Reclaimed wood & rustic furniture is all the rage right now. Subsequently, there are a lot of DIY'ers selling their products on sites like craigslist & facebook for cheap. While you may find the piece that looks "just perfect", we believe that a table should last a long time too! What sets us apart is John's experience with precision woodworking techniques that he learned building guitars many years ago. This includes:
Joinery (how the table top boards are glued together)
Gluing & bracing
Selecting the proper wood, understanding the moisture properties of wood and wood movement
Fine finishing techniques to provide a glass-smooth finish, and protect the wood over time
If you are considering buying a piece from a DIY or weekend warrior type of operation, here are a few things to consider:
Is the wood yellow pine from lowes or home depot? If so, that wood comes kiln dried at 25-30% moisture content. While that is fine for framing a house or building a fence - it's not intended for fine furniture making. Without further consideration or treatment, the wood will warp, twist, and shrink considerably after it acclimates to the humidity inside of a home.
Are the tabletop boards jointed (glued together), or just screwed to bracing underneath. Jointing is a superior method for tabletop stability. If you want to imagine a table top that hasn't been jointed, just think about the boards on the top of a picnic table after a few years - bowed, warped, buckling the screws.
Is the wood properly finished & sealed? Believe it or not, some high end stores like Restoration Hardware do not apply any polyurethane or protective finish to the wood. Many customers that don't realize this are horrified after they set a wet glass down and it leaves permanent rings. Google it and read the horror stories for yourself.
These are just a few of the considerations. We aren't cutting corners to rush and get these projects done on nights and weekends. It's what we do full-time, and we take our time on every piece to ensure quality. We believe that it shows in our work, and so far - our customers agree!