry tree, a member of the Prunus Serotina family, holds many distinctive features. While the black cherry tree does bear fruit, that fruit is late to mature and has a purple hue. The bitter taste makes it ideal for jellies and beverages. Unlike other cherry trees, its bark is dark with easily removable scales, and the heartwood is a reddish brown, ranging from dark to light. When exposed to sunlight, the color is similar to that of mahogany. Black cherry trees are indigenous to east-central North America as well as southeastern Canada.
RED OAK
The Northern red oak is the most prized of the red oak group for lumber, all of which is marketed as red oak regardless of the species of origin. It is not good for outdoor use due to its open capillaries. One can blow air through an end grain piece 10 inches long to make bubbles come out in a glass of water. The bark of the White Oak is dried and used in medical preparations. Oak bark is also rich in tannin, and is used by tanners for tanning leather. Acorns are used for making flour or roasted for acorn coffee. Oak galls were used for centuries as the main ingredient in manuscript ink, harvested at a specific time of year. It also has very appealing grain markings, particularly when quartersawn. Wide, quarter-sawn boards of oak have been prized since the Middle Ages for use in interior paneling of prestigious buildings such as the debating chamber of the House of Commons in London, England, and in the construction of fine furniture. Oak wood, from Quercus robur and Quercus petraea, was used in Europe for the construction of ships, especially naval men of war, until the 19th century, and was the principal timber used in the construction of European timber-framed buildings. Today oak wood is still commonly used for furniture making, flooring and timber frame buildings. Barrels in which red wines, sherry, and spirits such as brandy, Scotch whisky and Bourbon whiskey are aged are made from European and American oak. The use of oak in wine can add many different dimensions to wine based on the type and style of the oak. Oak barrels, which may be charred before use, contribute to the color, taste, and aroma of the contents, imparting a desirable oaky vanillin flavor to these drinks.
Sapele
Gorgeous mahogany look-alike with a slightly finer texture than Honduras Mahogany, and a typically interlocked grain. May reach a height of 150-200 feet; bole straight and cylindrical, clear to 100 feet. The Sapele tree grows in Africa; Ivory Coast and Nigeria. The commercially important wood is reminiscent of mahogany, a member of the same family, with a distinctive figure, typically applied where figure is important. Among its more exotic uses is that in musical instruments. It is used for the back and sides of acoustic guitar bodies, as well as the tops of electric guitar bodies. It is also used in manufacturing the neck piece of ukuleles and 26- and 36-string harps. The American car maker Cadillac uses sapele wood for interior wood trim on its vehicles. Once considered a more refined member of the mahogany family, Sapele is now being used as the industry standard due to the restrictions on South American Mahogany. It has a peaceful nature and a medium texture. Before WWI the principal demand for this wood came from Germany where it was used for decorative cabinet work. Interestingly enough, Sapele was found in the propeller-blades of German Zeppelins. Sapele is also one of Europe's most desired woods in manufacturing doors, windows and hardwood flooring.
Tiger Maple
Flame maple (tiger maple), also known as flamed maple, curly maple, ripple maple, fiddleback or tiger stripe, is a feature of maple in which the growth of the wood fibers is distorted in an undulating chatoyant pattern, producing wavy lines known as "flames". It is not completely clear what environmental conditions (if any) cause this phenomenon. Prized for its beautiful appearance, it is used frequently in the manufacturing of musical instruments, such as violins and bassoons, and fine furniture. Another well-known use of the material is its use in guitars, especially the venerated Gibson Les Paul. The Gibson Les Paul "Standard", initially manufactured from 1958 to 1960, sported a flame maple top finished in a cherry-red sunburst on a mahogany body. Today, these instruments are some of the most prized on the vintage guitar market, and as such are unaffordable to most musicians. During the westward expansion of early settlers and explorers into the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains, curly maple was often used for making the stocks used on Kentucky rifles.
Birdseye Maple
Birdseye Maple is not technically a
distinct species of Maple, but rather, it’s a figure that’s occasionally found
in Sugar Maple
trees. It’s named “birdseye”
(sometimes simply written out as: Bird’s
Eye Maple) because the figure resembles small bird’s eyes.
The figure is reportedly caused by
unfavorable growing conditions for the tree. The Sugar Maple attempts to start
numerous new buds to get more sunlight, but with poor growing conditions the
new shoots are aborted, and afterward a number of tiny knots remain.
Order Process New Wood
1. Wood Species: You choose the wood you would like your furniture to be made out of. A lot of woods can be combined to give you a truly unique look.
2. Size:
We offer any size that accommodates your needs. The easiest way that we have found is to place newspaper on the floor and allow 2' on each side of the table for your chairs with a minimum of 1.5'. We can build whatever size that looks comfortable for the room*.
***Our standard width is 36" but we can make the width wider or narrower to fit your needs. Our suggestion is to use the above method to measure. Round tables are available, but we cannot offer extensions on round tables. *
Below are some common seating arrangements: Please note that these may change according to your chair size and leg choice: If rectangular, and the table length is: 3-4'- table Sits 4 comfortably. 5-foot table: sits 4-6 comfortably if it’s 5 feet round, up to 8 people comfortably. 6-foot Table: sits 6-8 comfortably. 7-foot table sits 8 very comfortably. 8-foot table: sits 8 very comfortably. 9 foot sits 10 comfortably. 10-foot table: sits 10 comfortably. 11-foot table: sits 10 very comfortably and 12 comfortably. 12-foot table: sits up to 12 very comfortably and up to 14 with narrower chairs. 13-foot table: sits 12-14 comfortably. 14–15-foot table: sits 14 very comfortably and 16 if need be. 16-foot table: sits 16 very comfortably and 18 if need be.
3. Thin or thick top: You have the option of a thick or thin top. Our thin tops are generally 1" thick. Our thick tops are 1 1/2" . There is an extra charge for thick tops.
4. Company Boards: Extensions or leaves add length to a table when company arrives. Our extensions comprise of sliding dovetails that come out from the ends of the tables. This design does not compromise the stability of the table like tables with center leaves. Extensions add 18" to the overall length to each end adding a total of 3' to your table. Extensions can be added to one end as well instead of both. When not in use they can be stored in a closet. Drawers cannot be added to the table unless it is at least 7' in length due to the sliding dovetails.
5. Breadboard Ends: A “breadboard end” is a narrow piece of wood that is mechanically joined to the end of a larger solid wooden panel—a tabletop, for example. Generally, the woodworker makes a “tenon”, or tongue, along the entire end of the panel and a matching groove along the entire length of the breadboard. They are joined together without glue, using instead wooden dowels this is a traditional and somewhat time-consuming joinery technique seen on the best quality furniture. All of our trestle tables come with breadboard ends.
6. Drawer: Drawers are made with hand-cut dovetails and can be made in different sizes.
7. Your choice of legs: We offer a shaker style leg, a square leg, stretcher base, turned leg, trestle style and a turned trestle style leg. Legs are proportionate to table size.