As a designer-craftsman I lust after big hunks of wood. Large slabs offer the possibilities of visual continuity that cannot be found with dimensional lumber. Pieces cut from large trees offer a one of a kind natural look that reek with the quality of wood. Famous master craftsman George Nakashima’s creative use of slabs brought a reverence to the material, that make his work highly sought after years after his passing.

I have over the years accumulated slabs of wood and to the untrained eye what looks like big pieces of firewood. For this wood to used It must undergo a slow air drying process or be kiln dried to stabilized the wood so it won’t crack or split when brought into a centrally heated home.

This desk was made from a large walnut tree, harvested and milled with a friend Dennis Young – noted chair maker. The top and parts of the base are from the same tree.

This coffee table is from a piece of black walnut, I counted 95 rings. The tree blew down during a storm and was being cut into fire wood when I made an intervention. The property owner was paid a equal amount in firewood and a buddy and I milled the walnut.  The table was made from a piece cut near the butt of the tree. It was soaked in PEG for months to stabilize it. The table will be finished with a glass top.

Stay tuned for more big wood.