What do we mean by…
Corner blocks are small pieces of wood glued into corners, which strengthen the joints and help keep them square. We put corner blocks in our drawers and behind the joints in our block feet.
Dovetail joints are constructed of a series of pins which lock into corresponding tails. Once glued, a wooden dovetail joint requires no mechanical fasteners. We use a half-blind dovetail which exposes the end grain on one side of the joint.
Fiber rush is tightly twisted kraft paper cord, woven to create a chair seat and lacquered for greater strength and durability
Hand planes have a cutting edge attached to a base (sole) with a hand-hold. A plane shaves wood surfaces to smooth out surface protrusions. By keeping a constant angle of the cutting edge to the surface, the planed wood becomes smooth and even.
Jointers are wood planers that flatten board edges to be “joined” into larger boards. Corners of the boards must be at precisely 90 degrees for snug joints.
Lacquer is a clear resin, mixed with thinner (solvent). It dries by solvent evaporation and, when cured, produces a hard, durable finish. We spray multiple thin coats and hand-rub in between, producing our signature matte finish.
Mortise and tenon joints comprise a tenon, a (male) tab formed on the end of a board inserted into a mortise cutout (female) in a corresponding board. The tenon is cut to fit the mortise hole exactly. The joint may then be glued or pinned to secure it in place.
Rails and stiles are components of door construction—the vertical boards are the stiles, and horizontal boards, the rails. Our cabinet doors consist of a top rail (straight or arched), a bottom rail, two side stiles and a center panel which can be plain, plain recessed, or raised.
Turning a square block of wood involves a lathe, a machine that secures and rotates the block. While revolving, various cutting tools remove material, leaving the block rounded and shaped to the intended design.
Rungs are the rounded crosspieces between the legs of a chair or framing the seat. Fiber rush is woven around the framing rungs becoming an integral part of the chair. Each end of the rungs has a tenon, which fits very snugly in a round mortise in the leg or back post. Although strong, they can break if used as a ladder. Not to worry, we can repair them…
I have the fireside bench. Gorgeous, indestructible and timeless!
Laura G.