New lumber inventory!

I have been stockpiling walnut trees for a while now, most of them I cut down with or without the assistance of Shafer Tree Care. All the trees have been cut into 2" thick natural edge slabs, air dried for a year, and kiln dried to furniture grade moisture content. I find this is the best way to start with a furniture piece, instead of the restrictions of using dimensioned lumber from the mill. Another reason I cut the wood like this is because it gives a client a unique experience when they are able to look at unique boards until they find a shape or grain pattern that matches what they invisioned. see more here www.appjoinery.com

Shaping seats.

I am often asked how the seats on my stools and chairs are carved/shaped. During the production of the new Stasis II I decided to take a few pictures which illustrate the process step by step. Below are the pictures with descriptions. Keep your eyes out for the Stasis II on our facebook page "Chester Shuey Handcrafted" as I think you will like the new lines and contemporary appalachian look.

First I choose the best grain from a 15"-20" wide board, this board is walnut and came from a tree on Carpenter Mountain in Virginia. The Stasis II seat is made from one board, the original Stasis seat is mae from 3-7" wide boards glued up.

The next step is to use a pattern and mark the seat shape profile. To achieve an even depth I use a router on the deepest part of the seat, then the halfway points between the seats peaks and valley also get routed out to make shaping not so much guess work.

For the fun grinding/shaping/carving step I like to use an attatchment for an angle grinder called the "Holly Gallahad". The attatchment shapes hardwoods with ease and control and is a lot safer than the chainsaw wheel commonly used. I use this attatchment to the point that my router lines are barely showing.

The last is to switch attatchments on the grinder to a sanding disc, I like 36 grit. Use this to refine the seat and make any adjustments you feel neccesary. Most importantly, sit in the seat and make sure it is comfortable! If anyone has any questions feel free to email me at appjoinery@gmail.com

Website changes

Our website was hosted through mobile me and they no longer exist. Here's our website until furthr notice. www.appjoinery.weebly.com

New boards on Etsy

Finally listed new boards on etsy! Some really nice ones this time!

Making of the "Zephyr" dining chair.

The Zephyr dining chair focuses on a ergonomic, flowing, and rythmic backrest that cascades into a choice of three completely different seats, the Form, Flow, and Fiber. The Form is shaped to contour the curvature of the body and distribute weigth evenly. The Flow is a continuation of the cascading backrest and shares the ergonomic aesthetic and touch. The Fiber is a classic and comfortable upholsterd seat that may come standard with burlap coverings. Ill post more pictures when finished.

Selecting the best grain from raw materials.

Roughed out frame

Joinery on front of frame

Joinery on back of frame

The Flow seat on left and Form on right.

Cutting and serving boards are back!

For those of you who have been asking when will we be making more boards the time has come. We finally accumulated enough off cuts from boards we used to make furniture to make a run of boards to sell on etsy. The variety or species will include thick black walnut, thick box elder, black locust, and black cherry. All of which were sourced from local, eco-friendly operations. There will be a variety of sizes that range from small cheese boards to extra large sushi planks. We are really exited for you all to see the large box elder boards that have amazing color, grain, and a super wild natural edge! We will try to get these boards finished and on etsy as soon as we can so stay tuned.

Cut off's from rough cutting the boards.

Sir Maximus has a chew before the scrap makes it to the fire bin.

Wild and burly edges on the box elder.

Work in progress

Sneak peek of a solid cherry chest with 6 dovetailed drawers and a floating live edge walnut shelf.

Walnut Stasis stools in progress.

Just a few shots of 5 walnut stasis stools in progress. Grinding, sanding, sawing, and now ready for finish. Remember All stools 25" tall or less ship anywhere in the country for only $20.00 each for the month of March.

To view the finished stools go here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/89002551/bench-built-from-sustainably-harvested

Custom wormy chestnut nightstand

This custom nightstand is made from recycled 150+ year old wormy chestnut found here in western North Carolina. It features a hand dovetailed drawer and complemented with a hand hammered metal knob.

Cherry Relief stools with maple legs.

Here's 3 Relief stools made for the Soderland residence in Boston. The seats are made from locally harvested black cherry and the legs are made from locally harvested hard maple.